“Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous” Albert Einstein.

Was it coincidence that a cat was by the bedside of dying patients at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island? Dr. David Dosa, a geriatrician at Steere House, had written an article in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2007 about Oscar and now has explored further the task Oscar has taken on at this wonderful care facility. Oscar did not have the reputation as a sociable cat. He never really spent time with the patients but instead was usually hiding somewhere. Oscar did persistently find a way to get into the rooms of patients that were very close to death and spend time on their beds until they breathed their last. This is a remarkable story of an interesting phenomena, but also a very educational story for those interested in dementia and the way it affects individuals and their families.