Ever wonder if your pets can sense spirits around them? Or can they possibly pick up on the spirits of your lost loved ones?
I think they do. I have seen examples of pets acting in a way I could not explain, as well as I have heard stories from bereaved families that I support. Why not? It makes sense that animals, like children, are more open to recognize spirit because of their innocence. Adults, on the other hand, are often conditioned to only believe what’s in front of them.
Let me tell you about a personal observation. We got our miniature Schnauzer, Gizmo, when my sons Brent and Brad were approximately age eight and ten. They grew up with her and she was part of our family. When Brent went away at age fifteen to attend military high school, Gizmo acted like she missed him and was ecstatic when he would come home for a visit. The same applied when he went to Arizona State University and was home less often. With my other son Brad, my husband Bob and I, she was always very enthusiastic when we would come home and see her daily, especially so if we were away for any length of time
Then, when Brent was in Arizona, he bought, trained and raised a cute red-nosed pit bull named Brutus. Brutus is very strong and would just about knock you over when greeting you, as we found out when we visited.
But less than a year later, Brent died in a motorcycle accident at age twenty-one. Bob, Brad and I flew to Arizona on a Friday, and took Brent off life-support on Saturday. When we saw Brutus on Sunday, he was not at all acting like himself. He was quiet and sad-looking, staring into our eyes when we spoke and lay down near us as we went through Brent’s belongings. When we returned to Massachusetts on Tuesday, we expected Gizmo to be her exuberant self — but she was not that. Gizmo was sullen with her head down, sitting on the stairs, barely moving out of our way as we entered the house. Then she stuck very close to us, closer than normal, as we moved around for the next couple of days.
But even more surprising were Gizmo’s actions over the next few weeks and months. We would find her in Brent’s room by herself, something she had never done before. Sometimes, we would catch her in our master bedroom, in the middle of the carpet, acting like she was with someone! Gizmo would be looking up at whomever or whatever this was and looking at her backside like someone was petting her! She even moved in a small circle like someone was playing with her! Was that Brent? Maybe…
Later, I saw our cat Scarface acting like she was with some invisible being. She had never met Brent. I wonder who she was visiting with? I think we should take cues from our pets, especially after losing a loved one, and keep an open mind — they may be trying to get our attention!
Love,
Barbara, Brutus, Gizmo & Scarface
