Pets and the elderly - Is there a special connection?

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bpryor01 Asked March 2013

Pets and the elderly - Is there a special connection?

Skip the details here. It could be a bit morbid and spooky.

My cat, Mom and I lived together for years. My cat was really a therapy cat (untrained). He always knew how to make my Mom smile. When she passed, the emergency guys had placed her in the living room. My cat was shut into my bedroom. Once the bulk of ER people left and we were waiting for the morgue people to arrive, my cat (a Siamese) got the bedroom door open, walked up the hall, went right past me and my Mom (I was holding her hand) and stood in front of a living room chair.

He stared at it for a long time, swishing his tail. He then sat down and began to groom. He did not approach my Mom's body until the morgue men came into the house and then it was just for a quick sniff.

So... was my Mom in the living room chair watching over us? Did my cat see her in the chair?

It's a question I haven't got the balls to ask my pastor (yet).

End of Life

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score 0 · Answer 1

You'd better believe it but then I believe in all this spooky stuff!
This coming from an old woman who as a small child figured out that God recycled our souls and when she saw con trails in the sky believed they were planes bringing wounded soldiers home from WW2. The trails were from the fires the attendants started in the plane to keep their patients warm. Go figure.

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score 1 · Answer 2

I believe your cat did see your Mom in the chair. I lived in an old apt over a store, and the tenant across the hall told me that the building was haunted. I never felt any creepiness while I was there, even though my son's cat would stare up at the ceiling or fixate on a spot somewhere in the room (always an empty spot). She did it often while sitting on my bed, staring up at the ceiling, sometimes following something with her eyes like it was moving.. I would tell her "Lucy, the angels are watching over us tonight!"

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score 4 · Answer 3

Thanks for the responses. I'm glad I'm not alone in this odd experience. The bond between my Mom and cat was strong... they loved each other. I'm not one that sees ghosts or spirits, but its so special to know she lingered for a bit and our kitty had a special goodbye. I know where my Mom is (in Heaven) safe, happy and joyful.

BTW, I have her urn here but my cat ignores it completely. He knows she's moved on.

Animals are such gifts to their human caregivers!

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score 3 · Answer 4

Of course your mother was in the living room chair! How could you doubt it? Companion animals can be remarkably intuitive. When my parents would return from a plane trip, they would get into their car at the airport, and my mother would say, "We're coming home, Smudge!" Smudge, their black toy poodle, would start barking, even though she was staying miles away, where my aunt dog-sat her. My aunt always knew when my parents were returning, because Smudge gave her the heads up. When Smudge passed away, my parents would sometimes see a small dark shadow in the living room, in the places where Smudge liked to be. Years later, when my mom passed away, I sensed her presence in dining room near the kitchen entrance. I did not feel her at all in the bedroom where she died. But yes, the soul, or mental-emotional body if you prefer, lives on.

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score 2 · Answer 5

I do believe that animals have a sense about death. I have raised dogs for years and one of the things I have noticed is that when a mother gives birth she will try her best to get it to respond and after it is cold and not moving they will push it away. I believe it is the same with animals and people. For your cat to sniff and then move on is just their way of understanding. I'm glad you allowed the cat to sniff. Sorry about your mom.

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score 1 · Answer 6

Hi, I don't want to make you feel bad and I could be wrong but I have had several dogs and cats over the years and when one beloved pet passes I have the body taken for cremation and bring the body home first for the other pet or pets to see that he/she is gone. Even though my pets loved each other I have found that cats will ignore the dead body that they loved in life. They instantly know death and avoid it. They never went near the body or only for a quick peak and gone.

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score 2 · Answer 7

Sure why not, there is much more to things than I will ever know on this plane of existence. I do think personally that animals are sensitive to spirits. I just keep myself open to the unknown.

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score 2 · Answer 8

I don't know. Please ask your pastor! Sorry about the loss of your Mother. (((hugs)))

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Pets and the elderly - Is there a special connection?

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