The feline soul mate–do you have one too?
I think most cat lovers sense the meaning of “feline soul mate” right away, but these feelings come from a wordless place.
These feelings dwell in right side of our brain, where words don’t happen naturally.
Thankfully, dictionaries are helpful at moments like this.
Soul mate:
“One who is perfectly suited to another in temperament”
“Someone with whom one has a special, almost spiritual connection”
I like these definitions. They sound like the feline soul mates I’ve known.
What does this experience look like? A few specific traits come to mind. Let me know if you can relate to any of them.
A soul mate cat picks you out
Technically, you might say you went to the shelter and picked him out. Yet, why did you pick him? Because it was clear he wanted to be with you and you found him irresistible, right? He’s usually the cat or kitten who most comes alive when you appear.
Or, your feline friend might have just found their way into your life and it was love at first site. Sharon Callahan’s soul-mate cat Lily was part of a feral family downstairs from her flat. This wee little wild kitten took it upon herself to leave her family and venture all the way up the stairs to Sharon’s door. Lily decided she was not leaving, so she and Sharon proceeded to take care of each other for the full 25 (!) years of Lily’s life.
No matter how you find each other, there’s a sense that it’s meant to be–synchronicity.
They are more effective than a suicide hotline.
Cats who are soul companions are particularly tuned to your feelings, and an inseparable bond forms between you. They may look alarmed, or try to comfort you, when you are upset or ill. I shared some examples of this in Stories of Caring Cats.
Here’s another example. There was a moment several years ago when I was deeply depressed, crying, and seriously thinking–for the first time–of how I should end my life. Suddenly I saw that my cat Bastet had planted herself in front of me with the biggest, most concerned eyes I had ever seen.
I realized that I could never leave her. Frankly, I couldn’t bear that look on her face. I actually assured her out loud that I was going to be okay and that this would pass. I was committed to her. After all, she was in my care and she was a soul mate. Bastet was more effective than a suicide hotline at that very low point in my life.
There’s some amazing little mystery thing that occurs.
I’m talking about the kind of thing that we don’t tend to say much about because it just doesn’t fit how the world is supposed to work.
Rupert Sheldrake, Ph.D., is a scientist who has studied dogs and cats who know when their person is coming home–even when they are arriving at a random, unplanned time in a different car or by foot. The animal gets up and goes to stand at a window or door about 15 minutes before the person arrives. He says this phenomenon only seems to happen with animals and people who are very closely bonded.
You might have an instance like that, where your cat seems to be able to read your mind.
Or maybe your cat had a survival miracle. The little black kitten I adopted when I was four quickly made a habit of sleeping curled up next to me at night. Note that this happened even though I was too young to be the one who fed him. We were inseparable. When I was older and walking down the gravel driveway home after school he’d pop out at me from behind trees in that playful arc-jump that cats do.
One night he didn’t come home. This never happened. I was about 9 years old. I called for him every night and we looked for him for several days and alerted all the neighbors. As the days piled up, I kept calling for him with my child-like assurance that he would return. A family vacation took us out-of-town.
Then, three weeks after he disappeared, a call came from a neighbor. A neighbor had found my cat! He had been caught in the woods on a prickly bush (by his collar) the whole time. He wasn’t even that far away, we just couldn’t hear him. No food, no drink for weeks, but he was still alive. Somehow surviving on dewdrops and the occasional passing insect?
He was emaciated and had to have a graft on his neck where skin had been worn away as he tried to unhook his collar from the bush. That was heartbreaking, and yet darned if he didn’t recover quickly and live more than a dozen more healthy years with us!
I don’t think we are limited to just one feline soul mate. I suspect that each time we allow a new cat to pick us (assuming we feel quite drawn to them too), they end up being a soul mate. Animals have a sense of who they belong with—follow their lead and you’ll be glad you did.
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I lost my kitty soul mate, Rue, in September of 2013. Two and a half years later, I still (will always) mourn her, cry for her, and my heart breaks at her story.
In September 2011, I stood at the window overlooking our deck and commented to my daughter that I should go out and remove the “piece of garbage” that was stuck there. My daughter looked to see what I referred to and answered, “No, mom. That’s a cat.” In shock, I immediately ran to the deck to find that what appeared to be a brown paper bag, wet, dirty, blown in the wind, was a crumpled and damaged kitten, obviously emaciated and damaged. Her tail was painfully broken, bending backwards up and over her back. She was starving and very weak. A Picasso mix of calico, tabby, and tortie, her fur had gone gray from the mid-spine to her tail. She was anemic I could see from her pale gums when I checked her broken teeth. I made her a “cat omelet,” consisting of warmed, softened cat kibble (I had four cats already in the house), a scrambled egg, and the juice from a can of tuna. This darling animal found the omelet restorative and decided to stick around. I continued to care for her, sneaking her into the house on cold nights after my husband was asleep. We showered her with care, food, treats, play, and shelter. She and I fell in love.
Rue stayed contentedly in my arms or laid over my left shoulder, her heart on mine, as we looked (albeit briefly) for her owners, knocking on neighbors’ doors. No one knew of this tiny cat, so nearly destroyed by some unknown horror, and near Christmas, after a terrible run-in with an opossum that was eating the food I left out for her, I brought Rue into our home.
This was when we learned that she, also, was deaf. When not in my presence she yowled with such pitiful mourning that many, many nights I would get up from bed to go to her and stay with her through the night. I never regretted doing that: I ADORED this cat and being with her made me a better person. You see, I too have been damaged from previous traumas and various medical issues. She and me understood each other; we had a lot in common.
It was late on a Friday evening when Rue began her pacing. She walked the perimeter of our large front room time and time again, over and over. Her behavior was so unlike her usual smiling face, loving eyes, the touch we near-constantly shared … I was suddenly sure, certain in my chest and in my brain, that our time together was quickly coming to an end. I selfishly begged her to stay with me, to just please please please hang on until I could get her to the veterinarian. Monday morning’s emergency appointment had me bawling, holding my near-lifeless cat in my arms as we drove.
After the shot that removed my love from my world, I lay sobbing and unconsolable over her precious tiny body. Our vet, checking her file, said he suspected FLV, feline leukemia virus. That most likely she had been born with it. I was stunned. My beautiful precious darling cat, my sweet little shoulder sitter, the cat I rescued from certain death and the cat that rescued me from myself, had probably been doomed all along. Going home I held her close, on my left shoulder, over my heart, where she had always lain.
Rue now lies in her own flower garden. She has a beautiful stone angel cat statue, several heartfelt plaques, under a lovely white marble stone bed. Nothing is too good for this cat. Nothing. I go and sit near her. I cry. I ache. I apologize for everything I couldn’t do. I mourn.
She was my soul mate, as no other I have ever known. In the time we were together, I too was discovered to have a blood disorder, and in the time since, I too have lost my hearing. Rue and I mirrored each other and took comfort from and in the loving presence of a kindred soul. She lives on in my heart, my mind, and in my very being.
@Ellen R, That was very beautiful, and well written, to where I could paint a picture. Thank u 💖
Charrise. I think sometimes of a (book of) Matthew verse, along the lines of ‘I come to your door would you not feed me?’ Yes. Yes I will feed you.
I remember saying, in my grief, that if I could have, I’d have given one of my ‘9 lives’ to save Rues. My sister said, “Ellen, you did. You gave her life the moment you answered her call and made the omelet.”
True enough. None of us know our timing, only written in the Book of Life. To have given a life to a soul that touched mine as Rue did, does, is no sacrifice for me. I only wish that life had had more time. 💙
I grieve my darling. I know she waits.
@Ellan R
I’m trying to help my cat get through a urinary blockage…. medication for 4 weeks he’s been to the vet twice. He’s my sweetheart. Your story makes me cry like a baby. I had a soulmate like yours when I was 16. He died only 10 months old… hit by a car it’s been over 15 years and I still think about that cat. My parents hate tattoos but they knew I was so devastated they were going to let me get one of a black cat like him “Ollie”. I never got one but I was grieving very much and I still like to tell people about him. He wanted to cuddle since the first day I held him as a kitten. I knew I was getting him 2 weeks before he was ready. He was the only black one in his litter and he was in the bottom of the pile. I loved him as soon as the kittens on top of him moved out of the way. I said “aww I want the black one” I have all black ones now because they are special to me and usually not popular so I feel like I’m doing a good deed by picking them out. My family cat was black too Thomas he lived until he was 17 and also grieved the death of Oliver. He ended up getting mouth cancer. Both were VERY special cats. I have their ashes together. I’m saving all my cats ashes in tins so they can be buried with me one day. Lol it sounds funny but I can’t think of a descent burial place yet as I’m still in my 20s.
Sorry 13 years not 15 I’m 29
I think it’s a beautiful thought to take their ashes with you, Ivy. One day I will see Rue’s smiling face waiting for me at the bridge and the hole in my heart will be healed. Thoughts and prayers to you and your ill kitty. May the Gods watch over you.
Ivy Try Feliway Cystease pills. Open them and sprinkle on wet food. It cures urinary issues. Also get a feliway plug in diffuser
To all the beautiful people that have posted their stories and comments here,
On 10/31/16 I lost my beloved Ziggy. He was a beautiful orange tabby that I rescued from a shelter. Ziggy had been in the Napa Petco for 7 months!! In May of 2015 I had just moved to Napa, CA, on my own. I do not have children or a husband etc. I moved to Napa for my career and all of that was going well but I was having a hard time being in a new town without my friends and family nearby. All of these adjustments were compounded by the fact that I am bi-polar and struggle with my daily thoughts and feelings. This makes it hard for me to get out in the world when I am not working and leads to a rather isolated existence. So I set out to find my Ziggy, we fell in love immediately. From day one we were inseparable. I would leave for work in the morning and ALWAYS come home at lunch to be near him (I lived very close to my work). I would count down the minutes until I could back to him in the evening. During the weekends, I would keep my outings to minimum because I did not want to be away from him. In my heart, I knew he needed more care than the average kitty (due to his extended time in the shelter, he had some health issues that I addressed and kept a close eye on him). I knew right away that this was a rare connection and I cherished the opportunity to share my home with my new-found love. As the months went by we continued to live blissfully together. Then on December 23rd I received some crushing news, my baby boy had FIP (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feline_infectious_peritonitis). This is a death sentence for a cat…period! It is also very common in shelter cats. I was beyond devastated. He was my life, my best friend, my soul mate. Not to mention, only two days before Christmas. The vet said he might have a few more weeks to live and that I should be ready to put him down at any moment. So, I made Ziggy lots of forts to cuddle in, extra blankets on my lap to lay on, fed him his favorite food and hoped for the best. I started scouring the internet for more information. I learned that FIP is VERY hard to diagnose and an official diagnosis can only be determined via post mortem tissue samples. This gave me hope! So, I purchased some supplements I had heard about and gave him the best possible nutrition available. I took him to U.C Davis Vet Center and got two round of second opinions. Then a month passed and Ziggy was still here. Then three months, four months and in April he started to slip away again. His symptoms included, sitting on his haunches for comfort, minimal appetite, no interest in toys, drinking large quantities of water but still his sweet loving self. So back to the vet we wend and it was there that we met Dr. Blevis, a cat specialist. She was literally astonished that Ziggy was still alive after his diagnosis 4 months earlier(from another vet). She explained that normally cats with his condition do not live more than 1 month. She gave him prednisone shots in hopes of easing his symptoms. This worked. He would feel great for 3-4 weeks and then his appetite would drop off. So, we go back and get another injection. We kept doing this for the next six months. His quality of life was great! The bonus here is that in May I had the opportunity to work from home and Ziggy and I could not have been happier about this. We had a magical summer together. Lots of toys, lap time, yummy treats and stroller rides. He had it so good!!! Then on October 25th of 2016 he started slipping away. I took him back to Dr. Blevis and she confirmed my worst fears. The FIP diagnosis was most likely correct and his days were numbered. I knew it and so did Ziggy. Again, Dr. Blevis was shocked that Ziggy lasted another 6 months and said it was due to my loving care of him. With a broken heart I took him home and kept my hopes alive but he was not eating and his eyes were getting cloudy. I was strong for him but on the inside I was lost. I wanted to hug him but I did not want to move him. He was hiding in my closet and would make brief attempts to get on my lap(normally he would ALWAYS be in my lap). I knew this was it and that he was suffering so I made arrangements to have Lap of Love (http://www.lapoflove.com/) come to our house and put my Ziggy to rest. Ziggy past on 10/31/16 and I will never be the same….for knowing him, for loving him like no other, and for losing my precious soul mate.
I hope this story will help people understand more about undying love and the devastating reality of FIP in shelter cats.
My cat had died and I missed her so. I visited the SPCA in Richmond, VA. As I walked down ailes of cats in cages, they were raised cages and some wre glass. One row that I went down had a lovely tabby (grey, black, and white). I would look at each kitten, who ignored me. Until I stood in front of this kitten’s cage. She reached her paw up, and drew it down from top to bottom as if to get my attention. I was intent on getting a “big” “fat” cat. So I kept looking. I found nothing. Then I went back down the ailes of cats again, and this particular tabby did the same thing to get my attention. The 3rd ime down the aisle, I realized that she wanted to be with me so badly that I adopted her. She is probably 8 years old, and is my “soul mate”. She looks at my face, scrutinizing it, apparently trying to read what I am thinking. She loves to sleep on my lap whenever I am relaxing. I am totally devoted to her and she to me. What a joy.
I so appreciate your story, Caroline. The love and bond are so powerful when you let them pick you!
I miss my lover and soulmate Alton who I loved more than love in history times infinity times love in the future times infinity than times infinity to the power of infinity. He was my lover, my everything.
I have been thinking about this for a while. I have 2 cats (Saydie and Elvis (Elvie)). I am not someone who has tons of friends but there are a few that stick by me. I am a self diagnosed depressed person. Now that that’s out of the way I will get to the story… I went to my mom’s house for a campfire and to have a few beers. We (my roomate, my mom, and I) sat and drank quite a few beers around the fire when a little suprise came walking up. A tiny (probably 2 or 3 pound) calico cat came walking up and stole my heart. Knowing my history with alcoholism I did not think it was a good idea for me to adopt her. I adopted a cat about 7 years before from a newspaper ad for free kittens but I did not properly care for that cat. I am beyond ashamed that I took it so lightly to put another’s life in my hands. I could not, however resist this little princess. She just craved attention and was so dear. My mom told me I should take her home and my roomate (knowing both of our habbits) advised me that “adopting a cat is a life changing decision.” We took his car to my mom’s house and his car at the time had prestine leather seats. Taking a ‘random cat’ home with all her claws was not in the best interest of either one of us. Does she have fleas? Parasites? It didnt’t matter. She was such a princess. I didn’t care if she infested my house with fleas or clawed the furniture. I knew I may be facing significant vet bills in lite of the flea and parasite issue. I took her in. She was so sweet. I cannot express how sweet she was.. I did not, however treat her the way she deserved to be treated. My central air conditioning system broke in the heat of summer. (Michigan in June) What else to do but open all the windows and wait for the repair man… My roomate’s window did not have a screen and a cat in heat (Saydie) seeks to fulfill her needs. And this she did. After treating her for fleas the first time (which I don’t think she had) I selfishly decided I was not going to let her back in after being outside again. Sometimes humans are so heartless. I am one of them. I could no longer bare the scratching at my bedroom window… I let her back in. She was such a tiny cat. I continued to drink too much while her life was in my hands and did not give her the love she DESERVED. I watched as her tiny little belly began to get bigger; I considered… ‘Maybe she is pregnant.’ I was indeed correct. I still did not give her the love she deserved; especially being such a young cat and having a ‘tummy’ full of babies. My alcoholism perservered, despite my love for her. I neglected her. Yes she had food and water but aside from a few kisses and light petting and play that was it. I worried more about my own ‘needs’ instead of her dire situation. She had 5 kittens when she was 9 months old. That is comperable to a human giving birth, and caring for her babie(s) at the age of roughly 5 years old. She gave birth behind a 90 gallon fish tank so I was (supprisingly) worried about the safety of her and her babies. Long story short… Elvie is one of her babies (and he is my baby too now), I found homes for the rest. After how poorly I treated her when she was in such dire need of love and attention ‘my’ princess melts my heart and ‘inner being’. She is beyond excited to see me every time I am in her prescence and I ponder EVERY day ‘what did I do to deserve this. What did I do to deserve her?’ I don’t know what I would do without her. It seems as though I can feel her ‘soul’. If she dies today and I live for another 50 years I hope she will accept me to spend eternity together.
This is an extraordinary post and just what I needed this morning. We have-had a soulmate kitty named Dr. Hush Puppy. He very recently made that final journey to the Rainbow Bridge. He was such an incredibly non-judgemental, unconditionally loving cat who knew exactly what I was feeling, when I needed comfort or when I needed to laugh and he would do something so silly and out of character that I soon was in a much better mood.
But what is so very interesting to us is that the picture we have of him in a beautiful frame with his pawprint embedded in the frame is that the picture changes every day. While it doesn’t actually move – it appears to do that and we believe he is speaking to us to comfort us and to remind us that he still loves us.
Thanks for this wonderful post and the comments are extraordinary.
I’ve had 3 kittens my first one peanut a tan tabby with the pattern of a tux. Met when I was 18. My first kitten I raised. He went everywhere with me. He made it 10 months and then someone poisoned him. That was the first time I noticed this deep bond. The second kitten I had a female, Alexandria this time was one of the best relationships I’ve ever had with a kitten. She wouldn’t go to sleep until we played a game of hide and seek. She would hide and I’d have to find her. She didn’t last as long as Peanut before I went away for a month and came back to find out she was hit by a car. And then one of the best cats I’ve ever had. Bella. She is still alive but the place I had moved did not allow pets so I unfortunately was unable to keep her. Anyway she would wait on my bed until I got home and when I’d turn on the light she’d wake up squeaking. I have I guess an affinity with cats and I don’t know why cats like me so much. The kitten I now have Harley was abandoned someone found her and asked me if I would take her and at first I was skeptical about taking her because of my track record with kittens I didn’t want to bond with a kitten once again to only have it ripped away. I agreed reluctantly and brought her home. She was so tiny she fit in the palm of my hand. She was maybe only a little over 4 weeks old. Definitely should have been with her mother still. I’m glad I have her now. She is a little over 3 months now and is inseparable from me she follows me every where and I have no idea why she bonded to me so deeply. She is a lap cat if she is not on or touching me or sleeping on my chest she is not happy. She always has to have some kind of physical touch. If I do not pick her up she will crawl up my pant leg until I hold her. She follows me around like an inprinted duck. Can anyone explain why this kitten bonded more deeply than any other kitten I’ve had. I’ve searching for an answer but can’t seem to find one to explain it.
p.s. I just finished Soul Comfort for Cat Lovers….it was wonderful and truly helped emotionally and spiritually! I highly recommend, a must read! It lead me to this blog, thank you again!
I just came upon this blog, it touched my heart… June 3rd I lost the love of my life! We found Jasper under our bushes at 10 weeks of age, a beautiful black Maine Coon kitty. When I first looked into his beautiful green eyes there was an instant soul connection like I never felt before. At 3 1/2 years of age he had a mass that collapsed one lung and was inoperable because it was right next to the heart. I was told he had one week. I took him home and asked him to fight for Mama…he gave me 5 more years. In mid April this year he started more open mouth breathing and no more fluid could be tapped, it was too thick. I asked him to celebrate his 9th birthday with me (May 15th)…he gave me that and more! I spent lots of time with him and he would look at my face like he was studying it, not wanting to forget it. The times I would rub his belly and then he would grab my hand with his paw and pull it to his heart and hold it there for sometimes as long as 1/2 hour. On June 3rd now with constant open mouth breathing it became apparent that time was short. I gave him the only gift I could, the gift of breath and made the hardest decision of my life. The last thing he heard was “I love you, I love you!”
His passing has left a hole beyond belief, almost unbearable. 5 days after while at a dance recital my Jasper sent me a beautiful sign of his love and it hit me like a bolt of lightening. They played Phil Collins “You’ll be in my heart” from the movie Tarzan, relating to a human/animal bond.
I absolutely believe that animals have emotions and souls and that humans and animals can be soulmates. Thank you for this blog, I loved reading everyone’s & it has helped so much knowing you are all out there! God bless you all!
I’ve had a few cats before I met ‘the one’. And that’s why I can truelly say there is something as a soulmate cat. I was walking randomly through the city & passed the petshops window where 1 tiny grey cat caught my attention. I went in immediately. The entire shop was filled with cute kittens but yet I only saw that tiny little shy one.
I didn’t even ask my parents. I just knew that I wanted this one in my arms.
That was 8 years ago.
In that 8 years my cat bubbles & I got really close. I basically grew up with her & she stood by me through all the nasty things grown up life throws at you. A horrible break up by an abusive ex lead me to feeling very low. I remember laying in bed for a week & Bubbles didn’t leave my side that entire week. Slept so close with me under the blankies. Soulmate cats really do feel pain, hurt, anger and they try to take it away, to be there for you.
At that point in my life she was the only reason I wanted to be still alive. In that way cats can save lives. Just by their existence.
Bubbles and I moved to another place where we slowly but surely got back on our feet. Now we found a lovely man that loves us both 😉 and everything we been through only made our connection deeper & stronger. As now she is laying next to me on the bed and I can’t imagine having to go through all of that without her.
I also can’t believe how time flies, 8 wonderful years of having this cat in my life. I feel panicky when I think about it. I wish I could donate a year of my life to my cat until we meet each other in the middle and get our final rest together.
That’s how much I love her.
I have no idea what I would do without her.
She is my best friend, my rock, my soulmate <3
I have had two soulmate kitties, zachery and malachi, and one dog, william. my last kitty boy, malachi, just died November 20th at 6 years old after a long illness. my heart is still broken and I look for him when I wake up in the morning. a girlfriend who just bought a farm drove down to get me and we took malachi up to her property to bury him. she knew he was special too. my friend gave me a kitten, luci, she found on the road to go with my 2 older girls I still have. luci has made the transition easier but I just don’t know if I will ever feel the same about another animal again.
I am 65 years old and these girls will probably be the last kits I have but I have the best memories of all the kits and dogs I have had during my life. I hope to make many more great memories with my 3 girls, luci, coco, and bela.
I lost my two beloved boys in a very short time last year. Mario – my oldest and first mate chose me when I went in the local shelter in 2003 and I always chose him before my husband or any other man in my life afterwards. He died from leucemia after being bitten in 2012. I had to sacrifice him, as he wouldn’t eat or drink. He was 11 years old when this happened last august, after 8 months of that fight. He was my best friend ever since. I moved away from my country and proved to be such above my ex husband or my present partner. He was the one to protect me like a dog from strangers when I was pregnant with my son, he literally hugged me and kissed my check when I was cruying out my soul (very deep depression that was), he was the one to jump first into the car, whenever I packed and moved to a new house… He was my everything. RIP, my little angel.
One night in a shopping center, I saw what was go in to be Da Vinci – my other furry friend, and I just could not help it, but get him home. He was with me for only 3 years, as before I managed to nute him, he disappeared and my neighbours cats are actually wild, so he got AIDS, but I was not aware, until he got a cold and it would not go with medication. Thus I had to say good bye to him on 27th of December, 2012. Our bond became even stronger in the last two months of his life, when I used to clean his eyes and wounds produced by his constant licking 5 times a day. I took the month of December to get to the idea that we have to go separate ways… It was heartbreaking time for me and all my family. The day we went to the vet for the injection was the most difficult one in my entire life. I couldn’t drive, on the way back his still warm body was on my knees and I couldn’t help hugging and stroking him and sob all the way back home. As it was a very warm December day and I could not have his grave until the next one. I got some ice and put him in a baby bath next to my bed. I finally got to sleep in the night but at a certain time I hearted his mewing and felt him stroking his body on my back. I tried to touch him, but, of course, there was nothing to stroke. No need to say that I was more than depressed, moreover that Mario was going to follow him sooner or later. In April I found two baby kittens – one on a busy pedestrian crossing, and the other – in the stables. Mom and I bottle fed them and one is now with a German family, and the other is with us – our Gary. But I couldn’t find a comfort until I found a cat that was as soft and as loving as Da Vinci.Strange circumstances led me to an old neighbour, who happened to have a Norwegian Forest kitten thrown in her yard. She said he wouldn’t let anybody touch him, and she had to leave food for him to enter her house and lock him in. When I entered the room, he was there – on the big bright window sill, looking at me with his judge round eyes. My heart skipped a beat – I was falling in love from first sight (again!) and the only thing I had in mind is that I wanted to protect him from everything and anybody. He wouldn’t move from there while I was approaching him and it felt so natural for both of to have him in my arm. He even started purring! My ex neighbour could not believe her eyes.
Don’t get me wrong – all your stories about lost pets made me cry again for my dear Mario and Da Vinci. I guess this grief would never vanish. But Versace is aa new beginning for me. None of our cats is allowed to go out any more, although it’s a petty having so much land around, but hence – Joe- my son’s tom, Gary ( my daughter’s tom), Michaelangelo – mom’s choice , Versace and since soon – Lilly are bound to the inner part of the house. Lilly is warring me as I got her from the street in January, when I took her to the vet. She was noted then and now she has sort of Brest tumors which we try to cure with injections. I’m not sure it’ll work without an operation, which I cannot afford (I lost my job after being operated in February and it is now that I can look for one, but need a second operation, so it’s complicated really) I hope and pray that God helps Lilly to recover, and if not, she’ll catch mice with Da Vinci and Mario and my grandma will be there to give them the love that I can’t together with my grandpa and my first cat – Black, whom I’ll always love.
I do have a story with Mario and my partner – Mario used to hiss at him most of the time in the beginning of our relationship. He asked me to let the cat in another room, while he was sleeping over, but then I made it clear that Mario was not just a cat, and if he couldn’t share a bad with him, then he was free to leave – my house and me. That same man by the way broke my heart and led me to the deep depression that I mentioned before. Six years later I am fine, just like my cats I stopped paying attention to him and now he tries better to be more civilized, including with the cats.
I certainly believe this and have had 2 soulmate animals, my dog who passed away in the late 90’s and my current cat. When I came home from the military I was a little disheveled trying to acclimate. One day we went out in the backyard and realized a stray had a litter and one of the little ones looked to be undernourished and would fall when he walked trying to get to me (The only one of them that even acknowledged i was there). I wanted to take him but felt it would be a mistake to take away from the mother at a couple of weeks. Well 2 weeks later i came home and found him in one of the raccoon cages/Traps. I took him out of there and he immediately purred and put his head into my nose to make his intro. I took him to the vet and was told It was good i got him when i did cause he was dehydrated and undernourished. I fed him by hand and he has been my best bud and brother ever since.
What a beautiful story – you saved this kitty who was destined to be a feline soul mate! Thank you for sharing that.
I found my beautiful Charles on a friends’s porch. he miowed at me when I knocked on their door one autumn morning, and came right to me when I knelt down and made my cat calling sound my mother had used on all of our cats. by the time the door was opened he had melted into my arms, belly up. they referred to him as Fred, and he sat on my lap in the house without moving. he was ridiculously soft and smelled so amazing to me. I then learned I had brought a stray into the house. apparently he had been on their porch for a couple weeks, that they hadn’t fed him or let him in before, they only named him because he was always just lying around. now I think he was waiting for me. and these friends of mine are twins that I had felt I just had to befriend ever since I began working with them. they commented that his gray fur matched my large purse, and I set him in it. still he stayed and I continued to pet him as we talked. when it was time to go I picked up my purse by the handles and he just ever so calmly looked up at me with his huge green eyes, and my cousin said “you’re taking that cat home aren’t you?” I knew he was meant to be at that moment. I brought him home even though my roommate was allergic because I just had to have him. at first he was kept mostly outside but he returned home to sleep with me every single night. i changed his name to Charles because it was more proper for him, after i tried Frederick for a few days and Snowflake as a funny inside joke when i was still undecided on his name. when I moved away with my boyfriend he asked to keep Charles out of the bedroom because of his own allergies but he would cry and I just couldn’t keep him out. I’ve had him for over a year now and he still is as soft and aromatic as that first day.
Aww, I really like this story, Eliza. Charles sounds sooo sweet. He picked you.
My cat Romeo was definately a soul mate who chose me at the shelter, constantly rubbing his head against my legs the whole time he was out of his cage. Sadly, he got cancer at the young age of 4 and chemotherapy did not work and he was lost 5 months ago. I will never get over that experience and i feel that he was taken from me far too early from being my perfect cat. I’m glad I found your site and read some of the info on cancer, as I hope to never go through that again with any of my other cats.
My feline soul mate loved me from the moment he was born. Even before he could walk, he would crawl away from his brothers and sisters to find me. His mother would of course march him right back under the bed, but he would always try if I was in the room.
He walked me to my truck every morning before work, and when I came home I only said his name once and he would bound to me from behind the hedges, the flowerbed, a nearby tree or once even the roof. He was always nearby, he never left the yard unless I did on foot. He sat with me and dozed in my lap, would go out and play and return before bed.
He died this past February, at a year and a half old. I don’t know why. He was always sniffly as a little one, and never quite grew out of it. He would have sneezing fits and sometimes wheeze. I took him to the vet, they gave him upper respiratory infection shots of some sort and Lysine treats to help. They said he may get worse before he gets better. So I fed him the treats and loved him as always. He got weaker. He stopped getting up for the litter box at times, and took to laying in his cat tree all day, curled up tight with his eyes open. I would always clean him up and love on him. The night before, his eyes were a little cloudy, and he wheezed and sneezed and sniffled, but I tucked him in on the couch, wanting a cat free bedroom for a night. Even though he had stopped getting up for the litter box, and I carried him to his food bowl morning and night, he ran like he couldn’t bear to be away from me. Leaping off the couch and through my feet into the bed. Two times, four times… Finally I was sprinting to my bedroom after putting him on the couch to get away. The next day I came home from work and called to him, receiving no response. The older cats cried to me in an unusual way, both huddled together at the door. I went to the couch where I left him before work, and underneath his small striped tail stuck out, limp. He died on a rainy day in early Spring. I carry a picture of him. I miss him. He was my boy, my feline soul mate even for a brief period.
I signed up for the eBook, hopefully my senior cat will live many more years and my new kittens much longer than my little FuzzyBritches.
Is it possible to have two, at the same time? I rescued a bunch of feral kittens, but I only kept two, who I had snatched from the jaws of death. One nearly got killed by a dog. The other was very sick, and infected to the point his eyes swelled shut. Both healed, and were my Yin and Yang. They had different personalities but they were very bonded to me. I lost one of them after 3 1/2 years, and that was painful for me and his brother. We’ve adjusted, though, and I’ve taken on a kitten.
It’s odd. I’m not a believer, but I’ve seen… odd flashes, and and one time, his picture seemed to come alive. The kitten also does alot of Fluffy-esque things… mannerisms, habits, and quirks. I did not get him to “fill his shoes” but to get Bobo out of his funk. It worked, bobo has started playing again a little. The similarities between slash, the kitten, and fluffy is unnerving though. Is this because of our strong bond that some part of him remained behind, and .. I don’t know. Maybe this is just coincidence.
Its nice to read stories of people’s connections w their cats. I found Destiny as a three week old kitten in the loft of an old barn. I kept hearing her crying and it took about a week until I finally found her cuz she would get quiet as soon as I went up there. She had crawled into a twine knot n got stuck n it was actually growing into her skin. I cut it off her n cleaned her goopy eyes then left her where i found her w her wild mom that was nearby watching me. I vowed that if mom took her away it was nature and I was ok w that but if the kitten was still around the next day I’d take her home. I said a prayer aloud that if it was meant to be I would happen. The next day she was not where I left her n I was a little sad but as I headed down from the loft I noticed a dark spot on top of a bale of hay! Sure enough it was her! She was so weak and her eyes were gooped shut again and mom was nowhere to be seen so I took my new love and soul mate home. Over the next six years she grew so beautiful and she had a permanent scar all the way around her chest where the twine had cut her but she was very healthy. Her fur was almost purple colored in the sun cuz she was Russian Blue. She would follow me non stop and would put her mouth against my neck n purr into my ear every single night and knead my shoulder till she fell asleep. God I loved that baby mine… I met a guy n fell in love. We got married when she was about 4 and her nightly rituals never ceased. Then, two years later ( Jan 4th, 2008 ) my life came crashing down…I was getting off work and the power had gone out so my husband lit one of those tiny tea light candles for light but he went for a walk and left it lit. My world burned down in that house that night. I wanted to kill myself to escape the pain but I had two horses and loved ones that needed me. Though it was an accident and I love him so, I’m still resentful for my husbands carelessness and may never fully be able to forgive such a huge mistake. I cried myself to sleep for over a year and I’ve had to be put on two deppression/anxiety meds a day and had to see a phychologist. To this day I still cry a lot cuz I just miss her so terribly. I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever be happy again. We have new kitties now that are all super attached to me and are like soul mates in their own ways. I love them so much and I have a very special bond with each one of them but I long for Destiny like you wouldn’t believe. We found her remains in the rubble along w the other three cats we had. I loved them all so much and each had its special bond w me but Destiny was unlike anything I’ve ever felt with any living creature. We lived for each other. My heart is shattered and a piece of my soul is gone. I lost a child that night. I don’t know what I’d do without the kitties I have now n I sometimes feel a part of Destinys soul is in a couple of them. I’ve never gotten to see Destiny in dream or shadow though I’ve longed for even once more to see her beautiful coat and bright yellow eyes again. Her sweet tiny kitty face. Hear her meow or feel her reassuring kneading and beautiful song in my ear.
Finding this article has actually made me feel a lot better. I’ve always considered my cat, Brock (or Chubby as his kittenhood nickname was) to be my soulmate, but I’ve never mentioned that aloud, save to him.
Mostly, because I always felt the idea was a little crazy, even though being true.
On a whim I googled the phrase ‘my cat is my soulmate’, and finding this has really brightened my day.
I’ve had Brock for twelve years now. We found his mother, pregnant with kittens, sleeping in our garbage bags in winter when I was ten. We took her inside, and she immediately gave birth. Already having a cat at the time (who was more my mothers than mine, as I don’t really remember her), we took the mother and her three kittens to a shelter and offered to adopt any which weren’t adopted.
We ended up with the mother. At the time, this was before the shelter required mandatory spaying, and we couldn’t afford to have it done. Of course, I don’t regret this in hindsight, as if we had I wouldn’t have Brock today.
The short version is that, the mother (who we dubbed Sassy) escaped one night and returned home some weeks later. She had another litter of three sometime after that. We kept them all for a while, making sure Sassy never got out again, but eventually my own mother’s boyfriend moved in with us. He was allergic to cats, you see, and I was forced to give them all up save for one.
I kept Brock, and he has been my companion through the thick and thin of it all for the past twelve years. He’s my everyone, honestly, and is the reason I made it through the rough waters of highschool and the chaos that was my life back then. In fact, he’s even the reason I’m alive today. Much like the story in the article, I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving him, and he’s been my consular ever since.
Brock is definitely my soulmate, and the chain of events that brought him into my life only reinforce that. The odds of it happening are just — amazing.
Thank you for making my day with this. It’s nice to know I’m not alone in this heartwarming feeling.
Dean, yes, so many people have resonated with the phrase “feline soul mate” that even I was surprised. Thanks for writing about Brock! You were clearly destined to take care of each other. What a wonderful cat.
Best wishes,
Liz
I love knowing that others have shared such a bond with their cats, I’m 17 and I have a little calico cat named Kootenay. I got her on a family road trip to a town we visit frequently, on this particular occasion we were attending my uncles funeral. There was a box of kittens, I’ve always always loved cats but after meeting Kootenay, everything changed. She is a naturally smaller cat due to her mother getting killed by a coyote and her first 3 weeks in life were spent on goats milk rather than normal mother milk. I got her when she was 3 weeks old and had a very hard time naming her. Kootenay is an indoor cat, with no shots. I find her to be flawless and breathtaking. I could and would never think of her in a sexual manner but I do love her to no limits. I cry to her telling her how much I love her and how much she means to me, that I hope she lives forever. She follows me everywhere, makes solid eye contact, purrs nonstop around me and joins me for snuggles whenever possible. She’s full of personality and is just a complete sweetheart. I fear the day I have to say goodbye, I’ve never ever felt this way for any living thing in my life, I love her in ways I never thought I could love anyone. She makes me selfless and really has a handle on my heart. I don’t know if I’ll ever love a cat the way I love her, she is a god given gift. My angel.
Shai, thanks for writing about Kootenay at my blog. She sounds like a classic feline soul mate! I know exactly what you mean when you say you find her “flawless and breathtaking.”
Your story just brightened my day! So much so I just have to brag (like every proud parent does) about my feline soulmate, Rocky Balbaby! So my baby rocky has some serious geneolgy. My highschool sweetheart of a whopping 5 years bestfriend’s cat had kittens on the day that also, sadly, my boyfriends brother, Dae Dae, passed. We named one of the kittens Dae Dae Kitty in memory. Later on Dae Dae Kitty became a father and rocky was born! My bf picked Rocky out from the litter because she was a gift and honestly I thought she was the least cute of them all! I could not figure out why he picked this one. I went back to even get a different kitten and I tried so hard to pick another one over her but for some reason I couldn’t. Well I’m so glad Rocky wouldn’t let me give her up because let me tell you she is the best cat I have ever had. Truly a soulmate. She has the biggest personality and for lack of a better word is just plain weird but that’s what I love most about her! Everyone who sees rocky with me tells me they have never seen a cat so trusting, she will let me do anything to her. She understands everything I say , can read my expressions, and she always looks me in the eyes when she looks at me. She even made me a proud grandma of 10 beautiful kittens. each and everyone of her kittens had a personality to them and I bonded with all of them! I’m so happy I got to experience rocky having babies! She was a good little mommy 🙂 A lot of the families who adopted one kitten would come back for a brother or sister! My old boyfriend even adopted one to give to his current GF because he knew how much I loved rocky he wanted to give her one too! And oddly enough she shares a bond with her Little Foot, is her name, just like I do with rocky! She really is just an awesome cat and all her kittens were too…After all of the kittens come and gone, I decided to move 1300 miles away to goto college. The morning I left for school, as we were putting my stuff in the car to leave Rocky ran away. I knew right away that she wasn’t exploring outside like usual. She. Was. Gone. And I never got to say Goodbye. I cried and screamed for her up and down the street until the last minute I could but she wasn’t there and I had to catch my plane. I shamelessly sobbed the whole plane ride. Heck I cried myself to sleep everynight til she came home. I was so torn between if she was mad at me and ranaway or if she was going to try to find me and get hurt. I was so heartbroken. She was gone for a total of 10 days when I got the call that she was home! I have never been more relieved in my life! I was gone for about 8 months when I had to move back and I was scared she wouldn’t remember me or the things we liked to do or if she would be mad. When we saw eachother again though for the first time It was magical! We are now closer than ever! I thought I would never get another cat again when fate brought one to us. A weird series of events had happened that night that put me in the perfect time and place. At 3am easter morning I walked outside and heard a baby kitten crying! It was dark so I started trying to find this kitten and just couldn’t find him though I could hear him! Turns out he was INSIDE a concrete wall; Fell through an opening at the top and was at the bottom! There’s was no way I coukd get him. I sat with this crying kitten in the wall for hours till my sister, amie, came home. As soon as she got there it was as if she was meant to save this kitten! She knew exactly what to do and very carefully pulled him from this concrete wall where we got to see him for the first time. He was a NEW BORN!! I couldn’t believe it. How was he alive? The vet said he was TWO days old when we resued him!! The window of time that kitten would have survived was so small it was as if we were meant to save him (on easter too). He just loves my sister Amie who rescued him even though I spend the majority of time with him. I told her that today when she was feeding him and though she’s never been a cat person she lit up like a proud mother! I know this kitten she rescued is her feline soul mate! Isn’t she lucky! And the kitten is certainly lucky too. It had to be fate. I can’t wait til he gets older so I get to see my sister and her first feline soulmate 🙂
Karli, your stories brightened MY day! Thank you so much for sharing about Rocky… and Little Foot (amazing destiny-rescue!)…I was also so moved and relieved when Rocky showed up again after being lost. I remember that feeling!
My beautifull cat Belmondo crossed the rainbow bridge yesterday evening after a long batlle with oral cancer.He has been my rock and light for 14 years , there are no words to describe the pain the sorrow and the emptyness I feel!
Ioana, I believe your connection to Belmondo is very meaningful and continues on. Whatever sorrow and emptiness you feel now, know that you are not alone in these feelings. We have been there, and these feelings are normal—no need to fight them. I hope you can be extra kind to yourself.
My Sili passed away yesterday, we had to put her down after a very malignant nasal cancer. It was the hardest decision in my life. She loved my whole family, just before she died she spent time on each of our laps, she walked around her home even though she was so weak, she could not longer see and could stand on her feet. I had a dream about her last night, that she was playing joyfully and was well. I do believe she is trying to tell me that she is fine now, does not feel the horrible pain and will always be with us. My consolation is that one day we will meet again and this time will never part again.
And thank you for all your posts, they really help me in my grief!
Monika, I’m glad you honored Sili on this page about feline soul mates. I know the grief of saying goodbye to such a cat. I love the story of her walking around to be with everyone in the home–even in her weakness–before she died. Cats will do things like that, if people only pay attention! I too believe that she visited you in that dream to tell you she is well now. It’s such a blessing to have a dream like that so soon.
Thank you, Liz for your support. Sili would have loved being written and read about, she loved being the centre of attention so much, and she always was I have to say!
I too think it’s a blessing I saw her happy, she was in so much pain before she died. Seeing her fight cancer and not being able to do more to help her was devastating for my whole family. But we try to remember her healthy and playful as she was!
When I was about five years old, we adopted a kitten my mum’s friend rescued. However, he ended up being put to sleep due to severe health issues. I cried so much that my parents took me to Petsmart and let me pick out another cat. my mom diligently checked each of them for blue eyes and a fur pattern she liked, but I kept going back to one cat. She was laying in her cage with one paw tucked under her chest and had the most adorable face ever, and we just clicked.
Of course, we adopted her and she went through her ‘scaredy-cat’ phase where she hid under the rocking chair for three weeks, but eventually, she started to warm up to me. Charmer could have cared less about my parents or brothers, but she always came to me when i wanted her. I have had her for more than thirteen years now, and she is well on her way to being 17. She sleeps on my bed and comes to find me if I’m not there at night, and sleeps on the couch with me if that’s where I happen to be. She would wait for me when the bus came through while I was in school, and wake me up in the mornings by licking my face. I don’t think she’s ever stopped purring. She even gives little love nips when I pet her. She mothers our two Chihuahuas and gives them baths whenever they so much as roll over. The only mean side I’ve ever seen in her was when we rescued a stray kitten. I guess she knows mum is trying to replace her,but this little monster could never replace my Charmer.
Courtney, I love your story of Charmer. Classic feline soul mate story! She chose you, you felt a unexplainable connection, you’re inseparable, and she’s got a very special personality. It also a testament to how important it is to wait out a “scaredy cat” phase–some people don’t give the adjustment enough patience. Thanks again sharing your story!
I came here via Ingrid’s Conscious Cat. This post perfectly describes the soul mate cat. Thank you for it (and for the stories you’ve posted since.)
My soul cat Maci just passed on in April after almost 15 years with me. Our being together was, I think, preordained. He was born just as the non-cat-person I was was moving up here. He was bought from a pet store by a man who lived in the building I ultimately moved into, a building I would never have considered had I not met a new friend after moving up who lived there. And he was given away by that man within just a few days of my moving into that building. He was everything I wasn’t looking for — large, male, long-haired, multi-colored — but still it seemed right. Within a couple of weeks, it was like we’d been together forever.
He was — and still is — the love of my life. He kept me here during those dark moments when I might have otherwise chosen to give up, he made it OK to love again, he just filled my life with joy. (And pain, yes, but they generally come as a package deal.) I miss his physical presence.
Dear Louise
My heart aches for you. I know just how you feel, I lost my Dylan a few months ago and the gap he has left is immense.
I console myself witht he thought that my heart and soul is still with me, although I cannot see him or touch him I know he is there. Just because he has gone does not mean you have to stop loving him.
Catherine
Catherine,
I know just what you mean about the big gap left behind by Dylan, and I really appreciate what you say about his heart and soul continuing to be with you. Thanks so much for sharing that.
Louise,
Thank you for stopping in and sharing about Maci. I saw what a beautiful cat he is–on your site. I speak of him in the present tense because I believe his spirit is about always. You are still connected, as Catherine says.
I love the unexpectedness and synchronicity of him in your life—meant to be.
15 years is a long time to be with a feline soul mate, we must honor this and the depth of the feelings.
Dear Lizzcat,
We came over from Momo’s blog. And I just love ” Featured Soul Cat ” very very much.
My mom wasn’t a cat person when she met me and she didn’t want any pet, and then her life change because of ME !
I was a rescued cat by my ex-owner who live next three door from my mom. and then I visit everyday till she was melted..heh..heh..and then she made a blog for me since I just a cat visitor. And then I just slowly slowly adopted her. By the time she know. I already stay in her house and she have to go to ask my ex-owner to adopted me…It’s a long story…If you love to know more. You have to visit my blog and read my story on the top of my menu.
From someone who got no idea about cat, now she turn to be a crazy cat person.
Me, For the cat who free to roam day and night ( My old house have cat door ), now I come home everyday.
She said I’m her soulmate but I think I’m her furry handsome son.She said I clam her down in the wicked way. She love me a lots she can’t sleep without me. And you know what ?..I’m not a mommy’s son but a daddy’s son : )
Mr. Puddy
Mr. Puddy, I am charmed and honored to meet you here on my blog. Thank you for stopping in and sharing a little of your story.
I am noticing you are has cute as catnip and I will spend some time getting to know more at your blog. I love that you melted your Mom’s heart and transformed her into a cat person.
Oh yes, definitely! After Momo adopted us, she never once left our home/garden and is always waiting at the back door when I come home, mieowing softly.
I have four cats or rather did. I lost my heart and soul last week when he had to be put to sleep. My connection to Dylan was unexplainable and his death has left me devastated.
So when you talk of a connection I know just what you mean when my Dylan passed I truly lost my heart and soul.
I wish I could see him again, those that have seen their precious cats are so blessed.
Catherine, I am so sorry. Thank you for writing about Dylan. “Unexplainable connection” and “devasted” describe feelings I know well.
Possibly the only thing that got me through losing Bastet was getting very spiritual about it. In fact, I even read books about near-death-experiences, which was very helpful actually.There was always the theme of a presence of complete love embracing people on the other side. And yes, some saw their past animals in these experiences.
I was encouraged to believe by the stunning stories of people reporting details they could not have seen because they were “dead” on the operating table.
Also, I too longed to see her even just in a dream after she died, and it didn’t happen…for a long time. I also longed for a sign or two that may indicate her presence still. Both of these things finally happened for me, but it took so long.
But I had to dive fully into the feeling of loss and the emotions of devastation. That’s healthy. So this was what it was to lose someone sooo close. Now I understood. And the healing does come.
I would like to write a book about all this eventually–because I am learning that it’s so deep and painful for so many people, and yet so hard to explain to everyone around you in your daily life.
I would like to thank you for your replies. It is so wonderful to find people who understand my connection and my loss. I has come to firmly believe that when Dylan is ready he will come back to me.
I am allowing myself to grieve for his loss, he was a loving affectionate companion for a long time and it would be disrespectful and disloyal to not grieve for him.
I could not deal with anymore platitudes from those who have no connection with the animals they share their lives with or as suggested to me replace him with another. So I decided to take my grieve and deal with it the best way I knew how. I go to his grave and I talk to him. I say good morning and goodnight just as I did when he was alive. It was only when I started to do this that I realised he was not lost to me I began to sense (imagined or not) that he had not truly gone. As Charlie say’s our connection has not been lost because of his death. Being able to talk to those who understand is also part of the healing and I thank you
Hi Catherine,
I console myself with the belief that I will meet Moses again one day and i still feel the connection very strongly. I don’t think of her as dead but that it was her life and it was time for her next part of the journey.
I am fortunate that I do have an awareness of spirit so I know how she tells me that she is there. This is normally something visual. It doesnt stop me missing her like crazy. Grieving is just something gyou have to go through. I remind myself though that animals are still animals and I don’t imagine she is grieving for me. This gives me solace because I would hate to think of her in pain. Also, i imagine she can see me so she knows i am still there and that i love her.
I think cat soul mates come into our lives to teach us something. The time they have to go is the time they have to go. It’s not for us to argue with it. I am truly blessed to have had her in my life and i need to keep reminding myself that I still do.
My cat ‘Moses’ died last Wednesday. She was without a doubt a soul mate. I loved her with all my heart. She was only with me for two years, having spent the 14 or so before that with my partner and/or his parents. She was only coming to stay with me for a month or so while her owners wer on holiday. I kept her longer though as I did not want her to leave. Eventually her owners dropped subtle hints about wanting her back and so my boyfriend put her in the car and drove 2 hours to take her to his parents. After arriving she took a turn for the worse . She wasnt eating properly or washing herself, she would not leave my boyfriends bed and she was desperately unhappy. It was decided she had to be returned to me. The minute she was let out of her box in my house she was purring, rubbing against the furniture and completely back to her old self.
I really had a love affair with that cat. She wanted to be close to me every second I was in the house. this was apparently not how she had ever behaved in life. She liked to be hugged and held close and wanted to be involved in everything i was doing. In the Summer she would sit in my in-tray (i work from home) all day long only taking breaks to sit in front of my screen or on my knee. Though she was an old cat she mostly behaved more like a kitten. She was the most amazing cat that I ever met and I was totally blessed to have her in my life. I only wish it could have been longer. I will love her forever.
On the day that she died both my boyfriend and i saw her in the shadows on seperate occasions. She was in the spot where she had last sat in the garden and watched him dig her grave. when he had finished I went to her grave and i saw her. When i told my boyfriend he said he had seen her too but hadnt been sure whether or not to tell me. i think she was just letting us know that she was okay. It was an incredible moment. She was an incredible cat.
Charlie,
That’s a profound experience–you are both so blessed by her to have seen her spirit. Thank you so much for sharing about Moses. She really chose you.
I can tell she is a wonderful cat and your bond is one of those that goes beyond words–beyond what can be explained. I believe these bonds live on in some mysterious way.
My first cat as an adult, Pato, was my feline soul mate. She would look me right in the eye unlike any cat I’ve had before or since. While I miss her every single day, I have come to share my life with a number of cats since, all of whom I love and admire, but none of which I am as close.
Hi Annette,
Yes there’s something about the eye contact! That’s a really good observation. Thanks for your comment.
I know my cats teach me a lot but I’m not so sure if I contribute to their development much 🙂
Well put Katz, well put!
I firmly believe a furry always picks their human.
I found my TT, in 2007. Its not that she was in a shelter but outside alone, in a mall parking lot. I scooped her up and took her home. She was my constant companion – she would put both paws on each side of my neck and lean in with a hug. I didnt know when I found her that she was very sick with Kidney disease. When the disease began to really take its toll on her she became my rock, as I was pregnant and on bed rest because my kidneys began to fail.
It was TT that helped me through my days when I wanted to give in. If my fragile little senior kitty could battle this disease , I could too. Six weeks after having my little girl, TT lost her battle. I lost my feline soul mate that day and miss her so much.
Another deep breathe…I need my kleenex for reading today. That’s an extraordinary story of TT and how she helped you when you needed it most.
Interestingly, this theme of shared health conditions in animals and their people has also been reported in Dr. Marty Goldstein’s book and (if I recall correctly) in Reflections of the Heart, a biographical book about Sharon Callahan’s experiences as an animal communication specialist. Thank you Laure. Your website looks really sweet and funny too.
My most recent soul mate, Sinead, kept me from taking my own life when I was in my early 30s and in the throes of the deepest, darkest depression I’d endured since my teenage years. She, too, looked up at me with those huge, soulful, worried eyes — and I knew I couldn’t leave her and her sister without their “mama.”
I also had several “medicine dreams” with Sinead. In one, I was literally watching the world through her eyes as she traveled through a forest, and even swam across a pond. A few weeks after she went missing and, after many fruitless searches, calls to vets and animal shelters, etc., she came to me in a dream. In the dream, I was crying so hard when I saw that she’d come back — but she wouldn’t let me touch her. She was always just a little bit out of reach. I woke up knowing that she was dead.
Bu Sinead’s just one of many feline soul mates and teachers I’ve been blessed to have in my life.
Wow, it sounds like Sinead came to you in the dream to say goodbye. I take a deep breathe…this is a moving story and I thank you for sharing it.
I recall vividly when i met my soulmate. My mother took me to the pet store to buy me a kitten and I saw her in a cage a little black and white and I remember to this day the way she looked up at me and miowed. I knew she was the one and i chose her. As we walked out the store i announced her name is Angel. I remember this so clearly and yet, I was only 3 years old. How does a 3 year old come up with the name Angel? To this day I don’t
know. But Angel she became. Sometime b4 my 4th birthday I was Severely burnt and I nearly died and while I was in hospital I pined for my kitten so MUCH so that at one point when things were not looking very good for my survival my mother brought the kitten to the hospital so i could look out the window and see her as my mum held her up for me. After seeing my Angel I made a miraculous recovery. Growing up with burn scars over much of my body I was a lonely child without friends. But Angel was my best friend. Forget Timmy and Lassie, they had nothing on Donna and Angel. When I was 13 and she was 10 she disappeared and never returned. It took me YEARS to accept she was no longer walking in this mortal realm. All my life I have felt her presence with me. In times of great pain and difficulty she always appears to me in dreams. Just sitting on my chest purring and loving me and I always awaken feeling loved and at peace. I am 40 years old now and I still have her photo by my bed. Through her love I have been fortunate to love Kuini, Sassy, Coca, Pipkin, Bimbo, Samba and now Babigyrl. When. Pipkin and Kuini died Angel came in my dreams to comfort me. In fact Angel came to me 3days before Pipkin died and I recall waking at the time petting Pipkin and saying to her how wonderful Angel came to me last night and I am not even in despair!
This post really made me realize I’ve been lucky enough to have 3 cat soul mates in my life so far. My first cat soul mate was Missy. My parents and I got her from the shelter when I was about 6. She would sleep on my pillow next to me every night until I went away to college. She was 17 when she passed away.
Then we got Beauty from a friend who had a farm. When I’d call her, she’d always come running, making it seem like she was bouncing all the way! 🙂 When I moved out on my own, she came with me. She helped keep me from being lonely, and was always waiting in the window sill for me to come home from work. She was 15 when she died in 2001 from diabetes complications; she had diabetes for the last 7 years of her life. We bonded even more when I had to start giving her insulin shots every day.
I got Sarah at the shelter about a month after Beauty passed. I wasn’t really intending to get another cat quite that soon after Beauty died. I had just gone to see the cats as kind of a way to help me with the grieving process, but when I picked Sarah up, she immediately crawled up on my shoulder and started kneading me with her paws. 🙂 She’s been a wonderful cat, for the past 9 years. If she’s up in the window and sees me drive up, she waits until I’m out of the car, then runs for the front door so she can greet me when I open it! 🙂 I look forward to many more happy years with Sarah.
This is very touching Brenda, thank you for sharing about Beauty and Sarah. What great cats!
What a beautiful post!
When I got my first cat, I knew he was my soul mate cat pretty quickly, and when he passed away in 2000, I thought I’d never love a cat as much as I loved him. I’ve since been fortunate to have more soul mate cats in my life. Interestingly, with one of them, Amber, who was the inspiration behind my blog, it wasn’t that sense of immediate recognition (although in hindsight, it was very clear that she picked me!). I took her home to foster her, and it took me three months to acknowledge that she wasn’t going anywhere. Our relationship deepened in ways I never could have imagined over the ten much too short years she was a part of my life.
I wonder whether there’s a connection between how these soul mate cats open our hearts, and our readiness to then open our hearts to others with whom we form that same, deep connection.
Ingrid, thank you for your thoughtful comment! That makes sense…that the first “soul cat” really opens us up to recognizing and connecting with more soul companions. Here’s to Amber!
I completely get this post! My cat, Samuel, though he still lives at my mother’s house, was and has been my best friend since 4th grade.
He’s been my fuzzy wonderful rock (pillow) to cling to in all the crazy events of my childhood and high school years. He would search me out from wherever he was exploring when I was upset. I’m sure he could tell even if he was outside when I needed him! He’s also a great homework-companion, although extremely distracting with his adorable nature.
I don’t see him all the time anymore, but he still appears within minutes of me getting to my mom’s house, at times running out to the driveway if he hears my voice. 🙂 He’s nearly 12 years old along with his brother and two sisters, and they are all wonderful and healthy kitties. I hope he sticks around for many more years. I still don’t know what I’d do without him sometimes…
Candace, thank you, I loved hearing about Samuel. He really does sound like the little guy I grew up with! I think it’s good that he’s got a brother and 2 sisters that keep him company when you aren’t there. Isn’t it great when a cat comes running at the sound of your voice?