Oscar the cat lives on the third floor of a nursing home in Rhode Island, USA. At first glance Oscar doesn't seem special. He's plain to look at. He's aloof. Like most cats, he's partial to treats and catnip. But in the summer of 2007 Oscar made headlines around the world. So what's so unusual about Oscar He knows when the hospice patients are going to die. Dr Dosa's job is to respond to people's medical needs, treat them for their ailments and communicate with their families. Oscar takes care of the rest. He is a steady companion as patients descend into death. He is with them when they die. And, because of him, they don't die alone. Can a cat really predict death Is he smelling something or responding to behavioural clues Is he helping guide souls to heaven Oscar's warm and profound story - of his uncanny ability to see death coming, of his steadfast and non-judgmental commitment to sit with patients as they die, of his quiet compassion - is a metaphor for what is important at the end of life.

Steere House ist ein Pflegeheim für Demenzkranke. Oscar ist eine der Katzen, die für die Patienten eingesetzt werden, durch deren Schleier des Vergessens oft nur Musik oder die Nähe eines Tieres dringen kann. Seine besondere Fähigkeit ist, das Nahen des Todes zu spüren - und nicht von der Seite des Patienten zu weichen, bis er eingeschlafen ist. Der erst skeptische Arzt Dr Dosa hat diese hoffnungsvolle wahre Geschichte niedergeschrieben. A global news story in 2007, this is the inspirational tale of a hospice, a doctor and a very special cat who is able to predict when the hospice patients are going to die. And because of Oscar's companionship, they do not die alone

David Dosa ist Professor an der Brown University und praktiziert als Facharzt für Geriatrie im Pflegeheim Steere House Center in Providence, Rhode Island.