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Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Visits From the Fur Side


I know this will be a controversial entry. But I think that no matter what anyone’s belief system is, we all want the same thing; a visit from our departed fur-children. I am someone who respects all beliefs and opinions. I myself believe that energy does not die, it simply transforms into something else. Where the energy goes, no one knows for sure until it’s our time. But for the most part many of us have come to accept the idea of the Rainbow Bridge. Whether we really believe in it or whether we accept it to help us through a difficult mourning process is different for everyone. But no one wants to believe their pet simply disappears after they pass.

We all see the Rainbow Bridge differently. I used to think it was silly and never wanted to let myself imagine it. Now it helps me deal with Alex’s passing; even four years later. Before I took Alex in, I had a cat named Patches for 20 years. She was not the love bug that Alex was by any means but I loved her very much and accepted her rough personality for what it was. When she passed away I had the most wonderful dream. It was incredibly vivid and helped me greatly to heal. I dreamed that an angel came to me and told me that our souls were connected (mine and Patches). We were now separated by her physical death but our souls would meet again. The angel was gorgeous and so bright, even in my dream my eyes had trouble adjusting. It was just a dream but it carried me through some dark days.

I did not have any dreams like that after Alex died but she passed in my car on the way to the ER as opposed to Patches, who passed peacefully at the vet. The way Alex passed affected me deeply and I became shut off to everything. I was incredibly angry and traumatized. It took months for me to even open my mind to the possibility of a dream or visit from her. I was convinced it was never going to happen. Finally one morning I woke up very suddenly to the feeling of a cat jumping onto my bed. I only had Finnegan at that point but he was not in the room with me and the door was closed to him, so it was not him. I sat up and believed it was my imagination until I saw imprinted paw prints on my blankets. I very carefully got out of bed, trying not to disturb the prints and ran to get my mom, who lives downstairs. She came upstairs and the prints were still there, she saw them too, clear as day. It took almost 20 minutes for those prints to fade. Since then I’ve had more visits. I’ve seen Finney and Lacey playing together but acting strangely at the same time, like someone else their size was there playing with them. They’ve both been completely hypnotized for as long as 10 minutes at a time staring at her picture so intently, nothing I do breaks the stare. We’ve all heard a meow here inside my apartment when both of my kits were sound asleep and the tv isn’t even on. Several times it’s happened loud enough to wake them up.

There are more happenings and whether or not anyone believes these things happened doesn’t matter to me. I believe it and it’s made a big difference in my healing process. If you’ve had experiences and visits from your pets that have passed, but are not sure what to think or make of it; my answer to that is to think and feel whatever you want! Don’t talk yourself out of it because you’re afraid of what others will think or because you think it’s not real. Let yourself have the experience and heal from it, never mind if it’s real or not. Go with it and allow yourself to see or feel your baby again. Perception of reality is different for each person and what you perceive to be real and true, is all that matters. 

22 comments:

Robert said...

Hi Lisa,

I agree with your thoughts and belief. I had a single visitation one morning shortly after our Princess Sabrina passed. She appeared laying down on her favorite recliner and was purring loudly and winking at me. After several minutes I reached for her and she disappeared right in front of my eyes.

I know she is happy and healthy in heaven and awaiting our future reunion.

Robert

IBDKitties said...

And I'll bet it really helped you to feel better inside about her passing didn't it? I know for me it just excited me and made me feel like, "now I know she's okay!"

joannsrecipes said...

I've had a similar experience where I felt my little momma cat Nef hop on the bed when I was in bed crying after she died. I believe we will be reunited with our pets when we pass, so while I can't see her right now, I know I will see her later. But then, I talk out loud to my dear departed grandparents too, and I know they are looking down on me too.
Joann

IBDKitties said...

I think that's healthy actually. I talk to my Alex all the time and I have relatives I feel have heard me when I've spoken to them. That's so sweet, she was consoling you.

Meezer's Mews & Terrieristical Woofs said...

Hmmm...I have four furs no longer with us, one gone from old age and its issues, and one gone so suddenly we (the peeps and the kitty with him) couldn't believe it, nevermind understand it, and 2 gone from illnesses we were not prepared to deal with at the time, financially or the time needed...so for them the RB was a better option, though sometimes I feel some guilt...
I miss them all, and love having pictures to remember them by. Never had any 'visits' though, even after them being gone may years already.
They may have been in my dreams, but I don't know, because I almost never remember dreams unless I write them down! Husband is even worse, he says he doesn't dream...but I have heard him reciting numbers and jargon related to his work...MOL!

Well, I don't truly have an opinion on this issue...but RB sounds like a nice place for our furs to have after they are no longer with us.

IBDKitties said...

it does sound like a nice place and whether it's real or not, I think it's at least nice to think of them there, having fun and waiting for us. Maybe you'll dream now that you've mentioned it!

Meezer's Mews & Terrieristical Woofs said...

Who knows! This medicine I have for my headaches can make the mind do interesting things...MOL!

IBDKitties said...

LOL, I have medicine for my headaches like that! Good luck, maybe tonight's the night! MOL

Heather S said...

I agree with you 100%. I had a sheltie named Katie. She came down with cirrhosis and was not expected to live long.

She lived longer than expected and succumbed to it shortly after I became engaged. It was almost as if she needed to wait until she knew I had someone in my life before she got to the point where we needed to put her to sleep.

I never got a visit, but I will always have her in my heart.

Thank you for sharing your experiences with me. It gives me hope that when the sad day comes when my cats pass away that I will receive a visit or sign from them.

IBDKitties said...

I believe that Katie did that for you Heather, they are so darned smart! When my Patches passed away it was only a two weeks later that I took Alex in. She had nowhere else to go after our tenant passed away. I also believe that Patches knew I would be okay after she left me because I would have Alex.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing that Lisa. it gives me chills, the way it is so special.
When I lost my beloved Tember, five years ago, I was just run over with grief.She had fought so valiantly against crf and suspect ibd, but I had to let her go, to keep her from the pain we could not stop.Immidiately I felt her presence with me, very strongly. A few days after her death, she came to me in a dream, so vivid and she was perfect and happy, and telling me she loved me, and maybe she went on, to her reward, to wait for me. It was the most wonderful dream, and I held onto the feeling of peace and joy of it.
On the first year anniversary of her death, I was so sad. that is a tough anniversary, and I was moping and dreading the actual day of it. I was going through a closet, just rearranging stuff, pitching stuff, etc, when I came across a strip of photo negatives, laying in the bottom of a box of stuff. I almost pitched it, but looked to see first what it was. I saw a cat in one of the frames. a tiny frame, but I could see it was my Tember. It was her, in the height of health, laying on a picnic table bench. I had a picture made of it, and it was the most beautiful picture I have ever seen of her. i had even forgotten taking it! She looked so perfect, her spirit shining through her eyes. I feel to this day that it was a gift to me, from her, that I even found this was a miracle, in the bottom of a messy closet-lol.
It was a comfort to me, and still is my favorite picture of her. I believe I will see her again. I believe that the spirit/energy of us never dies, and I know that love never dies.. and that the two remain intertwined.

thanks lisa. it was five years This September that my beautiful girl, Sep'Tember' went ahead of me, to watch for me. I know that she and Alex are happy, and know what we are doing, and tails are waving in approval and contentment.

love, annette

IBDKitties said...

Annettet, didn't Tember die after Alex? If so, it's only been four years. I'm quite sure! Still seems like forever doesn't it? Oh that was a beautiful gift she left you!! I believe that was a gift from her to keep you from hurting so much. How wonderful of her. She always was a smart girl. LOL.

annette said...

Lisa,
yes, you are right about that! I don't know where my head it lately.

I don't know if I told you that I lost my beautiful Tom, my 16 year old Maine coon boy, three weeks ago tomorrow. We suspect he had cancer, and he had gone down hill for the last year. We tried many things, but it appeared to be in the brain. He has yet to visit me, but I am waiting. He is with his girls now, Tember, and Autumn. I am sure that they are snuggling, if Tember has had an attitude change, that is. Autumn was his sidekick. It is so hard without him here, he was such a puppy dog of a kitty.
Annette, the furcerw and angels tember, autumn, and beautiful tommy.

Brenda said...

I lost my cat Callie over 10 years ago. She liked spending time in the bathroom when we got ready for work, and often sat on the back of the toilet. We lost her suddenly to lymphoma at 3 years old. When she was gone I put a picture of her in the bathroom on the mirror above where she sat, so I could feel like she was still with me. My cat Dexter had a very close bond with her. He never spent time in the bathroom, but a few days after she was gone he climbed up to her picture and went nose to nose with it, and meowed and looked up. After he did this a few days in a row, I took the picture down, because it made me sad.

I lost my cat Sheba 5 years ago to kidney disease. She spent the last few years sleeping in closets in the upstairs bedrooms, and rarely went downstairs. After she was gone, on multiple occasions, I thought I saw glimpses of her going into the closet or walking in the hallway. My cat Dexter was also had a close bond with her, and would frequently walk in the closet and sniff her bed, and paced around the areas where she spent time. It was almost as though he could feel her presence.

Thanks for sharing that Lisa, it brings back memories of our Angels.

IBDKitties said...

Oh Annette, no sweetie. you did not tell me. I do remember Tom being sick though. I'm so sorry. I have a picture of him chasing Tember and her getting mad! MOL.

IBDKitties said...

Brenda it sounds like Dexter is very sensitive and can tell when one of your babies is visiting! I love these stories, thank you for sharing them. Thank you all for sharing your stories. I think some people have been afraid to do so.

Unknown said...

Animals have such a special place in our world and in our hearts. In my faith, God created the world - and animals before people. They have a very special place in His kingdom. It was people doing the wrong thing that messed up our world, not animals. In the Bible there is a passage in Romans that says that all of creation waits for God. I often think that our little fur-babies have a better understanding of the supernatural that we do! Enough theology. Kitties and ups at a real bridge - oh yes! And I look forward to seeing every one of my precious ones again someday. In my mind I see our little Cookie rubbing heads with our pup Harley and both of them playing at the feet of our beautiful Percheron horse, Icon, who crossed the bridge long before he should have.

IBDKitties said...

awww I love that vision of Cookie and Harley, so sweet! Oh I remember Icon. Poor baby!

laura said...

this is a really neat post lisa; I'm glad Alex visited you and was able to leave an "imprint" on more than just your heart; that is her way of saying she's OK.....

high paws to finn and lacey from the trouterz

IBDKitties said...

Thanks Laura! Glad you liked it. When Alex did that, it was the neatest thing, it made me so happy.

Kiss your babies for me!

Timmy Tomcat said...

I am one of those who believes in the energy that is present in all living beings which flows back and forth in ways we cannot understand. Since I traveled to the other side after an accident I am more firmly convinced of this fact then ever. I feel that cats are blessed with the ability to feel these energies.
Thanks for reminding us of the truly important aspect of living, having our energy grow as we give so we can shine like beacons to our loved ones when our time comes to cross over.

IBDKitties said...

How beautiful!!! You're very insightful and obviously have had an experience that you treasure and had a glimpse into how that energy works.