In 2005, Oscar was one of six cats adopted by the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center as part of a therapy program for patients with end-stage conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Described as generally aloof and not particularly fond of people, he was a seemingly ordinary kitty. That was until he gained international recognition for his unusual, and somewhat eerie, ability: predicting death.
First brought to public attention by Dr. David Dosa in a 2007 New England Journal of Medicine article, Oscar was reported to routinely curl up beside patients who would pass away only within a few hours, offering them comfort in their final moments. Initially dismissed as mere coincidence, his behaviour became harder to ignore as the pattern happened repeatedly. Staff soon recognised that whenever Oscar settled beside a patient, it was time to notify the patient’s family to give them a chance to say their goodbyes before the inevitable. Over time, his presence became a reliable signal that death would be imminent, a role that turned him into a somewhat sombre but essential part of the hospice care team.
As of 2022, before his passing at the age of 17, Oscar had reportedly signalled the approaching deaths of over 100 patients. His story has fascinated doctors and researchers alike, raising questions about how animals detect impending death through biochemical markers and behavioural changes. Though the exact mechanisms remain unclear, new scientific research offers possible explanations for this phenomenon.
Was Oscar really predicting death?
Oscar’s uncanny accuracy raises an important question: how could a cat predict death? For years, scientists and experts have pondered this, offering several hypotheses, with the most widely accepted explanation revolving around the idea that Oscar might have sensed biochemical markers associated with the dying process in patients suffering from terminal illnesses.
As the human body nears the end of life, it undergoes a cascade of biochemical changes. Cells begin to break down and release a variety of chemical compounds, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are byproducts of the body’s metabolism and can evaporate easily into the air, becoming detectable through scent and providing insights into the physiological state of an individual. Oscar, like many animals, may have been able to pick up on these changes with his highly developed sense of smell.
Cats possess between 45 to 200 million olfactory receptors, compared to humans, who have around 5 million. This heightened sensitivity to smell may have allowed Oscar to recognise the unique chemical markers associated with terminal illness and impending death. Emerging studies have documented changes in VOC patterns linked to diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, conditions common among Oscar’s companions at the nursing home.
In recent years, scientific studies have explored the link between VOCs and disease, suggesting that certain illnesses produce recognisable chemical signatures. This would support the idea that Oscar was simply reacting to these invisible chemical cues, which humans cannot perceive. But how common is this ability?
Oscar’s abilities, while extraordinary, may not be as isolated as they first appear. Dogs, for instance, are well-documented for their ability to detect diseases like cancer through scent. Medical detection dogs are trained to identify the presence of cancers, diabetes, and even epileptic seizures before they occur, all by detecting changes in body chemistry.
Human examples: Joy Milne
Joy Milne, a retired nurse from Scotland, gained attention for her hyperosmia, a condition that gives her an extraordinary sensitivity to smell. She famously detected a distinct musky odour on her husband, Les, a full 12 years before he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. At first, she thought the smell was due to hygiene issues, but over time, she realised it was linked to the disease.
Milne’s story underscores the human ability to detect chemical changes in the body through smell, similar to what Oscar may have experienced. After Les’s death, Joy began collaborating with researchers at the University of Edinburgh, helping them identify specific VOCs linked to Parkinson’s. Her ability has led to new approaches in the non-invasive diagnosis of the disease. This human example mirrors Oscar’s ability, showing that both animals and humans can pick up on subtle chemical changes in the body, which may provide early indicators of health conditions.
Could It Be Something Other Than Smell?
While Oscar’s sense of smell is a strong hypothesis, another explanation could lie in his ability to detect physiological changes in patients nearing death. As the body shuts down, changes in movement, breathing, and body temperature occur. These subtle cues may be imperceptible to human caregivers but noticeable to animals.
Oscar may have been responding to these physical changes rather than relying solely on smell. Similar to medical assistance dogs that can sense seizures or drops in blood glucose before they happen, Oscar might have picked up on specific patterns in patients’ decline. Dr Joan Teno, a doctor at Steere House, noted that Oscar wasn’t always present at the earliest signs of deterioration but often appeared in the final hours, suggesting he may have detected specific cues that signalled death was near.
Oscar’s story highlights the complex and largely unexplored relationship between animals and human health. Whether through olfactory detection, sensitivity to physiological changes, or even an unquantifiable sense of empathy, his behaviour has prompted fascinating discussions that challenge our understanding of the natural world.
Though scientists have yet to fully explain Oscar’s abilities, his unique role in the care of terminally ill patients leaves us with much to ponder about the ways animals may perceive human states in ways we cannot. As research continues into the biological markers of disease and death, stories like Oscar’s remind us that there is still much to uncover about the intricate ways living beings interact at the end of life.
