Phantom Felines And Other Ghostly Animals - Gerina Dunwich 2006

Smitty
Phantom Felines

by Michael John Weaver

My ex-wife’s grandmother had a calico cat named Smitty that I knew well but had not seen in some time. I learned upon a visit to her house in the mid-1990s that the cat had been ill and died. I knew nothing about the details.

While sleeping on the couch I had a dream of an invisible cat that I could feel/pet and feed (Smitty was often fed treats from the table), but in this case the food would hover in midair and then vanish as she ate it. I awoke feeling the kneading of cat’s paws on me.

I shared this experience with my ex-wife and she informed me that Smitty in her final days had indeed stopped eating—even hand-offered human food treats.

As an investigator of paranormal phenomena I realize there are alternative explanations, like my acquiring the information via ESP from my ex-wife or her grandmother and then having the dream. I also realize that sleep paralysis can cause physical sensations like the feeling of something sitting on your chest. But to duplicate the kneading of a deceased cat would be stretching this explanation.