Oscar, who was adopted into the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Rhode Island when he was a kitten, has demonstrated repeatedly that he knows when an Alzheimer's or dementia patient on the 3rd floor unit is about to die. Although not generally a social cat, when Oscar senses that a resident is about to die, he goes into their room, curls up on the bed, and stays there until the end. Because of this ability, Oscar is considered a member of the hospice team for Steere House. Dr. Dosa, the author of this book, isn't a cat fancier by any means and it took a while for him to appreciate the gift that Oscar gave the staff--they were able to notify the family that they needed to come to the nursing home to be with their family member in their last hours. This book began as an article in the New England Journal of Medicine and it not only describes Oscar's gifts, but also describes Dr. Dosa's work in treating patients with dementia. A quick and moving read.