Almost all locations have a story with a 'ghost cat'. Do our beloved pets come back after they die or is something else going on? Why are there so many stories that involve a ghost cat?

I am not sure why, but almost every location I visit has a story or a sighting with what you would describe as a 'Ghost Cat'.  That is, people feel they have either seen or are picking up on the energy of a ghost that is a cat.  If our human soul lives on and if in theory that is what a ghost is, could the same apply to animals?

Some religious people believe that a soul is exclusive only to a human being, while other cultures and religions worship animals almost as gods. The pharaohs in ancient Egypt believed that animals had souls and in fact make up a major part of their belief in the afterlife. In Egyptian art, a soul was often represented as a bird or a cat. When you look at the traditional Christian faith, they teach that only pure souls were allowed through the kingdom gates of heaven. They taught that animals did not have souls and therefore were not allowed into heaven.  

Image Source: freepik.com

When we look at our cherished pets such as cats and dogs (and everything in between), they have their own personalities. They have a heart, a brain, they express emotion. They are capable of love, fear, and empathy. To me, I believe that if there is such a thing as a soul, they would absolutely have one. The love a person has for a pet in a lot of ways is the same love they have for a fellow human being. The loss of a pet can be heartbreaking. There still remains a bond that has not been broken and spiritually they may still be connected.  Many people will tell you that after a beloved pet dies, they can still hear it bounding up the hallway or they can feel them brushing up against their legs.  Sometimes they even feel an indentation on the couch or bed they are sitting on.  Long story short, they feel they are around. 

What is it though about cats?

Cats and spirituality

Cats themselves are a lot harder to study due to their reputation of not being as well trained when it comes to scientific study. They just don't co-operate. I must admit, I am not much of a cat lover, so this information comes as no surprise to me, however, this is a trait a lot of cat owners love. Each to their own! Spiritually speaking, the Ancient Egyptians worshipped cats due to their sacred connection to Bastet the goddess of protection and warfare. Cats were a symbol of protection. For this reason, some people believe that cats act as spiritual protectors and ward off evil spirits. They are thought by some to be a conduit of positive energy and can help rid any negative energy in your home. When the cat rubs itself against your leg, it is said that they are trying to share their energy with you. If you shoo them away, the transfer apparently does not complete.

Stories of ghost cats

Many locations have a story or sighting alluding to a ghost cat.  Even Black Rock House has had people saying they feel they are picking up on the spirit of a cat walking around the stables or hiding behind the horse and cart.  

Below are submissions I have received to my Experiences with apparitions series where people have had a sighting of a ghost cat. 

I saw my mother's recently deceased cat walking towards me for a pat like used to when he was alive. He was about two and a half metres away in a brightly sun lit room and vanished before he got within two metres away. I saw him for maybe two or three seconds

We have several cats. This one was in the kitchen in front of the refrigerator. Lighting was dim.

I turned to look at my sister who was just entering the room to my left, family all sat in front of me (Grandma's living room). As she entered, I was aware of a cat scooting in to the room from under her legs, the cat came over to me and brushed my legs (I did not feel anything). I watched it them walk in front of me, and disappear into the wall on my right side.

Everyone in the room had noticed my face change, I commented that I'd just seen a cat (Grandma did not have a cat). Grandma then simply said "ah that'll be Smokey Yum-Yums, I see him quite often.  My Grandma had lived in the house for some 50 years, my father born there (on the drive in fact in deep snow!).

Smokey Yum-Yums belonged to their neighbour when my Dad was a child. The family name of the cats guardians was Onions, but Dad could not pronounce that as a child.

Smokey was hit and killed by a car on the road outside the house when Dad was 10. He was now 47. My Dad's family never had their own cat, but Smokey Yum-Yums used to come and visit in return for fuss and treats (as cats do!). He used to enter the house through the back door, walk through the hallway and into the front room.

Smokey was as clear as day. No one else saw him at the time. Although Grandma would often remark she had seen him since.

Anonymous submissions to Encounters of an apparition series - collected by Sarah LLIFS

What could it be?

Aside from the obvious, it is a real cat, if they saw a cat, it would likely be in solid form so most people would think it is just a cat roaming the area.  Most people don't see a transparent apparition in the way it is presented in movies or TV.  Often people see an apparition as a solid form.  So let's give the benefit of the doubt here that people know they are not looking at a real cat.  If they do see a solid cat, it is likely either in a place like their home where they don't have a cat, or more commonly, it is a cat known to them who is deceased.  

So when a person is saying they are sensing or feeling the energy of a cat psychically, does it mean that there is a ghost cat?  If it is our beloved family cat as an example, people often report feeling them around or even seeing them when they need comfort because that is what the cat would usually do.  Remember above we talked about that emotional connection.  On an unconscious level, your brain is seeking the comfort you are so used to so it could also make you feel like the cat is around to give you the comfort you seek. What if this emotional connection triggers some sort of act of psychic projection and you are creating your own ghost cat in a moment of need?

It could also potentially be a psychic vision.  It could be linked to a type of residual playback of a cat that used to walk through the area on a daily basis that you are somehow getting a glimpse of?  If your cat used to come and sit next to you on the couch at night for example, in a lot of ways it makes sense that people feel this presence when they are sitting on the couch.  It is a common pattern.  What would be difficult of course is determining if you really do have a ghost cat roaming the area so it is a case of relying on witness testimony, and there seems to be A LOT of that to the point I feel like we need to take notice.  

There are many unknowns here as to why there are so many ghost cat sightings or experiences, but what we do know is that a lot of people have at least one ghost cat story, or know someone that does.  What is it about ghost cats?

So what do you think?  Can our beloved pets come back as spirits or is there something else going on?  

Tell me your ghost cat story in the comments below!

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