Making Rounds with Oscar

The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat

By: David Dosa M.D.

Narrated by: Ray Porter

Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Oscar the cat has a very special skill. An otherwise ordinary cat—he'd sooner give you his back or a sideways glance than curl up on your lap—Oscar has the uncanny ability to predict when people are about to die. Adopted by staff members at Steere House nursing home when he was a kitten, the three year-old cat has presided over the deaths of more than twenty-five nursing home residents thus far. His mere presence at the bedside is viewed by physicians and nursing home staff as an almost absolute indicator of impending death – a blessing, really, because it allows staff members to notify families that the end is near. Oscar is highly regarded by the physicians and staff at Steere House and by the families of the residents whom he serves because he provides companionship to those who would otherwise have died alone.

When Dr. David Dosa, an attending physician at Steere House, wrote about Oscar in the New England Journal of Medicine, the response was tremendous, with coverage everywhere from Today to People to CNN. Now Dr. Dosa expands his story, using the cat and the stories of several patients to examine end-of-life care as it exists today. Heartfelt, inspiring and sometimes even funny, it allows readers into a world rarely seen from the outside and often misunderstood.

©2010 David Dosa (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Oscar captured my heart, and Dr. Dosa opened my mind. This extraordinary book offers a physician's perspective on death and dying, as well as insights on family love, companionship without question, and the life lessons that only the old can provide. As if that weren't enough, it proves the old adage: there are no ordinary cats.” (Brenda Copeland, editor)

"[The] book, both touching and humorous, isn’t just about Oscar. It’s about listening and letting go." (Craig Wilson, USA Today)

Wow

Very interesting listen much different than what I am used to. Oscar is the best.

Human lives connected by an extraordinary cat

Dr Dosa writes of his experiences in a care facility for people with dementia, and Oscar the cat threads in and out of the lives of the patients, their families, and the staff. He has taken on, somehow, the responsibility of being with the patient as their life comes to an end, and his presence has comforted their family members during the vigil at the end.

The stories are meaningful, and Oscar's behavior is mysterious and wonderful.

While Dr. Dosa was telling of the people with dementia, and his own health problems, I kept remembering another audio book I listened to by another doctor, called GRAIN BRAIN, where the author/doctor made almost miraculous improvements in people's health by having them remove grains, or grain related products from their diet.

How many people will be able to avoid dementia, thus the effect on their families as well, by being aware of the hidden inflammation in their brains, nervous systems, organs, digestive system, and joints caused by all the wheat, gluten, etc. in our food system?

In Grain Brain, the doctor told of even abnormal behaviors, such as nervous tics, or outburts, being caused by grain or grain-related products - people who were on pharmaceutical products of all kinds were able to be weaned off of them because once they stopped eating foods that caused negative effects, they got better. Sometimes amazingly quickly.

Since a great many people with some genetic heritage from Europe are negatively affected by grains, if you read Dr. Dosa's book about Oscar's role in the final days of people with dementia, please consider then reading GRAIN BRAIN as well, while the effects of dementia are still fresh in your mind. The emotional devastation of watching a person lose their memory, as Dr Dosa shares, as well as the physical and financial toll it takes on caregivers and family is terrible. That it may be preventable with simple dietary changes is tragic if people don't know that.

Making Rounds with Oscar is a moving book, well told, and because it tells us how hard it is to have a person lose their memories, it will hopefully motivate people to learn that it is possible to prevent some of this with nutrition and elimination of certain foods (GRAIN BRAIN, as well as other books on the effects of food on the brain and body)

excellent

very moving and well told. makes us proud to be full time cat lovers. thanks.

Amazing!

I love the story of Oscar and his instinctual "sniffing out" of death. Read it!

great narration

This is an important book.
very gently told in a clever way
assisting folks with hellish ins and outs of dementia. And the spirituality of a cat. rock on good pets rock on.
so much to see and learn if u simply settle and allow. Enjoy

Came for the Cat, Stayed for the Understanding

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would and have recommended this audiobook to my friends and family!
My family is dealing with a mother who is coming to the end of her life with alzheimer's. This book was very touching and I think has helped me understand what has happened and where we are going to the end.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Making Rounds with Oscar?

One of the most memorable moments for me was when the daughter was leaving the home for the last time and Oscar escorted her out.

What does Ray Porter bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I enjoyed how Ray Porter gave the dramatic pauses where they were needed. I lead a busy life and would not be able to read as much as I do except for having audiobooks for myself when I drive, do the laundry or the dishes.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, I wish I could have. I may listen again and try to do it in one or two sittings.

Any additional comments?

I really cannot say how much this book touched me and how much it has helped to refresh me in my waiting with my mom. Thank you!

An amazing book!

Would you consider the audio edition of Making Rounds with Oscar to be better than the print version?

Yes.

What does Ray Porter bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He brings emotion to the story. How he reads the book, and the voice inflections he uses, makes you laugh or cry, depending on where in the book you are. He humanizes it. And this book benefits greatly from that!

Any additional comments?

Some of the stories in this book are very hard to hear. Dementia is a *horrible* disease, both for the person, and for their family & friends. But throughout this book, interwoven amongst all those hard stories, are positive notes. One is Oscar himself. And another is the author, as he looks for proof (and finds it) and journeys from disbelief towards belief.

Well done Doc!!

This is a great book for anyone touched by Alzheimer's/Dementia, medical professionals and true cat lovers. I have thoroughly enjoyed learning of Oscar the cat!

Not what I expected

If you could sum up Making Rounds with Oscar in three words, what would they be?

Alzheimers victims dying.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

I was not really happy that the focus was not on Oscar, the cat everybody knows. The author briskly turned aside to focus on family misery about their loved ones and his own thinly disguised skepticism (after he saw Oscar in action). I firmly believe animals have certain powers, even if it's based on smell, as is intimated about Oscar. I have read animal stories much more animal-centric and still interesting. Maybe there is a need for a book about Alzheimers sufferers, of which I expect to become, but I was not ready to read about them now. Denial? Perhaps. But I wanted to read about a cat who allowed people a little time to meet their maker... evidently it was just a matter of a cat liking the "death odor" and snuggling up to those who provided it. Boo.

Beautiful

Beautiful story about finding the extraordinary in ordinary and would be a recommended read for anyone caring for a loved one with dementia.