I absolutely love cats so my interest was peaked right away. I asked JV to write up a little note and she gave me this wonderful description that I just had to share:
"Dr. David Dosa, a Rhode Island geriatrician, is not a cat lover. But after learning about Oscar, a cat who resides on the third floor of the Steere House Nursing and Rehab Center, Dr. Dosa decides to investigate.
Oscar is not an extremely social cat. He would rather keep to himself than mingle with visitors. He enjoys sleeping in sunny spots, chasing his tail, and occasionally racing around with his sister. Oscar's specialty, however, seems to be his ability to sense when a patient is near death. A few hours before a loved one passes, Oscar appears and settles down with them on their bed and purrs. He remains in the room until the end and even stays with the family until the funeral director arrives.
Dr. Dosa has interviewed family members of former patients and has gathered their thoughts and comments about Oscar. He learned that not only does Oscar bring a smile to and provide comfort to the terminal patients, but he is a welcome distraction and comfort to the family members as well. Through these interviews, Dr. Dosa begins to see dementia from the family's viewpoint rather than just the medical.
Is Oscar a guardian angel or just a cat? This is not just a book for cat lovers but for anyone whose life has been or is being touched by a loved one with dementia."
