Tuesday, August 15, 2017

GHOST PETS and PHANTOM ANIMALS

Posted by: Dani Harper, Author
Graphic © Dani Harper
Every dog owner knows the sound – the tick, tick, tick of toenails on the floor as Rover ambles onto the scene to see what you’re up to.

But what if you hear the sounds and there’s no Rover?

A few years ago, a combination of old age and chronic bronchitis caused our dear old pug, Scooby, to pass on. A couple nights later, I found myself awakened by the sound of canine claws on the linoleum. The sound proceeded up the hallway at a slow, waddling pace, accompanied by the jingle of tags. Thinking that my remaining pug, Fiona, needed to go out, I sat up – but discovered she was snoring beside me! All was quiet once more and I thought I’d dreamed the incident.

Graphic © Dani Harper
However, the distinctive doggy sounds continued to occur. By the third incident, I realized that Scooby was still checking in on us. This was confirmed when one of my daughters flew to visit us soon after, and was awakened in the night by the same phenomena – and I hadn’t yet told her of my own experiences. Scooby had been especially close to her and I wondered if perhaps he had lingered in order to connect with her. After she went home, the pugly visitations gradually ceased.

Stories abound of departed pets visiting the people they were close to in life. Ghostly experiences include the physical sensation of an unseen cat or dog jumping onto the bed in the night and settling into their habitual spot. Sounds associated with the animal are one of the most reported phenomenon. Jingling tags and footfalls are common (as with our Scooby) but there are also flapping ears, water guzzling, purring, the solid thud after leaping down off the couch, and much more. Even the scent of the animal has been reported.

Sightings occur as well. People tell of a familiar canine padding through the house as it did in life, or a favorite feline appearing to be curled up for a nap in its favorite chair.

Graphic © Dani Harper
Researchers suggest that some ghosts are not actual entities but a snippet of time being replayed over and over, like a loop of film. This might explain the phenomena at the ancient Coliseum in Rome, where thousands of animals – lions, wolves, bears, elephants and more – were once used to perform or pitted against gladiators. For centuries, there have been reports of people hearing the roaring of big cats and the trumpeting of elephants.

Likewise, the Tower of London once boasted a menagerie of exotic animals, including large carnivores. Years after the creatures were gone, a sentry tried to attack a phantom bear that appeared to be running towards him. Here in America, the sounds of rapidly approaching hoofbeats are still reported at Hollenberg Station in Kansas, once a stop for the Pony Express. And there are many accounts of a ghost cat appearing at the United States Capital building.

Graphic © Dani Harper
Former Civil War battlefields and camps are the source of countless apparitions, both human and animal. A battle re-enactor was surprised to discover a riderless horse standing a few feet behind him – but his company had no horses. The sound of many horses snorting and pawing the ground has often been reported around Cashtown Inn in Pennsylvania, where Confederate soldiers once stayed.

Some phantom animals have a job or duty that they continue to attend to. For example, a church in Picton, Australia has an enormous phantom dog. It's said that a priest owned a St. Bernard, and when his beloved pet died, he buried it in the church graveyard. The ghost dog patrols the cemetery and sometimes chases people away. At the Martha Washington Inn in Abingdon, Virginia, a ghost horse roams the grounds and startles guests on occasion. Legend has it that the animal is still waiting for its rider, a Union soldier who was shot in front of the building in 1864.

Graphic © Dani Harper
As with the ghosts of humans, not all animal spirits are friendly. One of the most haunted places in Maryland is a house in Fells Point with five ghosts – and one of them is an angry cat. The story goes that a large cat belonged to a woman who was abused by her drunken husband. The man resented the cat and eventually killed it. Many years later, the house was remodeled, and a feline skeleton discovered in a cellar wall. This likely explains the mysterious gray cat that has appeared in many rooms of the house ever since – and also explains its bad temper. Guests have attempted to pet the creature, thinking it to be a live cat, but it hisses and runs away. It has also been reported to run between the legs of some people, knocking them off balance.

What if the pet owner is a ghost too? The Hotel Vendome in Prescott, Arizona has long been considered haunted by Abby Byr, a woman who once owned the hotel before falling on hard times. Keeping her company is her cat, Noble. The friendly pair have been spotted in and around Room 16 for decades. And apparently Noble has snuggled into bed with some of the guests! 

Do YOU believe in ghost animals? Ever have an experience with one?

......................................................

Love Faeries? These ones aren't cute...
Love dogs? These ones aren't cuddly...

 Check out The Grim Series by Dani Harper

STORM WARRIOR, STORM BOUND, and STORM WARNED
Upcoming release, STORM CROSSED now available for pre-order !

Note: Every book in this series is designed to stand alone. It's more fun to read them in order, but not necessary.
Legend, love, lore, and magic...
See ALL my novels on my Amazon Author Page
or go to my website at http://www.daniharper.com

5 comments:

  1. I think we have one here in our house. Th previous owners (we found out later) had a little dog who died here. But we have all had the feeling of something fuzzy brushing against our legs as if it's walking past (about mid calf level) when there is nothing there. Also something climbs on my bed quite a bit at night and I'll look down and there will be nothing there. Sometimes I can also feel it hop down, too. I thought at first I was just a bit crazy, but then hubby commented on it as well, and my mother says sometimes she feels something hop on the bed and curl up in the small of her back. (Hubby and I are in the old master bedroom and she is in the bedroom the former lady of the house moved to after she got older and could not make the stairs anymore). Also our dog and cats will act like there is something there - the dog (who is a coward) will jump away and look terrified, while the cats will hiss or bat at "nothing". As long as he doesn't decide to chew on anything I don;t mind him though, LOL! But this is my first experience with one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's really interesting! I find myself wondering what would happen if you talked to the dog, told him he was a "good boy" or something nice like that. Thanks for sharing. :)

      Delete
  2. I think I had an experience with my cat who passed. One night after he was gone I was laying in bed and felt him jump upon the bed and lay between my legs like he did every night but when I looked he wasn't there. It happened a lot of times. Especially after my mom died.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm sorry you lost your mom. Perhaps you were being comforted?

      Delete
  3. After the pet cremation seattle we started to noticed something in our house for 7 consecutive nights. It's weird but we believed, it's him, our family dog. He died because of the accident. We always feel her presence between 8-9 at night.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...