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ygraine00's review against another edition
5.0
As a nurse working in the hospital's dementia unit, i can certainly relate to all the things that were in here. We are trying to start pet therapy in the acute hospital where i work, but as of now i dont think that would be possible. I am gladdened to read this, and how pet therapy actually works. What's more, they use cats. I love cats. <3
saragalisteo's review against another edition
5.0
Oscar es especial. Es un gato que siempre acompaña a los pacientes que fallecen en una residencia para gente con Alzheimer y ese tipo de enfermedades. Es imposible que no se te salte la lagrimita con este libro, sobre todo si recuerdas que no es ficción. Amante o no de los gatos, es un libro que creo que cualquiera podría disfrutar muy fácilmente. A mí me ha encantado
maryjohanna's review against another edition
4.0
Loved it!
Tremendous insights into what it's like to walk alongside a loved one through Alzheimer's Disease.
Tremendous insights into what it's like to walk alongside a loved one through Alzheimer's Disease.
jeannepathfinder's review against another edition
4.0
The experiences of a doctor of geriatrics and the cat who comforts the dying and their families.
ktbshaw's review against another edition
5.0
I have known some special cats, and I very much appreciated this mix of feline foibles, medicine, and end-of-life stories. There were also several poignant moments described in this book that have stuck with me for years.
aprilius_maximus's review against another edition
2.0
For some reason, I found this book quite boring. :( And I love animal memoirs! But I wanted more of a connection with Oscar which never happened. It took me a really long time to finish this book as it didn't hold my interest. Wah!
sedeara's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book more than I expected to. Mainly I listened to it because the book I really wanted to read, [b:Cat Daddy: What the World's Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean|13446655|Cat Daddy What the World's Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean|Jackson Galaxy|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1329986208s/13446655.jpg|18959810], wasn't available, and I've been craving books that demonstrate an appreciation for the role cats play in human lives ever since one of my cats died -- reading these books, much like reading marriage books when I was engaged -- validates my experiences and brings me a lot of comfort.
This book is better than a lot of books in which a story that gets a lot of media attention is adapted to a full-length book. I first learned about Oscar when my mom gave me a short article about his ability to "predict" death and stay with the dying person in nursing homes several years ago. When I started this book, I wondered how this fact, fascinating though it is, would manage to stretch into a whole book.
Here is how: Dr. David Dosa, the author, carefully and sensitively portrays the personalities, lives, and passings of his dementia patients and those who love them. In his quest to understand Oscar's "abilities," he interviews many families who were impacted by Oscar. At first, his attitude of grumpy skepticism felt a little forced, as though its primary purpose was to create an interesting character arc as he came to appreciate Oscar more and more. Still, this book that I firmly expected to be in three-star territory, brought tears to my eyes and touched me unexpectedly deeply. I loved that Oscar was a "grouchy" cat in all incidences except when he was sitting with a dying patient and his or her family; this kept Oscar from being overly romanticized (as I sort of felt happened in [b:Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World|3257136|Dewey The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World|Vicki Myron|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1398144610s/3257136.jpg|3292360]) and he felt real to me. I also loved the perception that even less-than-perfect cats can play an important roles in our lives.
This is one of those books that will stay with me, and I think it would be enjoyable for anyone who has an interest in or experience with nursing homes or dementia. Dr. Dosa is a better writer than most "non-writers" who take on these types of projects (or he had a very good ghost-writer at his side), and he comes across both as believably flawed and ultimately kind-hearted. The quotes about cats that open each chapter are a lovely perk for those of us who are cat lovers, too.
This book is better than a lot of books in which a story that gets a lot of media attention is adapted to a full-length book. I first learned about Oscar when my mom gave me a short article about his ability to "predict" death and stay with the dying person in nursing homes several years ago. When I started this book, I wondered how this fact, fascinating though it is, would manage to stretch into a whole book.
Here is how: Dr. David Dosa, the author, carefully and sensitively portrays the personalities, lives, and passings of his dementia patients and those who love them. In his quest to understand Oscar's "abilities," he interviews many families who were impacted by Oscar. At first, his attitude of grumpy skepticism felt a little forced, as though its primary purpose was to create an interesting character arc as he came to appreciate Oscar more and more. Still, this book that I firmly expected to be in three-star territory, brought tears to my eyes and touched me unexpectedly deeply. I loved that Oscar was a "grouchy" cat in all incidences except when he was sitting with a dying patient and his or her family; this kept Oscar from being overly romanticized (as I sort of felt happened in [b:Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World|3257136|Dewey The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World|Vicki Myron|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1398144610s/3257136.jpg|3292360]) and he felt real to me. I also loved the perception that even less-than-perfect cats can play an important roles in our lives.
This is one of those books that will stay with me, and I think it would be enjoyable for anyone who has an interest in or experience with nursing homes or dementia. Dr. Dosa is a better writer than most "non-writers" who take on these types of projects (or he had a very good ghost-writer at his side), and he comes across both as believably flawed and ultimately kind-hearted. The quotes about cats that open each chapter are a lovely perk for those of us who are cat lovers, too.
mudder17's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
I enjoyed this listen, although I thought this book would be more about Oscar than about Dr. Dosa. Oscar was "just" an ordinary cat, but in my opinion, all cats are special for one reason or another. Dr. Dosa would not agree, but then again, he begins the story saying he isn't a cat person, and that Oscar was not a particularly affectionate cat (Oscar passed away last year, 2-22-22). Dr. Dosa is a geriatric doctor who works at Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation in Rhode Island.
This story is more about Dr. Dosa thoughts about end-of-life decisions that people face, but Oscar has been part of his story for years. Whether Oscar actually had the ability to predict death (possibly by detecting chemicals emitted by the body as it starts to near death), the fact is that he was a comfort to many families. There were several places in this book where I was moved to tears and almost every time it was through the words of a loved one describing the end of their family member's life and what Oscar meant to them during that time. This book also made me think about our family's own journey with my father and now, potentially with my FIL. Several times this book made me think of Atul Gawande's Being Mortal, which is a much more extensive and well-written book having to do with end-of-life decisions. If you like this book at all, possibly because the cat drew you in, I urge you to read Being Mortal.
Yet, even though this was not on the level of Being Mortal, I enjoyed listening to the book, and I especially enjoyed learning about Oscar and the way he helped families transition. My family is a cat family and I hope that in the end, we will each be surrounded by cats and our loved ones. Whatever the truth is about Oscar in terms of foreknowledge, etc., the fact is that his presence made the lives of many families better and that makes me smile. If you're looking for a quick story with some sadness as well as some smiles, I can recommend this listen.
I enjoyed this listen, although I thought this book would be more about Oscar than about Dr. Dosa. Oscar was "just" an ordinary cat, but in my opinion, all cats are special for one reason or another. Dr. Dosa would not agree, but then again, he begins the story saying he isn't a cat person, and that Oscar was not a particularly affectionate cat (Oscar passed away last year, 2-22-22). Dr. Dosa is a geriatric doctor who works at Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation in Rhode Island.
This story is more about Dr. Dosa thoughts about end-of-life decisions that people face, but Oscar has been part of his story for years. Whether Oscar actually had the ability to predict death (possibly by detecting chemicals emitted by the body as it starts to near death), the fact is that he was a comfort to many families. There were several places in this book where I was moved to tears and almost every time it was through the words of a loved one describing the end of their family member's life and what Oscar meant to them during that time. This book also made me think about our family's own journey with my father and now, potentially with my FIL. Several times this book made me think of Atul Gawande's Being Mortal, which is a much more extensive and well-written book having to do with end-of-life decisions. If you like this book at all, possibly because the cat drew you in, I urge you to read Being Mortal.
Yet, even though this was not on the level of Being Mortal, I enjoyed listening to the book, and I especially enjoyed learning about Oscar and the way he helped families transition. My family is a cat family and I hope that in the end, we will each be surrounded by cats and our loved ones. Whatever the truth is about Oscar in terms of foreknowledge, etc., the fact is that his presence made the lives of many families better and that makes me smile. If you're looking for a quick story with some sadness as well as some smiles, I can recommend this listen.