The cat that predicts nursing home deaths ...

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

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

“He doesn’t make too many mistakes. He seems to understand when patients are about to die,” said geriatrician and assistant professor of medicine at Brown University Dr David Dosa.