I enjoyed Making Rounds with Oscar, although I have to admit, first and foremost, that I did not find his ability to sense which dementia patients were going to be the next to die was terribly extraordinary. This is not because I don't believe that Oscar could sense that -- but because I know from experience that animals have a way of sensing things that we humans sometimes suck at sensing. For example, my cat is amazing at knowing when I'm upset, or when I need to cuddle with him, or when I want a laugh. Growing up, my dogs were wonderful at coming and comforting me when I was sad, or being willing to cuddle with me when I was lonely.

So I guess for me, Dosa's book was more a story of his own turn-around from being unsure if animals really had a place in Steere House, aside from making it seem more "homey," to believing that Oscar truly could sense a patient's impending death. And also, the value in that -- not just the fact that Oscar was there to "accompany" the dying patient to the other side, but also the fact that he provided comfort and companionship in those very hard hours for the patient's caregivers.

I wouldn't say that Dosa's writing is stunning -- it is more of a conversation between him and his readers -- but I liked the comfortable, easy-going language that Dosa used to talk about his patients. The respect he held as a very young geriatician for his patients was wonderful to read also, just in the way he discussed their lives and their deaths.

Definitely recommend for any animal lover who wants to meet an endearing cat (and no, Oscar doesn't die at the end, which makes this an even better book in my opinion!!~ since so many books about animals end with their deaths). :)

Purchasing this book I was expecting a nice story about a lovable cat. The cover looked cheerful enough, and even though the description does include dementia and death, I was not expecting what was coming.
I think I was crying throughout every single page of this book. This is a very hard subject for me, and David manages to portray a very clear, melancholic picture, of going through the mental decay of loved ones, of suffering from it yourself, of looking at it from a detached yet not entirely so medical point of view, and from the eyes of a usually-sociopathic cat, which completes the circle to a mind-numbingly painful reality.
This book felt like a punch in the gut from life, taking a dive to a place people usually avoid talking about, and looking it in the eyes. I read it many years ago but this book stayed with me, I still find myself thinking about it, and I can honestly say it really prepared me for going through my grandads Alzheimer diagnosis and progression.
It is NOT an easy read. I don't think I would recommend it to someone who can relate to the subject on a personal level because it might be too much. But if you can take it, this book, short as it will be, will probably become a constant life companion.

I love it! I started reading it today and I couldn't put it down. My grandma died from alzheimer's disease and this book really hit home for me. I have been thinking about my grandma a lot recently. But it didn't make me feel sad. I felt hopeful and at peace.

It's more a book about dementia but it's very well written

A very simple read, intertwining story of Oscar, a cat who famously can sense imminent death at an old-age hospice, and end-of-life stories of dementia patients and their families. A decent read, not particularly deep, but heart-warming and illuminating.

Perfect book for anyone with a loved one suffering from dementia. It was soooo insightful in the most serendipitous way.

I think this one hit me harder on a personal level than many other reviewers from reading the other reviews here. I love cats, and I'm terrified of dementia/Alzheimer's. Forgetting faces, being unable to read books and losing the memories I have are all things I'm afraid of happening to me. Combine these two ideas in one book? I had to have tissues in my car going to and from work.

Oscar is a cat and resident at the Steere House in Providence, Rhode Island, which specializes in dementia cases. Many cats (and other animals) live there as well, but it's Oscar in particular who seems to have a special gift. He always seems to know when a patient's time has come, and is always there to provide comfort at the end. Nobody seems to know how he knows, and the book focuses on Dr. Dosa and his sort-of quest to figure out how Oscar does what he does.

The problem many have with the book is that the book isn't dedicated to figuring out Oscar's talent. Instead, the book tells a series of short stories about residents at Steere House whose time had come, and Oscar's role in helping families come to terms with the passing of their loved one. I loved all of these stories. Every last one of them. Each provides a look into the life and passing of a dementia patient, and it was somewhat comforting to read about their last days with loved ones. Some of them end happier than others, but all of them touched me deeply in different ways.

Another reviewer summarized it best: "As a book about a cat, it was disappointing. As a book about dementia, it was a success." Temper your expectations accordingly, and you won't be disappointed.

I would not have finished this book if it wasn't our book club pick. It's much too long, padded with unnecessary detail. The 222 pages could have easily been condensed into one. And by "one" I mean "one sentence": Oscar the cat resides at a long term care facility and can sense when people are about to die and lies down next to them at that time. That's it. The rest is a lot of sentimental stuff. If you like having your heartstrings purposely and egregiously yanked, this is the perfect book for you. I'm cold-hearted and unsentimental so it's the wrong book for me. (My heartstrings are more attuned to the people who die cold, alone, sick, in poverty, of starvation, of torture.)