The following version of the book was used to create this study guide: Dosa, David. Making Rounds with Oscar. Hachette Books, January 15, 2010. Kindle.

In the non-fiction book, Making Rounds with Oscar by David Dosa, Dosa, a geriatrician, is ruled by his scientific mind as he goes about trying to find a knowledge-based reason why Oscar, a cat, can identify patients who are near death. Mary Miranda, the day-shift nurse at Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center where Oscar lives, argues that Oscar is motivated by compassion and empathy for what the cat considers the 41 members of his family. While Dosa never comes to a satisfactory answer about the scientific basis for Oscar’s behavior, he does learn that the patients and their family members who receive Oscar’s services are comforted by him. Dosa also comes to a greater understanding of the impact of Alzheimer’s and dementia on the family members who care for these patients.

Mary introduced Dosa to Oscar and Oscar's apparent ability to identify patients who are near death when she took him to see Lilia Davis. At first, Dosa did not notice the cat curled up next to the dying woman. He did not believe Mary’s claim that Oscar’s presence meant Lilia would die later that day. A month later, after Oscar had correctly predicted Lilia’s death and the death of Ellen Sanders, a patient who doctors had not identified as being close to death, Dosa began to pay attention to Oscar.

Dosa began talking to the family members of patients who had died with Oscar by their side as he looked for a scientific explanation for the cat’s behavior. His discussions revealed that these family members believed Oscar had come to them intending to bring them comfort and help them to feel less alone.

Through conversations, Dosa gained a greater understanding of the impact of dementia on family members. He learned to sympathize with people who were trying to take care of a person who bore little resemblance to the person they had once been. He learned that those who dealt most successfully with Alzheimer’s were those who learned to love the person the patient had become. Families also had to learn to celebrate small victories without losing the big picture of the irreversible nature of Alzheimer’s.

Dosa uses his book to enlighten his readers about the value of hospice care for dementia patients. He argues there comes a point at which it is not viable to continue to run tests and give medical treatment to a dementia patient. Dosa includes examples of patients for whom their family members insisted everything be done to save their lives as well as those allowed to die peacefully to illustrate his argument that there comes a point in dementia treatment when limiting treatment is the humane option.

Even though Dosa never finds a scientific explanation for Oscar’s behavior, he does develop a greater appreciation for Oscar and his role in the nursing home. He tells his reader that the cat gave the nursing home more of a home-like atmosphere. Oscar also taught the residents and staff the meaning of family.