For whom the cat's bell tolls: feline 'knows' when death nears

Oscar the cat seems to have an uncanny knack for predicting when nursing home patients are going to die, by curling up next to them during their final hours.

His accuracy, observed in 25 cases, has led the staff to call family members once he has chosen someone. It usually means they have less than four hours to live.

"He doesn't make too many mistakes. He seems to understand when patients are about to die," wrote Dr David Dosa in yesterday's New England Journal of Medicine. "Many family members take some solace from it. They appreciate the companionship that the cat provides for their dying loved one," he added.

The two-year-old feline grew up at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre. The facility treats people with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and other illnesses.

After about six months, the staff noticed Oscar would make his own rounds, just like the doctors and nurses. He would sniff and observe patients, then sit beside people who would end up dying in a few hours.

No one knows if Oscar's behaviour is scientifically significant, but the grey and white cat recently received a wall plaque at the home commending his "compassionate hospice care".