Spirits of Beloved Pets

(image by freeillustrated on pixabay)

Most of us have lost many beloved pets over the years. I have known friends who have gone to great lengths to memorialize these animals, through photo displays, artwork, cremation pendants, or a simple burial plot in the yard with a special marker. We loved these pets as part of the family and tell stories about them for years after they’re gone. So why shouldn’t their presence continue to touch our lives?

My husband and I are cat people. We have both had our departed cats visit us in dreams. We believe they are telling us that they’re okay and in a better place now. A few of them died tragically, so it was reassuring to experience these dreams. We have also felt a cat jump up on the bed many times, even though there was really nothing there. This sensation is disarming, but then also comforting somehow. It’s like an old friend was just saying hello.

I have met other random cats when out for a walk who looked or meowed exactly like one of my own former fur-babies. They have come up to me, trusting me as a complete stranger, which felt odd. It felt so deliberate, like they wanted to say hello and remind me of my old buddy.

On the other end of life’s spectrum, have you ever walked into a crowded animal shelter and had one animal approach you and latch on so tightly, as if they already knew you? This has happened to me twice. The handlers said about one such cat that he never approached anyone and was very timid, yet he climbed up on me and nuzzled so hard that I had to adopt him on the spot. The instant connection was undeniable.

You may read this and decide that I’m just a crazy cat lady, and I’m fine with that. But if you’ve felt this kind of inexplicable love and loss for your pets, please subscribe /share a comment below.