We wish you a scary Halloween!

You are here: Real Ghost Stories :: Pets / Animals :: My Furry Friend And The Signs From Beyond

Real Ghost Stories

My Furry Friend And The Signs From Beyond

 

Mika was the cat I had through a large majority of my childhood. She was the most beautiful (but ornery) Siamese-Himalayan mix and my mom named her Makalu, after the famous peak in the Himalayas (probably because it was the only word she knew that had anything to do with the Himalayas or that region of the globe). At two-years-old, though, this was quite a mouthful so I took it upon myself to change her name to Mika.

Mika had been very well-behaved in her younger years, but as she aged she became increasingly difficult. It was never anything big like clawing up furniture. It was more that she would get into things or knock things over just to be a butthead. She also had no "full button" when it came to food. After she ate her fill, she would go lie down or do some other cat activity for a few minutes and then come back and meow incessantly for one of us to feed her again.

The majority of her diet consisted of the dry cat food, but we did also give her some of the canned stuff. My mom would stack up those little cans of cat food on the kitchen counter so it was somewhere I could reach it when my mom decided I was old enough to start feeding her myself. Mika would jump on the counter and push the stack with her head until they reached the edge and ultimately fell off. We could be anywhere in the house and when we heard the sound of cans crashing to the floor, we knew Mika was at it again. I am sure she thought if they hit the floor hard enough they would pop open so she could pig out. Sadly, this was never the case. Each time she acted out was met with me saying, "Mika, that's enough!" When she heard this she would freeze for a moment and have that whole "deer in headlights" look about her, and then scamper off to another area of the house. When her antics became a daily occurrence, my mom made space in one of the cupboards for the cat food, no doubt thinking the cupboard door would deter her from getting at the cans. This worked for about a week until we came home one day and found the cupboard door open and cans scattered across the floor. She was nothing if not determined.

I had a canopy bed while growing up in Las Vegas that Mika always seemed fascinated with. Early one morning while I was fast asleep, her curiosity took over. She jumped on my bookcase and then jumped on top of the canopy fabric. Much to her surprise it wasn't some new surface she could walk or nap on. The second her weight hit it, she came crashing down on my bed below, landing on top of me in a cloud of lavender heart-patterned fabric. I didn't find this to be the most polite wake-up call in the world and started screaming for mom and yelling at the cat. This first time happened when I was about 9 and repeated itself a few more times over the rest of her life (though I suspect these subsequent times were just her trying to be a butthead again).

Mika died when she was 15-years-old and with her went my closest friend and confidant growing up. We knew it was coming for a while (her eyesight and hips had been deteriorating for a while, and while she wasn't in any pain, she was definitely showing signs of age) but expecting the loss didn't take away from the pain of it. This was especially true for our other cat, Tabitha, who couldn't understand where the playmate she had her whole life had gone.

A few weeks after Mika passed, I was playing with Tabitha on the floor. We were playing with a shoelace which had been Mika's favorite toy. Mika didn't like sharing anything, but least of all her shoelace. Whenever Tabitha was playing with it, Mika would swat at her with her paw and hiss up a storm. So imagine my surprise when as Tabitha and I were playing, she looks away from the shoelace and ducks like she is avoiding being swatted by some unseen paw and then hisses. "What are you doing, crazy girl? There is nothing there!" She looks at me for a moment, then back in the direction she was looking, and then runs off in the opposite direction. I don't know what she saw but whatever it was made her appetite for playing with the shoelace quickly dissipate.

About a week or so after this, I was sitting in the living room watching television. The house we lived in had an open floorplan so the kitchen and living room were one big room, separated by a long island-style counter on the kitchen side with a raised breakfast bar on the living room side. After Mika's passing, we returned to putting the cat food out on the counter because Tabitha never touched it. On this particular afternoon, I heard what sounded like the cans sliding on the granite countertop. I stood up immediately and looked over the breakfast bar to figure out the source of the noise. My mom wasn't home so I decided to try and find Tabitha. I walked into my mom's room where her little bed was and, sure enough, Tabby was asleep on her bed. When I was in my mom's room, I heard a big crash originating from the kitchen. I ran out to the kitchen to find all four cat food cans on the floor. The only residents of the house were mom, Tabby, and myself and we placed the cans far back on the counter by the backsplash so they couldn't have simply fallen. I just had to laugh.

A few days later, I was washing some produce in the prep sink that was part of the island-style counter, so I had my back to where we kept the cans. I had just turned off the water when I heard the noise again. It was really quick, as if you were to slide a can just a few inches. So, I quickly turned around and, in the half-joking tone I used all those years prior, said, "Mika, that's enough!" The cans didn't hit the ground at all that day. Interestingly enough, when I later thought to check the cans out, they were sitting about 4 inches forward of the backsplash. When I originally placed them there, they were pushed all the way back. It was about two weeks until this happened again, so I guess gently scolding Mika must have worked. I was watching television again and heard the same sliding noise, this time longer. When I stood up, I noticed that the cans were about two inches from the edge of the counter. Curious more than anything, I stood up and walked over to the breakfast bar and sat down in one of the bar stools. I watched the cans for a few minutes while nothing happened. I was just about to get up when the entire stack went right over the edge and hit the floor with a loud bang. Startled, I let out a little yelp! My mom, who was home at the time, came rushing out of the laundry room, asking me if I had hurt myself. She took one look at the cans, then one look at me on the far side of the bar with a startled look on my face and said, "You're kidding!" She was thinking exactly what I was thinking. She sat down and proceeded to tell me about how, from time to time, she thought she would hear Mika meowing. (A bit of background: she had a very unique meow. There was no "me" it was just the "ow" part. So when she would talk it was like "ow, ow, owwww". Tabitha's is like "mrrrow" so its very different and we had never heard one cat replicate the other's. My mom always told me that's what made her pick Mika over the other cats at the pet store. I guess my two-year-old self got a kick out of it and my mom thought, "awww! Poor thing lost her 'me's!'") So just randomly my mom would hear this "oww" sound but then tells me she thinks its just grief. I was so disappointed because I have had a lifetime of experiences (and I know she has, too) but right when I think she is going to open up and we can bond over this, she shut down. So eventually I did, too.

A couple months go by, and I am feeling a bit depressed about the situation and everything my mom told me. Knowing you are having all these experiences (and knowing your parent is as well) and having them all shot down and feeling like you are about to have everything validated for you only to be snubbed... That had a real way of emotionally kicking your butt. Mika had been my protector from the time I was in diapers. She was my partner in crime for most of my childhood. I knew that she was trying to let me know that she was still looking out for me. I knew my mom recognized this as well and the fact that she ignored her instincts and mine had me really upset.

On one particularly low evening after school, I ignored my mom most of the night and hung out in my room. After a couple hours of homework, I read a fashion magazine and talked to my then-boyfriend on the phone until I became sleepy. I set my alarm for the usual 6:00, giving me enough time to eat breakfast, get pretty, and get my butt to school in time for first bell. I must have fallen asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow because the next thing I remember is waking up to the sound of silence. No alarm buzzing me awake so I knew it must have been earlier than the time I set my alarm for (I actually thought it was the middle of the night). I was groggy and probably still half-asleep because it took me a while to think to check the clock for the time, and even longer to register the sensation of fabric against my face. I am a very claustrophobic person and will never sleep with my duvet over my face. I can't even have it up around my shoulders. But this fabric was over my entire head. Feeling the panic of claustrophobia setting in, I pulled the fabric off of me and turned toward my nightstand to turn my bedside lamp on. It was at this moment that I noticed the time - 5:25am. So it wasn't my alarm that woke me up, I am assuming it was the fabric covering my face. I turned on the lamp to check things out. Even in my groggy state, the second the light illuminated my bed I recognized the fabric from the canopy on my bed. There was no clearer sign she could have given me. When Mika was alive, the canopy fabric only came down when she jumped on it. After her passing, besides this, it never came down.

When I recognized this as a sign from her, I started to cry. Happy tears. I felt I was able to let her go fully now that the previous signs had been validated. Regardless of my mom's inability to be honest about her experiences, I was now able to be honest with myself about mine. This is the realization I came to as I was sitting in bed at 5:30 in the morning. After a few minutes, I felt my bed move. It was the slightest bump in my bed, but it startled me a bit. I froze. A moment later I felt the far right corner of the bed dip down slightly and then spring back up. But it wasn't a lot of movement. Just very gentle. It felt exactly like a cat jumping off the bed. I got the feeling that this was her way of saying that she is still with me, but that its ok for me to let her go. It felt like it was a sort of goodbye, that I would never have these kind of visits from her again. And I never did.

I firmly believe that pets are not just animals we keep around, but members of the family. Important members, just like a brother or an aunt. When Mika passed, I had never lost anyone close to me before. She had been my buddy from as far back as I could remember. I think she needed to come back to visit me just as much as I needed it. Her messages, especially the canopy one, were her way of saying, "Hey kid, keep your chin up. I'm here for you."

In life, we create powerful bonds (even with animals) that transcend death. It's a beautiful thing that I don't think should be taken for granted.

Other hauntings by acuteangles

Hauntings with similar titles

Comments about this paranormal experience

The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, acuteangles, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

MistyDreams (4 posts)
 
12 years ago (2012-08-01)
I love my cat and dog, it's a shame they have fleas: (

Lovely story though:D
taylor_swift13 (5 posts)
+1
12 years ago (2012-05-20)
that is an extremely sweet story. I don't have a pet of my own, but when my neighbours pet, toby passed away, I felt like a part of heart had been ripped out. But I still treasure the pictures my mother took of me playing wth him, so he's still with me, somewhere... 😭
Ibelieveheshere (2 stories) (68 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2012-03-24)
Wow Your Story just got me crying as You say You cat is a Himalayan My cat is himalayan my mother name her taffy but she nick name cat from hell cause she is mean and butt head like your and Mika seem to know that you misses her like my did I lost her in september 16, 2011 due to stroke and blind and refuse to eat she was very sick and Love her as my baby. Just like your that she love you. 😭
Trix (14 stories) (407 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2012-03-23)
Hi acuteangles,
This was so beautiful to read. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Trix.
❀
UntilDark (1 stories) (24 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2012-03-23)
This is probably one of the most beautiful experiences with pets I've read on the site so far. You're right, it definitely was Mika urging you to let go. Her memories will always be alive in your heart even though she's not here anymore.

Thank you for sharing. 😊
Morticia1 (6 stories) (162 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2012-03-23)
acuteangles ah yes pets are so amazing arent they! Have had mine do the same thing, cats dogs and ponies, come back after theyve gone for a visit 😊

They do just exactly what they did in life just like your Mika. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your story, gave me a chuckle what she did with those cans! πŸ˜†
acuteangles (4 stories) (28 posts)
+3
13 years ago (2012-03-22)
Stephyw2001: thank you for taking the time to read through my experience. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that. This was one of my dearest and most special experiences to date. I am glad you connected to it. I don't think losing a pet is any different than losing a human family member, though you would be surprised how many people told me to "suck it up, it is just a cat" when Mika died. Our pets get all their love, attention, and other needs from us and we are their whole world. It makes sense that they would come back to check on us, make sure we are doing ok and, in a way, say, "hey I love you and miss you, but I'm okay. Did I mention I love you? And thanks for all the treats! Oh, and I love you." It helps us celebrate all the joy they brought to our lives and makes their passing easier. I am glad you got to experience that with your kitty. And wow, about seeing the same thing while being in 2 separate places. I have never heard of a pets spirit doing that but it makes sense. Very cool.

And I know what you mean about dreading losing your pets. Tabitha is now the age that Mika was when she died so it really made me think about mortality. My Bailey boy is still about half that age, but I can't imagine losing him either. That is going to be a tough one.

Again, thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts.
stephyw2001 (guest)
+2
13 years ago (2012-03-22)
Awww that was a nice and well written story. Made me fight back tears at work. I had to put one of my cats down, and I saw her one night, and my mother (we live in different cities) saw her too. We think she was telling us bye before she moved on. Its sad, but nice, and ultimitely inevitable. I hope my "little cat" lives a long time. I couldn't bear losing her anytime soon. ❀ thanks for sharing your story
acuteangles (4 stories) (28 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2012-03-21)
Miracles, I know! I have never met a cat like Bailey before. He is awesome, though. I just spent the night at my mom's place and, true to form, he fell sleep on my chest again. I was cooking dinner for my mom and had just sat down to give my back a break (I have a spinal injury from a little over a year ago. It was a car wreck that took place a couple days before my miscarriage, actually. I am not sure if its related, but the timing is kind of suspect) so his timing was not at all convenient. My mom actually had to finish dinner because he just. Would. Not. Move. The last time I had been over there was Christmas, so it was nice to know I wasn't forgotten, though.

And no apology necessary. I didn't think you were talking about my mom at all. In your previous comment, you mentioned your mom, so I was just making the parallel between our two moms in my reply. You nailed it when you said, "But some people just can't accept it, even when they know." And I totally get the feeling of wanting to "cheerfully beat" someone. I still feel that way towards my mom from time to time, despite the improvement. Its like, "how can you say it doesn't exist when its right freaking there?! Hellooooo!" haha

Zzsgranny, wow! Another Bailey? What a coinkidink! I love that you treated him just like another member of the family. A lot of people don't and it's heartbreaking. I dated a guy (briefly, I might add) whose brother kept his dog in a small cage (we are talking not even big enough for him to turn around in) all day and all night. He only let the dog out when the dogs' barking and crying became too much to handle. And even then, it was usually just long enough for him to pee in the backyard, run around a little bit, and then back in the cage he went. The guy lived in a sh*thole, too, so its not like he was making sure the dog didn't mess up the already pee-stained rugs. It was disgusting. I even offered to bring the dog to the humane society for him (I volunteered there) but my ex told me he abandoned the dog in a field somewhere a week or so after my offer. My only hope is that people like that rot in the bowels of hell. And it seems like people that treat humans and animals the way they should be treated are becoming fewer and farther between. So thank you for being one of the good ones! 😊

And I definitely try to be patient with my mom. I think it would be easier at times if she just didn't believe at all. Sometimes, she just makes me want to shake her because she will start telling me some experience she is having and then midway through do a complete 180 and start rationalizing everything away. "But mom, just 2 seconds ago you were saying..." "I know what I was just saying, but maybe I am hearing things." "If you truly believed that, you'd see a doctor." "I'll make an appointment, then." "No you wont." It's super frustrating! The weirdest thing is that she is watching all of those ghost shows on TV. I haven't seen Ghost Hunters since I lived in Oregon (late 2009), but she watches them like CRAZY. Not just Ghost Hunters, she likes some shows called, I think, Celebrity Ghost Stories and A Haunting (among others). I guess I just wish she would sh*t or get off the pot.

Anyway, thank you so much for reading and leaving your thoughts. I appreciate it. ❀

Theawsomerobo, thank you for reading and sharing your kind thoughts. Cats are amazing and I was so heartbroken when she passed. Her visits gave me a lot of comfort though, especially the canopy part because during her last couple years she was showing her age quite a bit and she wouldn't have been able to knock the canopy down if her hips were giving out like they had been. So it made me realize she was back to her old self and not suffering with a body that was forsaking her any longer. That brought me so much peace because while we all hope our loved ones are truly in a better place, hope is quite different from having it confirmed. She also gave me a gift: instead of remembering her as old and frail, my most recent memory (that also brought back much earlier ones) was something I would much rather remember her by. Now Tabitha is getting to be that age and I doubt she will be with me much longer. I hope I get a visit from her after her passing, but if not I at least know she will be taken care of in the afterlife by Mika. Thanks again for reading, and please do submit a story! I know I will be among your readers. 😁
Theawsomerobo (3 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2012-03-21)
Poor cat, I love cats I would hate to have it go. Such a great and sad story. I need to find a way to take up space... 😭
zzsgranny (18 stories) (3329 posts) mod
+2
13 years ago (2012-03-21)
acuteangles: Wow!...I know just what you mean about our pets being family members... We had a 15 year old Maltese (which is rare for that breed to live so long) named, coincidently, Bailey... He went on family vacations with us and everything 😊...Sometimes I think I still smell him around...

I love this story, and hang in there with your Mom; she'll come around πŸ˜†...Thank you for posting!
Miracles51031 (39 stories) (5000 posts) mod
+1
13 years ago (2012-03-21)
acuteangles - skateboarding cat? Holy Moly! All mine does is terrorize my son LOL, but it does make me laugh. We share our home with a ghost cat, but I don't believe it's one of ours who passed. Although it could beπŸ˜•

I have a brother who, even though we lived in the same house growing up and he had his own experiences, now refuses to admit there is a paranormal world. I love him, but could cheerfully beat him πŸ˜† (He's what drove my comment earlier, not your mom. I'm sorry. I should have clarified that.)

And you're welcome πŸ˜‰
acuteangles (4 stories) (28 posts)
 
13 years ago (2012-03-21)
Hey Miracles! Thank you for your comment. I love cats, too. All animals, really (I've had just about every kind of pet you can think of), but kitties hold a special place in my heart. After Mika died, we saw a kitty walking around in our neighborhood who was so obviously malnourished that she was near death. We nursed her back to health so stuck around our house most of the time. She ended up getting pregnant and we kept three of the kittens. The one who is distinctly MY BABY, Bailey, chose me when he was still a tiny little thing by climbing my hips, walking on my stomach, and finally laying down and taking a nap on that little depression between my two collarbones. I don't know if its possible for a cat to be a genius, but if it is, he is one. When he devises a plan, you can almost see the gears turning in his little head. The funniest thing is he does so much of the stuff that Mika used to do: he gets into things and even knocks canned cat food over! Unlike her though, he has learned how to run on a treadmill (he is an oinker so probably needs the added exercise), can turn doorknobs, and even skateboards! He lives with my mom so I don't get to see him as often as I would like, but when I do, its obvious that he is still MY BOY. πŸ˜†

As for my mom, she has come around a bit after the experience in my house in Oregon. I have known she's had experiences pretty much since I started having them. I think she kind of realized how much things can escalate because of that house, so I think it probably made her rethink her approach to the paranormal. She is still not as open as I would like her to be, but baby steps are okay as long as they are in the right direction.

Thank you so much for your thoughts on my story. It brightens my day to get to read your thoughtful words. And thank you for taking the time to read.

❀
Miracles51031 (39 stories) (5000 posts) mod
 
13 years ago (2012-03-21)
acuteangles - OMG I love cats! Mika reminds me of my Demon LOL. Nothing specific, just that personalityπŸ˜‰

There is no doubt in my mind that Mika was showing you in her own way, and in ways so you would know, that she was there. It really is a shame that your mom couldn't have let herself believe what she knew was true. But some people just can't accept it, even when they know. It took my mom 31 years (from my first remembered experience) to admit to me that maybe I wasn't crazy LOL. She even admitted seeing Our Ghost Named Mary.

Great story!

To publish a comment or vote, you need to be logged in (use the login form at the top of the page). If you don't have an account, sign up, it's free!

Search this site: