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Oscar: Was Uns Ein Kater Über Das Leben Und Das Sterben Lehrt by David Dosa, Bernhard Kleinschmidt
lizzycatslibrary's review against another edition
4.0
I was really surprised at this book. First of all I have to say that for those who are looking for solely the story of an animal this is not the book for you. While the book is constructed around the subject of Oscar it actually delves much deeper into life and living with people with dementia. I did not anticipate this book being as emotionally taxing as it was, and was surprised to find myself thinking of and analyzing deep questions about what it means to be alive and how we deal with death. A surprising book for sure.
littlespacekitty's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
5.0
An amazing, heartwarming story about an amazing cat :heart:
I recommend it to cat lovers!
I recommend it to cat lovers!
altlovesbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
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.
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.
mythyagain's review against another edition
5.0
At first I was hesitant to start this book as I thought it would be too sad. Written by a doctor, this is the true account of a cat that senses which residents in a residential nursing center and then goes and lies on their bed until the end. Oscar comforts the grieving families and stands at attention when the bodies are removed. Nurses begin to rely on him to predict that a patient's family should be called immediately. Predictably, this book emphasizes the positive effects pets in a nursing home can have on everyone involved including the staff. I also learned much about dementia, end of life issues, caregiver perspectives and about some of the gaps in communication of dementia to the family. This is a wonderful book and not overly sad as all the residents died surrounded by caring individuals (including a cat).
bosoxamy's review against another edition
4.0
I first heard about Oscar several years ago when he made national news. If you aren't familiar with him, here's the quick backstory: Oscar is a cat that lives at a nursing home in Providence, Rhode Island: Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. He lives on the floor that contains the unit where patients with dementia are cared for. It was discovered that, although most of the time Oscar isn't overly concerned with the patients, he will go and sit with them a few hours before they die. He knows when it's time and holds vigil until they pass and are taken away.
David Dosa, M.D. is a geriatrician working in the same nursing home. He wasn't aware of Oscar's gift right away and once he found out, he was a bit dismissive about it. He began to ask people who experienced Oscar's vigils with the dying about their experiences and out of those discussions was born this book, Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat.
Although Oscar is on the cover and his name is in the title, the book is more about Dr. Dosa's journey in trying to figure out what was happening with dying patients and the cat on the floor of the unit. It is a wonderful journey to follow along with, watching this scientist trying to explain how a cat knows when someone is about to die.
A bonus with this book is that Oscar is still alive and doing his job at the nursing home. In fact, you can like his page on Facebook, Oscarthecat. You can also follow Dr. Dosa on Twitter.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to all of my cat-loving friends. It brought back memories of the cat, Suki, that lived in the nursing home my own grandma was in when she had dementia. I'm glad that so many nursing homes are pet friendly and hope that Oscar's story brings more attention to the fact that pets can be valuable additions in settings such as long-term care facilities.
David Dosa, M.D. is a geriatrician working in the same nursing home. He wasn't aware of Oscar's gift right away and once he found out, he was a bit dismissive about it. He began to ask people who experienced Oscar's vigils with the dying about their experiences and out of those discussions was born this book, Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat.
Although Oscar is on the cover and his name is in the title, the book is more about Dr. Dosa's journey in trying to figure out what was happening with dying patients and the cat on the floor of the unit. It is a wonderful journey to follow along with, watching this scientist trying to explain how a cat knows when someone is about to die.
A bonus with this book is that Oscar is still alive and doing his job at the nursing home. In fact, you can like his page on Facebook, Oscarthecat. You can also follow Dr. Dosa on Twitter.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to all of my cat-loving friends. It brought back memories of the cat, Suki, that lived in the nursing home my own grandma was in when she had dementia. I'm glad that so many nursing homes are pet friendly and hope that Oscar's story brings more attention to the fact that pets can be valuable additions in settings such as long-term care facilities.
imalwayswrite's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book a lot, but it's more about dementia patients and end-of-life care than it is about Oscar, fyi. An interesting read.