Did you know that 40% of people believe pets can see or sense ghosts?
As a pet owner, I am not sure that I ever really thought about my dogs and cats seeing ghosts. Sure, like most pets, each one has their own little quirks that could be attributed to just about anything. Last night, however, something VERY strange happened at my house.
I have a blended family of rescue pets. Most people know my giant dog Mazzy, my boyfriend’s chocolate lab, Loca and his tuxedo cat Meep. I also have a 23 year old dumpster cat named Clementine. Yes, she has been with me for half of my life. She is a long-haired golden tiger cat with 26 toes and terrible arthritis. Between her age, her attitude and her appearance caused by misshapen joints from her double (and triple paws) she is the matriarch of our little zoo. She will grumble as she lumbers down the hallway and will often remind the dogs not to step on her with a growl or hiss. She is a talker, too. She will carry on full conversations with anyone she thinks should drop food into her bowl. Clementine rarely makes noise at night. Except last night.
I was woken up by the sound of meowing and howling in the kitchen. At first I thought Meep was causing trouble and tried to ignore it. Then I realized that Meep was fast asleep on my pillow. At this point I was wide awake and checked the time: almost midnight. The me-awling continued. It wasn’t an angry howling, by the way, as if an animal like a raccoon was at the slider and it wasn’t like the terrified crying Clementine makes when I put her in her carrier for a trip to the veterinary office. It was just really really LOUD meowing.
Since she is extremely old, I was afraid this might be her way of letting us know she was at the end pf her days. I dashed to the kitchen without turning on a light and was greeted by Clementine, running at full speed into my arms. This is really unusual behavior for my standoffish old cat. She began to purr loudly in her asthmatic way. She had plenty of life and plenty of energy… and then she fell right to sleep.
Maybe she saw a GHOST! (It’s amazing what will float through your brain when you are jarred awake from a dead sleep).
I was going to ask a friend if she had ever seen this behavior in an elderly cat. After all, there must be some reasonable explanation, right?
For the record, asking Alexa why your cat is howling at midnight is about as wise a decision as googling medical symptoms rather than going to a doctor. I have now read more articles on the supernatural in the last 24 hours than I have on my entire lifetime.
There are some who believe that animals have a heightened sense of awareness and that they can see or hear paranormal activity. There are others who simply dismiss the behavior as reacting to sounds and smells that we simply don’t notice ourselves.
This morning, I had a look around the kitchen. Nothing SEEMED out of place, but for the life of me, I cannot remember leaving a full can of cat food next to my laptop.
Can animals sense the paranormal? I have no Earthly idea. Do I believe in ghosts? I don’t know. I do believe in good stories, especially during the Halloween season!
Do you think your pet can see ghosts? Tell me about it! Email me: [email protected]
About Cat Wilson
