One could argue that the whimsical tone of the article is transparent and strips it of any pretense of scientific rigor. Yet, mere publication in NEJM could, on some level, give it an air of credibility. Retired Doc examines these questions here.
Meanwhile Dr. David Dosa, author of the NEJM article, conducted an on line Q&A, a transcript of which is presented by the Washington Post. Dosa dismissed the suggestion that the 25 patients who died were allergic to cats as “biologically implausible” but in the very next exchange expressed a more credulous view:
I think you really nailed the message here--Oscar is a compasionate [sic] cat for people who might otherwise die alone.
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That issue of NEJM included several other articles about hospice care - that might explain the "light" article about Oscar the cat.
BTW - I don't think Oscar is necessarily compassionate. Some have suggested that there may be odor associated with organ failure. Perhaps cats can detect those and Oscar is acting on an instinct related to scavenging. Like circling vultures.
Elderly shut ins often die alone and are not discovered for some time. EMTs have observed that in such cases, a dog will be found at the point of starvation, faithfully lying by its master's side. Cats on the other hand... nibble.
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