I once related this story on my other blog, Alphecca, sometime early last year. The emails I received were quite interesting. Now that I have comments here, I thought I'd retell it. And this really is a pet-lover's blog and there are lots of new readers. And the following is a true story.
About ten Summers ago I had to have my cat Jasper put to sleep. He had kidney disease and he was in misery. I had prepared a "coffin" for him. A large cardboard box, with my pillowcase (for my "scent") lining it, his favorite toy, water dish, catnip sack, a box of food, and a silver cross (just in case...) All very Egyptian.
My friend owned a garden center up the street with flowers abounding. He let me bury Jasper on the outskirts. I think I dug the grave and buried the top of the box about six inches below the surface.
A couple of days later, in the middle of the night, I was asleep, Rainbow beside me. Suddenly, WE BOTH sat up awake. This was about three in the morning. The sound of "scratching" was coming from the bottom of the stairs where the litterbox was. It was such a common sound, of a cat "raking" the kittty-litter. But there was no other cat in the house!
The sound stopped as we both ran down the stairs. Rainbow had heard it too. Nothing there!
The next day I went to Jasper's grave. I had left the soil smooth and packed down over his coffin yet it was now obvious that something, some animal had been digging down several inches into the dirt. You could see the paw and claw marks. Maybe it was the scent, maybe it was, well I don't know.
I dug up Jasper's "box" and dug a much deeper hole and re-buried him about 18 inches down. There were no further incidents and as far as I know, he is still resting in peace.
I have no idea what supernatural phenomena happened that Summer night, but it did happen. I offer no explanation. Maybe you can. Or maybe something like that has happened to you. The floor is open! Might I just add that in a way, it was strangely comforting in that it meant (to me) that Jasper's spirit was still alive. Weird!
Posted by Jeff Soyer at April 12, 2004 07:46 PMI believe he had to make a last pit stop on his way to the rainbow bridge.........
Posted by: Sean at April 13, 2004 12:26 AMA little somthing to remember him by???
Posted by: DancingRainGirl at April 13, 2004 05:11 AMWell, comedy aside, I think he was trying to let me know that some animal was digging down to his grave and I should bury him deeper.
Anyway, I thought it was spooky and all, and I was hoping others would relate similar experiences here.
Posted by: Jeff Soyer at April 17, 2004 07:25 PM