Death creeps in on soft-furred paws
Oscar the cat is both comfort and warning. When he curls up beside a patient in the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, the nurses know to contact the patient’s relatives, for their loved one will pass away within the next four hours. Oscar is uncannily accurate, predicting 25 deaths so far, and meowing and pacing outside the room if a relative wishes him removed while their loved one dies. Adopted by the nurses as a kitten, he grew up in the dementia unit of the nursing home, where such diseases as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are treated. He makes his rounds, just as the doctors do, sniffing and observing each patient, but he’s quite aloof and is not normally affectionate with the patients. Until their time comes.
It’s an eerie, yet comforting story.