Throughout a person’s life, a very important question concerns itself: is there life after death and where does our immortal soul go after the end of earthly existence? And what is this soul? Is it given only to people or do our beloved pets also have this gift? From the point of view of an atheist, the soul is a person’s personality, his consciousness, experience, emotions. For believers, this is a thin thread connecting earthly life and eternity. But is this true for animals?
Many cat lovers are interested in whether their furry companions have a soul? After all, in cats, like in no other domestic animals, you can see clear personality traits. They are independent and demanding, have a sense of self-esteem, understand the speech of their owners, have an individual character and experience vivid emotions. All this together indicates the presence of a soul. But where the cat's soul goes after death remains a mystery. Do we have a chance to meet our favorites in a better world? Let's consider different opinions, since neither scientists, nor religion, nor even psychics who penetrate into the secrets of existence can give an unambiguous answer to this question.
Does a cat have a soul, scientifically speaking?
Many of us are firmly convinced that modern science rejects the thesis of the existence of a soul as such even in humans, not to mention lower forms of life. However, science has recognized the existence of a human psyche, which reflects the surrounding reality and is a form of perception by the subject of the real world. But in ancient Greek, the word “psyche” means “soul.” In other words, having psychological characteristics, the subject, logically, also has a soul. In such a mysterious domestic animal as a cat, zoologists clearly record the presence of a psyche and its influence on the behavior of the animal. According to scientists, the soul of a cat, a person or another living creature is some kind of electromagnetic pulses, an energy clot, a special aura that does not disappear after the end of its earthly existence, but returns to the general energy field of planet Earth or even to the field of the Universe.
The soul of a cat in ancient philosophy
Philosophers, the greatest minds of Antiquity, became the founders of many directions in modern science. They were among the first people to take a step towards understanding the human essence and the world around it. Among the most prominent thinkers who raised the topic of the existence of the soul and its purpose in their teachings are Plato and Aristotle.
Platonism
Plato was the founder of one of the most famous ancient Greek schools - the Academy. His students made discoveries and conquered the heights of philosophy. The concept of soul appears in Plato's works several times, but is not the main one.
According to his teachings, the entire animate world consists of matter and ideas. Matter is the physical shell of everything that exists - it is something that can be touched. The idea of an entity is an invisible force that animates a certain being. In his philosophy, these two concepts exist separately.
Plato writes that the idea or soul of a living being is part of the Universe. When new matter is born, this part breathes life into it. After the death of the body, the soul returns to its origins.
According to Platonic thoughts, cat souls are also immortal, and after the death of the outer shell, they return to the Universe and can revive the body of another creature.
Aristotle's teachings
Aristotle was one of Plato's most prominent students. But in his works he does not continue the thought of his mentor, but contrasts his own teaching with Platonic ideas. In the works of Aristotle, the theme of the existence of the soul, its purpose and posthumous fate is explored in more depth. He also gave the world a treatise in three volumes, “On the Soul,” where he fully revealed all his research, theories, etc.
In this treatise, the ancient Greek philosopher refuted Plato's idea that matter and its idea exist separately from each other. But Aristotle argued that matter and form (as he calls the force that his teacher defined as an idea) are two parts of a single whole, and the form of a living being, which is his soul, appears along with the birth of matter.
He also derived a peculiar hierarchy of types of souls:
- vegetable;
- animal;
- human.
According to the teachings of the philosopher, plant and animal souls perish along with the death of their matter.
There are two opinions about the posthumous fate of the cat's soul. Plato believes that she will return to the Universe in order to revive some body again in the future and become a living being. Aristotle insists that the soul is mortal, like matter.
Where do cats go after they die? Orthodoxy
In the religious canons, too, nothing directly answering the question could be found. The Orthodox Bible mentions many different animals and birds, but there is virtually no mention of the cat - only once in passing is it mentioned in Jeremiah 1:21. But this does not at all mean that the church has a negative attitude towards this amazing animal. It’s just that the Israelis were very irritated by the cult of cats in Egypt and their servile worship of this animal. But, despite this, the church is very favorable towards cats and considers them pure before God. They are treated with respect, they cannot be expelled from the church, they are even allowed to sleep on the altar.
However, theologians have not yet been able to come to a consensus regarding the possibility of the afterlife of animals, and it is still unclear where the cat’s soul goes after death. Heaven has been prepared for them, or is this place only for human souls - this is still being fiercely debated. On the one hand, Holy Scripture notifies that the souls of cats and people are two completely different matters and exist separately. With worthy behavior, a person goes to heavenly paradise, and the soul of an animal simply ceases to exist. Based on this statement, we can assume where cats go after death, ceasing to exist. The soul of a cat does not go anywhere, but dissolves in a common energy source to feed other souls living on earth.
But even here, not everything is so simple. For although the Holy Scriptures speak of the absence of paradise for animals, many saints are depicted in the vicinity of various animals and birds, even some descriptions of Heavenly Paradise contain mention of animals. Therefore, they have a place in heaven. The priests do not clearly state this, but clergymen do not stop researching this issue.
Orthodox view
What does the Orthodox Church think about this? The Christian Church does not recognize the reincarnation of souls and does not believe in reincarnation. But the presence of a soul in a cat does not deny. However, according to the church fathers, you should not worry too much about the death of your pet and put him on a par with people.
The holy scripture says that there will be a “new earth and a new heaven,” and in that new world the lamb will graze next to the wolf. That is, animals will not disappear anywhere - their place is in heaven with humans.
In the Catholic Church there is Saint Gertrude, who is the patroness of cats. The Orthodox Church encourages prayers to the Lord and saints for their pets if they need additional protection.
On a note! Holy Scripture says nothing about where the soul of a cat goes after death. The Gospel is given to people to correct sins, and the souls of animals are sinless.
There is a belief that the Lord singled out the cat from all animals because it saved Noah's Ark from drowning. This brave animal pacified a crazed mouse that was trying to chew a hole in the ship to escape.
Opinion of Nectarius of Optina
Where do cats go after they die? In developing the discussion about the exceptional position of cats, we should mention the words of Hieromonk Nektary of Optina. He argued that all cats go to heaven in gratitude for the services of this animal during the Great Flood. According to legend, the mouse was going to gnaw the bottom of Noah's ark, which could destroy all living things remaining on earth, taken by Noah on the ark. But the timely intervention of the cat saved all the inhabitants of the ark from death, for which her descendants were awarded the eternal privilege of residing in Paradise. But this statement was neither confirmed nor refuted by the official church. At the moment, none of the church leaders have clearly answered the question of where cats go after death. Orthodoxy is unable to clarify this issue.
Perhaps other well-known religions will provide more clarity. Let's consider the points of view of the largest and most popular religious movements - Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam - and try to isolate the rational grain from very different positions.
Hinduism
According to Hindus, where do the souls of cats go after death? According to their belief, the soul of a cat, like any other creature, goes either to heaven or to hell - there is no other way. But where exactly the soul will go depends entirely on its karma. If the karma is light and positive, the soul, as a reward for its good deeds, settles in heaven, and the bad energy accumulated during life is punished by being placed in hell and eternal torment. In other words, there is the same heaven for humans and cats, since Hindus consider the soul not to belong to humans or animals. She can settle in any of 8.5 million different incarnations, becoming a plant, a stone, an insect, an animal, a person, the smallest microorganism, and even an inanimate (according to Christian canons) object. The answer of Hinduism is more clear - there is heaven, the soul of a cat, after being in heaven or hell, returns to this world again, only in a different capacity.
Bottom line
After death, the soul of a cat is in a special space in which the souls of all animals reside. However, there is no clear opinion about this. Each religion has its own idea about the posthumous existence of animal souls, often they are contradictory.
Some believe that animals do not have a soul, others endow them with a common world soul. Disputes about the posthumous existence of animals continue among theologians; they have not come to a consensus.
Science says nothing about the soul, since the subject of its research is matter. It is impossible to find out the truth. But people believe that the soul of a beloved pet does not dissolve into oblivion, but lives in a special space. And the soul of a cat or dog goes into this space along the rainbow.
In Buddhism
Buddhists are also not concerned about where cats go after death, but for a completely different reason. A cat in Buddhism is also considered as just one of the incarnations, but not of the soul, since this religion completely denies its existence. According to Buddhism, instead of the soul, there is only a powerful stream of Consciousness, which takes the most diverse forms of both living beings and inanimate objects. Particles of this Consciousness are placed in a mortal shell and remain there until the physical shell becomes unusable.
For cats and other creatures, heaven or hell is a certain psychological state that everyone creates for themselves, choosing their own path in life. When asked where cats go after death, Buddhism answers that they are reborn and end up in one of the worlds - the world of hell, animals, hungry ghosts, people, lower deities of asuras, higher deities of devas. And the place of their future incarnation also depends on the purity of karma.
In Islam
Where do cats go after they die? Islam has its own interesting interpretation. In general, Islam is very loyal to animals in general and teaches its followers justice, tolerance and mercy towards the animal world. The cat itself is highly revered in the Muslim world, because the great prophet Muhammad himself allowed her to sit on his lap when he read his sermons, and also drank water from the same dish with her and even cut off his sleeve when the cat fell asleep on it - he did not want her disturb.
However, according to the Koran, cats are not entitled to heaven, even though they have a soul, for this is a divine reward for thinking righteous people who choose the right path in life. Since the cat has no choice, she is not responsible for her actions and does not need Allah’s forgiveness. Their soul is mortal, and when the earthly path is completed, it turns to dust along with their bodily shell.
What happens to animals after death?
The animal world is no different from the human world, only the laws of karma do not work there. Pets have no consciousness, they are not good or evil a priori. The soul of a deceased dog or bird is reincarnated into an individual of the same species.
Even more about the souls of animals after death.
Often, owners notice that some time after the death of their beloved pet there is a stray kitten or puppy. He often looks like two peas in a pod to the deceased. This is a manifestation of karma and reincarnation: it sends a new physical embodiment to a good family. Sometimes it takes about 3 months from the moment of death to return.
To maintain balance, there are transitions between types. Often owners recognize “their” pet in a completely different animal.
The cat's dead soul is esoterically somewhat more complex than the others. They have 9 lives, i.e. 9 reincarnations. After the last one, they go to the afterlife or are reborn into another form.
Signs about the death of pets: how to properly conduct the soul of a dog or cat.
Beautiful myth
There is a beautiful myth that cat owners will love. It is believed that he came from Scandinavia, but no one knows for sure, although this touching legend has been translated into many languages of the world and has enjoyed constant success. Loving owners of animals dear to them who have passed away from this world want to believe in a happy life for their pets in another reality, so they believe in it sacredly and hope to meet their pet after their death. The essence of the legend is as follows.
If an animal that was very loved by someone in earthly life dies, it moves to the Rainbow Bridge. This magical place has beautiful natural views, endless fields and meadows, hills and mountains. There, cats and other animals frolic in the open space, without problems with food, water, or sunlight. They feel warm and cozy there. Sick and old animals become young and energetic. Time does not matter to them, and they do not notice it if they are remembered here and continue to love them. And one day your pet will leave his comrades, seeing his owner on the Rainbow Bridge, and you will joyfully meet and finally reunite, never to be separated again. This greatly comforts the grieving owners of deceased animals and gives them hope for a happy afterlife.
Do cats have a soul and where does it go after death? Psychics' opinions
Today, more and more people have begun to trust people with special abilities - psychics, who often act as a connecting thread between the world of the living and the dead. Few people doubt that these people are endowed with special knowledge and superpowers, which is why people turn to them on various dark issues related to otherworldly forces. You can have different attitudes to the words of psychics. After all, very often various impostors and charlatans take advantage of our gullibility in such sensitive issues, but it is imperative to take their opinion into account in finding out the answer to the question of where the soul of a cat goes after death. Psychics believe that a cat is a special animal, capable of calmly moving from one world to another.
It is no coincidence that in chilling stories about witches and their reincarnation into black cats, information has been passed on from ancestors to descendants for centuries. And even though these stories are significantly embellished by the narrators, there is still some rational grain in them. Clairvoyants believe that life after physical death is inherent not only in human beings, but also in various animals. Their opinion will help us better understand where cats go after they die. Psychics are confident that these amazing animals, leaving earthly life, can make reverse transitions to our world and help their owners or pursue them, depending on their attitude towards the cat during their life together.
At different times, people had their own ideas about the presence of souls in cats
All points of view can exist and compete with each other. Each cat owner has a different idea of its character, habits and behavior. Analysis is facilitated by both relationships with a person (communication, affection or reluctance to sit next to the owner, play), and urgent needs - sleep, food. People agree on the fact that thanks to paranormal (or soul) abilities, a cat can predict the future and let its owners know about danger.
There are cases when, before a fire or earthquake, an animal warns a person, saving both him and those around him. The example of 2004 with the clown Kuklachev, who was saved by his pets while performing in Japan, is widely known. Before the show, he noticed that the cats were acting strange. The translator immediately understood: the animals sensed seismic activity. Kuklachev and his pets immediately left the theater. The rest of the people also left the building. The structure was still intact, the clown thought that the cats had made a mistake. But magnitude 8 tremors occurred and the theater building was completely destroyed.
In 1947, one young woman doctor moved to work in Tajikistan to alleviate her loneliness by getting a cat. One day a snake crawled into the house, but the cat saved the owner from a poison bite with her life, rushing at the poisonous creature. A year later, the woman woke up from a loud cat scream. It seemed to her that the call was coming from the garden. As soon as she left the house, the doctor noticed a bright flash, like lightning. In a matter of minutes, the house collapsed and a strong earthquake began, killing hundreds of thousands of residents.
It was especially hard for black cats, who were considered accomplices of dark forces. It was impossible to look into the eyes of such animals - their gaze should influence fate or aura. Black cats were burned at the stake along with their mistresses for their witchcraft abilities.
And for their healing abilities (they even came up with a name - feline therapy), pets are loved and praised. There are many known cases of people being helped by their purrs - all they need to do is lie on the sore spot and warm it. And if the cat purrs at the same time, cell regeneration will accelerate, which has been proven by science. There is another method of treatment for cats - this is their tongue, which provides acupuncture, massage, and anesthesia. By the way, just watching a video on the Internet, where the main role belongs to a mustachioed pet, is enough, a good mood is guaranteed!
The feeling of cats at the moment of transition
Clairvoyants, communicating with cats who have completed their earthly journey, describe their feelings at the moment of transition. According to them, it was like rolling down a steep hill, and they did not experience any unpleasant sensations at that moment. Psychics claim that death is simply a transition from one dimension to another; these dimensions exist mostly in parallel, but sometimes they can intersect, and then dead souls can be next to us. We, of course, cannot see them, because our vision is not adapted to see energy bodies, but they can be felt, sometimes even stroked, with a full sense of reality.
The opinion of clairvoyants and the experience of people
Among people with various esoteric and extrasensory abilities, there are those who are able to understand the language of animals. Such clairvoyants share the thoughts and feelings of animals with ordinary people. Some of them claim that cats are not afraid of death, but treat it as a transition of the soul to a new state. They know that the place where their soul goes is ideal. A happy and carefree life awaits them there.
Cats also sense well when the period of rapid departure to another world begins. They usually change their usual behavior a little. If you carefully observe the pet, it will give a signal to its owner. Shortly before the death of the physical body, they will show that they are ready to depart to a better world in order to have time to say goodbye to their owner or owners. Most cats leave home before they die.
Clairvoyants say that cats, like all other domestic animals, need their owner to be nearby at the moment when their soul leaves their mortal body. It is believed that at this moment, if you are ready to listen and look into the eyes of your devoted friend, you can hear what he is thinking about at the moment of transition.
Signs about why a domestic cat dies and what owners can expect.
There are many stories of people sharing their experiences of losing a cat. Many of them say that they continue to feel the presence of their pet even physically. One woman said that she felt her beloved cat, who had left this world several months ago, rub against her leg under the table. Others said that they saw in their children the habits and looks of long-gone pets.
Advice from psychics. Preparing for the transition to another world
If you believe in the existence of parallel worlds, it becomes clear where cats go after death. Psychics are not only confident of this, but also advise preparing your smaller brothers - pets - for the transition from our dimension to the neighboring one. They claim that cats understand human speech well, but they cannot answer. If your pet is on the verge of death, tell him what awaits him in a parallel life. About how good and fun he will be there, which of his departed relatives he will meet there and how joyful their meeting will be. Mention what you love and will remember and that when your time comes, you will meet in a better life. It will be easier for them to leave, and this will brighten up their anticipation of the meeting.
Multiple Lives
The nourishment of cats from the Higher Powers is reflected in their incredible vitality. It is believed that the spark of life in this animal is capable of resurrecting a body that has received fatal injuries several times.
Folklore. In the collection of wisdoms of the peoples of the world, there is a link between a cat’s vitality and the sacred numbers of a given religion or region. The number of cat lives ranges from 6 to 9:
- According to an old Hindu legend, an old learned cat whiled away his days dozing on the threshold of a temple. One day the god Shiva asked him: “Who are you? And what can you do?” to which the cat, lazily squinting his eyes, replied: “I’m a mathematician. And I can count to infinity.” “Then count,” Shiva asked. And the cat slowly began: “One... two... three...”. At the number “9” he fell into a deep sleep, and the supreme god declared: “Since you could only count 9, I will give you 9 lives.” And so it became.
- In Rus', old people used to say that only the 9th death can kill a cat, and sorcerers kept “unkillable” tailed companions with them as a human shield, protecting them from other people’s magical influences and cleansing them of negativity.
- The British still believe that 3 out of 9 given lives a cat plays, 3 - wanders, and the remaining 3 - lives in one place.
- A Turkish proverb says: “A cat has 9 souls, but a woman has 9 souls.”
- The Germans and Hungarians claim that “a cat has 7 lives and a single home.” In this regard, the cat intuitively finds its way home tens of kilometers away, supposedly living on the way without food or sleep.
- According to Jewish tradition, a terrible punishment awaits the person who takes the last 7 lives of a cat.
- In Islamic countries, a cat enters a mosque and lives 6 lives.
Mysterious physiology. Such statements probably became widespread due to the ability of cats to emerge unscathed from the most serious alterations.
Where another animal would invariably die, cats escape with minor injuries or simply fear, using, according to legend, one of many lives.
The miracles of cats are evidenced by:
- The ability to remain alive after falling from a great height. According to eyewitnesses, a kitten that accidentally fell from the window of the 32nd floor of a New York skyscraper escaped with a knocked out tooth and a bruised sternum.
- Ability to survive accidents and disasters. It is known that cats sense trouble and try to leave a dangerous place. But if this fails, the murki find a secret refuge without dying from suffocation, squeezing or burns. There is a known case where a cat survived a plane crash.
- The cat's talent for rapid recovery of the body. Cats are amazingly capable of healing their fractures, healing wounds, and even restoring the function of paralyzed limbs.
Cat owners' opinions on where their pets end up after death
Since humans have an inherent desire to believe in the best, avid cat lovers who dote on their pets are, of course, inclined to believe in life after death and in the opportunity to meet their cat in another, more perfect life. Since no one has yet been able to give an intelligible answer to the questions about whether cats have a soul and where it goes after their death, the opinion of the owners on this issue echoes the ideas of the religion that they profess. In any case, the choice is theirs, but each of them is convinced that they can still walk in the Gardens of Eden with their beloved cat, otherwise what is the point in all our earthly attachments?
Do cats have souls?
The word soul is understood by people in different ways. For those who do not believe in God, this is the consciousness, emotions, character of a person, his personality, which will die along with the body. For believers, it is a link between life and expected eternity. Let us consider the question of the existence of the soul in animals from different points of view. By the way, if you can’t help the four-legged one, then it’s worth looking at the information on the site, which is needed only in the most extreme and hopeless situations.
It will not be superfluous to familiarize yourself with other articles of this project, which provide answers to numerous questions from the owners of such cute and beloved pets, and also highlight the most interesting aspects of their life, their care and treatment of diseases.
Do cats, cats, kittens and dogs have souls?
Those who have ever kept pets will say with confidence that all the signs of personality can be observed in them.
They understand human speech, experience emotions, and have an individual character. This means that animals have all the signs of having a soul.
Where does the soul of a kitten go after death?
To answer the question of where the soul of a deceased animal goes, you need to know where the human soul will be after death. It is useless to convince a person who does not believe in God that after death his beloved kitten will go to heaven.
Where does a cat's soul go after death? Psychic answer
For some reason, psychics in our age are considered people with special knowledge and gifts. But in fact, these are either charlatans or those who communicate with demons. The soul of a cat, according to psychics, can haunt its owner or help him after death. If this bothers you, the psychic will know what you need to say to be believed.
Do cats have a soul and at what time and where does it go after death?
It is possible to say that the soul of a cat goes to some place after death only if one believes in immortality and the existence of God. The Bible, the book left to people by God, does not specifically say whether animals have a soul and where it goes after death.
Of course, when you get to heaven, you want to meet your beloved cat, who got there after death.
Does a cat have a soul according to Orthodoxy (Orthodoxy) church opinion
According to the church, the connecting link between God and man is the spirit, which comes to life after repentance and baptism and is immortal. Therefore, the Orthodox Church cannot recognize the existence of a cat’s soul.
Is it possible to pray for an animal and how to pray for animals
You can pray for an animal if it gets sick. Pray for recovery. If the animal has died, you need to pray for yourself in order to calm down and humble yourself.
Soul of a cat after death 9 and 40 days
Funeral services for a deceased person are traditionally held on the 9th and 40th day after death, in order to intercede for him with prayers before God. There is no such tradition for remembering dead cats.
Soul of a cat after death ancient Egypt
The ancient Egyptians deified the cat. After her death, she was buried with honors in a special cemetery. The body of a deceased cat was mummified so that after death it could gain eternal life.
The cat's soul returns home, can stay close to its owners and be reborn into a human or not.
The belief that the souls of animals after death move into new bodies of animals or people is characteristic of many religions, except Orthodoxy. Dead animals or people should not return home, because they will only be resurrected on the last day of judgment.
A person, under the guise of the spirits of deceased beloved animals (a cat, for example), can be bothered by demons.
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- Severina:
08/09/2019 at 19:02This article sets out only the postulates of Orthodoxy. And Orthodoxy is only one of the religions professed by a certain number of people. Moreover, this is a relatively young religion. Life, death, soul and immortality are a mystery, and different faiths have different opinions on this matter. In addition to the Bible, there is other well-known books answering the questions of existence. A particle of God is in all living beings, and nothing visible or invisible disappears without a trace.
- Olesya:
01/24/2020 at 01:24
I still can’t believe what I saw. 5 years ago we euthanized our beloved ginger cat. He had a small white spot in the shape of a heart on his nose and one white paw, and was all red and fluffy. He was smart, loved to walk... we live on the first floor, so we had no problems with this, he left and came through a window or an open window (in the summer). The cat suddenly fell ill, I won’t go into details, I just don’t want to remember all this. In general, I had to be put to sleep, the veterinarian advised my mother to give me valerian to drink (she and I were there together) and take me home, the cat was left in the veterinary hospital to be cremated, there was not even an opportunity to bury the animal. My grief knew no bounds, the favorite of the whole family. Three days have passed since the death of our cat, my husband and I were sitting in the kitchen at the table, drinking tea, feeling sad, remembering what it would be like now if Lenka had been alive, he would have long ago come galloping in from the street when he saw the light on in the kitchen... and suddenly... Lyonka is jumping on the cornice! My mug almost fell out of my hands!!!! One could attribute the bvlo to hallucinations from stress, etc. , but my husband saw the same thing, Lyonka! We shouted out loud with him, Lenka, Lenka!!! Mom heard us from the next room and quickly rushed to us, but while she was running Lenka disappeared!!!! I immediately opened the window to see that there wasn’t a single cat around. I also think maybe we got confused, maybe it’s someone else’s cat? The brain couldn’t believe what it saw and was looking for some kind of justification and logical explanation! But no, the eyes saw what they saw! I recognize my cat from millions of cats! Now I know for sure that it was the spirit of our cat!!!!!! Our favorite! Why did he come, to say goodbye? I don't know. But it was 100% him! 5 years have passed, and I still cannot forget either him or this incident.
- Galina:
02/03/2020 at 16:56
How bad it is without my mask, I also called him Prince Elisha. I already wrote about him here. It was some kind of Fit virus. And I’m still looking for my guilt as to why this virus was activated. I have a feeling that a pure and bright soul lived next to me. My Yosenka was never mischievous, I always understood what he wanted to say. He called me MOM MOM. I miss him so much. I love him so much. It’s impossible to calm down, he is always before my eyes. I hope that there we will be together again, I will find him.
