Exploits of a Vegan Wannabe

In celebration of June, National Adopt a Shelter Cat Month, and all things worthy of love and adoration, I have the most delightful surprise. Dr David Dosa, author of Making Rounds With Oscar is our guest contributor. Making Rounds is the true story of a remarkable feline with the tender ability to sense the coming deaths of the patients in a dementia unit in Rhode Island. Dr Dosa shares his humbling experiences with Oscar and his patients through the pages of his book. It is an enlightened example of the human animal connection and a reminder that all animals think, feel and have the capacity for kindness.

Making Rounds With Oscar is the perfect Summer read and  a thoughtful gift for yourself or a friend.  Here is a link to purchase Making Rounds With Oscar from Amazon.

It is with great excitement and gratitude that I introduce Dr. David Dosa:

It’s not just about what we put in our mouths

Admittedly, I was a little puzzled when Sherry asked me to be a guest contributor to her blog. After all—I am not a vegan–although I do try to eat healthy these days. Quite frankly, I’m not sure I would have the will power needed to take the vegan plunge. I suppose I could probably forsake beef, pork, and perhaps even chicken—but I love cheese, eggs, and fish too to much to make it work. As a physician, I am not even sure where I stand on the vegan diet. Without question, the average US diet stinks so any diet that forsakes hamburgers in favor of vegetables, grains, and soy is a step in the right direction. Nevertheless, I’ve seen horror stories of crash diets gone wrong—particularly when adults impose their own dietary restrictions and beliefs among children. So there in lies the dilemma. What could readers of a Vegan website want with the rambling thoughts of a physician and omnivore who has lately been associated more with the exploits of a death predicting cat named Oscar than anything else?  I went back to Sherry’s original email to me.

“I write a blog about compassionate and healthy living one meal at a time. I share tips, recipes and products that are an easy entrée into a more compassionate lifestyle…. My readers would love to hear your thoughts about the human, animal connection.”

And then it occurred to me. It is not just about what we put into our mouths that matters. Veganism is much more than a dietary choice; it is a lifestyle choice in which we fully respect our fellow animal. And that is something that I can get behind—something we should all get behind. In a way, Oscar the cat has helped me get there.

When I first met Oscar back in 2005, he seemed to be an ordinary cat. Yes, I suppose he was a cute kitten but I hardly paid him any attention. Most of the time, you would have a hard time finding Oscar anywhere on  the third floor dementia ward of  the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence Rhode Island. He would stay out of sight—hiding under patient beds or in one of the many closets on the floor. The only time Oscar seemed to come out of hiding was when I was charting on my patients. Then, he would come out from nowhere to plop himself down on the chart in front of me announcing with a hiss that I had trespassed on his territory.  Sounds like any ordinary cat, right?

I couldn’t be more wrong.

Oscar is just about the most remarkable animal (humans included) that I have met in my 39 years on this planet. For over 5 years now, Oscar has held a vigil for every one of my dying patients on the third floor.  At times, Oscar has seemingly been the first to know that a patient of mine with terminal dementia is about to die. At first, we all kind of chuckled when we heard stories about Oscar’s exploits. How can a mere cat know when our patients are going to die? We physicians and nurses go through years of medical training and frequently can only hazard a guess when a patient’s family member asks “Should I call in my sister from California?” Yet, this ordinary appearing cat named Oscar seems to have the answers—often wandering in from parts unknown to curl up aside the next to go just hours beforehand.

Over the years, I have progressed from relative indifference to amazement. By watching Oscar holding his vigils, I have learned just how important it is to be there for my patients.  I also see how important Oscar’s vigils are to the patients and families on the third floor. He serves as a distraction and source of companionship to patients and their families during an otherwise horrible time. As one family member recently told me, “You know throughout this process [of my mother’s death] people would come and go. But Oscar would stay. He was really there for me.” And on a floor where many patients have outlived their immediate family members, Oscar has all but ensured that no one ever dies alone.

I am often asked how Oscar knows. Truthfully, your guess is as good as mine. I’ve heard explanations that range from the mystical (Oscar is ferrying souls to heaven) to the bizarre (Oscar is clairvoyant and responding to microwaves).  Biologically, it seems plausible that Oscar is keying in on a scent or a smell released by dying cells. Regardless of the reason, one thing has become apparent to me; you can learn a lot from an animal but you have to be willing to stop and listen.

David Dosa MD, MPH is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Community Health at the Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University. He is a practicing geriatrician and health services researcher who wrote an essay about Oscar in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine.. David’s follow-up book entitled Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat has been a New York Times Bestseller and has been published in over 20 countries world-wide. David lectures frequently about the lessons he learned from Oscar the Cat.

With great appreciation to David Dosa for sharing some of his insight on the human, animal connection, let’s encourage those around us to also take extra time and show compassion to our animal counterparts.  And, if you have room in your heart and your home, please consider adopting a feline (or canine) family member. They will love you until their very last breath. Happy National Adopt a Shelter Cat Month.

Have a delicious day.

Tags: animal lover book review, compassionate eating, compassionate products, Dr. David Dosa, guest contributor, Making Rounds With Oscar, plant based diet, vegan challenge, vegan experience, vegan wannabe