A 2-year-old cat from Providence, Rhode Island is making news for his unusual ability to predict the death of patients. Oscar the cat curls up next to the dying patients during their final hours, usually meaning they have less than four hours to live.

According to hospital doctors, Oscar's ability, observed in 25 cases, has led the staff to call family members once he has chosen someone. AP quotes Dr. David Dosa as writing in the Thursday's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, "He doesn't make too many mistakes. He seems to understand when patients are about to die."

The cat with the strange abilities was adopted as a kitten and grew up in a third-floor dementia unit at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The facility treats people with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and other illnesses.

Some doctors even claim that he is better at predicting death than the people who work there. Most of the people who are visited by this gray-and-white cat are generally too ill to be aware of his presence.

Animal behavior experts say that it is possible that the cat arrives at conclusions by judging the behavior of the nurses who brought him up. Many also believe that his behavior could be driven by self-centered pleasures like taking advantage of a heated blanket placed on a dying person.