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Making Rounds with Oscar
by Yoana (Y5A, 2013-14)

Do you think a cat would be able to predict death? If your answer is "no", then you should read David Dosa's book, based on real story about a cat with a special ability.

Oscar is an ordinary cat who lives in Steere House, a nursing house in Rhode Island. He is one of the several cats in this geriatric and the most unsociable one. But his sixth sense makes him quite special and extraordinary. Apparently, he doesn't like humans, but has the mysterious ability to predict death within hours. He knows when a patient is dying and lies next to him or her until they die. That makes him a loyal companion for the residents and their families.

David Dosa is actually a geriatrian, and also one of the main characters. Cats aren't one of his favorite animals and at the beginning he is quite skeptic about Oscar's ability. David tells us the touching stories of the patients who were accompanied by Oscar in the last hours of their lives.

Most of these patients have mental illnesses, particularly Alzheimer. Their stories are moving and show us their way of life and how their families hell with this disease. It's a sad book which shows us how hard dementia can be for people who suffer it and for their families.

This book is not only for cat lovers -- I strongly recommend it to everybody because it gives us a life lesson.