Disclaimer: In Real Life is a platform for everyday people to share their experiences and voices. This article is a personal story and does not necessarily echo the sentiments of In Real Life.
These stories are about the unusual, explanation-defying experiences of pet owners who lost their beloved pets, but somehow ‘felt’ them after they were gone.
Pets are more than just companions; they are family members. Many pet owners share experiences of feeling their presence long after they’ve passed away, in heartwarming and mysterious ways.
Here are 5 anecdotes from Malaysians who lost their pets and how they started believing in the supernatural after experiencing what they couldn’t explain:
A Familiar Scratch in the Dark
This story is shared by Daniel Tan, 37:
For almost 13 years, my black labrador would scratch my leg in the middle of the night to let me know she needs to go outside to use the bathroom.
When she died, I buried her around the same spot she usually used the bathroom in the garden. The first night she died, I ignored the scratches and just thought it was a dream.
The second night, the scratches became louder and harder. So, while half-asleep, I got up and opened the back door and went out there with her like I did for the last 13 years. I went back in, went to bed, and the scratching stopped.
The third night, it happened again.
I sat in bed, wondering how this was happening, whether I was delusional, just sleep deprived, or if ghosts really existed.
After tossing and turning, and not being able to sleep a wink from hearing the scratching, I got up from bed, and did the same ritual as before. By the fourth night, I stopped questioning it.
Now, it happens almost every night. I go out there in the pitch black darkness, and hear her crunching the leaves as she walks around.
Darkie, I miss you and I will always remember you whenever you scratch my leg when you need to go out to pee.
The Big Orange Cat My Daughter Saw
This story is shared by Iman, 29:
When I was pregnant with my first child, my cat Halia suddenly passed away.
After my child turned 4 years old, she came up to me and said, “Mummy, where’s the oyen (orange cat) that keeps following you?”
But, we didn’t have any cats at the time.
I asked her what she was talking about. With big earnest eyes, she just kept insisting that there was always a big orange cat following me around, since she was little.
But now, after we moved house, he wasn’t there anymore.
When she said this, I felt chills run down my spine.
I opened my phone and cycled through the folders until I came across one I hadn’t opened in a long time: All the pictures of Halia, before he passed away.
I dug out a picture of my cat that had passed and showed it to her.
She said “That’s him, mak.”
The Ghostly Cat That Followed Us Home
This story is shared by Gracie, 43:
This happened early on with my partner. I was at my boyfriend’s place, and we were chilling out in his room late at night.
While we were looking at something on his computer at his desk, his cat rubbed up against my leg.I didn’t even look down, just put my hand down and petted the cat.
I looked over at him and asked what his cat’s name was.
He got this really strange look on his face and said, “I don’t have a cat.”
I looked down to where I felt it rubbing my leg. I was wearing shorts so it wasn’t moving any clothing, just fur to skin, and I saw no cat, just the sensation of the rubbing.
When I married him, I moved into his apartment, and then it started happening more often, like 2-3 times a month. This happened a lot over the 10 years we lived in that apartment building.
The “cat” moved upstairs to the bigger unit we moved into a few years later, and then when we moved to an entirely different house, our kids wanted to invite it to move with us.
So, before we left the house, we went to every room with the cat carrier and invited it to come inside. After we did this in every room, we closed the cat carrier and brought it with us.
When we moved into our new place, we weren’t sure if the spirit cat came with us. We didn’t feel any presence for a month or two.
Then one day, I felt that familiar fur on skin feeling when I was doing the dishes one night.
To this day, I’m not sure if I imagined it, my kids imagined it, or if we really did adopt a ghost cat as our family pet. But it has always been a comforting presence to me and my kids.
The Nursing Home Cat with a Sixth Sense
This story is shared by Jun Chien, 25:
When I worked in a nursing home, we had an old, fat, burly cat that lived there and would greet and comfort patients.
But one thing that was unusual about this cat is that she would always nap with the person that was about to pass.
Without fail, this cat would go to their room and sit with them, and if they let her, she would sit on their chest and purr. She would be with them for hours, and then, abruptly, she would leave.
Later in the day, they would pass away, and she would roam the halls and walk through the rooms checking on everyone.
It’s amazing what animals can see and know that us humans just are unable to sense.
An Extra Visitor in My Bed
This story is shared by Fifi, 19:
When I was a young teenager, I had a mostly black cat with white on her belly and paws.
One night, I went to bed with my cat as I did every night with her and cuddled in bed with her for hours while watching Youtube.
She got up suddenly and jumped down, disappearing under the bed.
I thought nothing of it, till I heard my actual cat meowing outside my bedroom door, wanting to be let in.
So I went and let her in and she went straight to her spot in the bed and waited for me.
I checked the whole room and under the bed but the other cat was nowhere to be found.
I believed then that the spirit of another cat just wanted to be loved as mine was.
I never saw the other cat again. I believe my affection was maybe its last wish before crossing over.
These personal stories, while seemingly otherworldly and may stretch one’s credulity, remind us that our pets’ love may transcend the physical world, providing comfort and a lasting bond even after they’re gone.
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Also read: Beloved Stray Dog Kopi Was Shot Dead in Terengganu
Beloved Stray Dog Kopi Was Shot Dead in Terengganu and 15,000 M’sians Are Demanding An Explanation
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