Many people who have pets swear by experiences that their pets have, at times, had a sixth sense. Whether it is the scared dog that senses the big storm coming on a sunny day or the cat that meows constantly when a diabetic patient has a reaction, we can all agree that these are not just experiences we should shrug off as constant coincidences.
We trust our pets so much; we rely on them to be seeing eye dogs, sense epileptic seizures, sniff out drugs in an airport, or detect bombs hidden within spaces. As animals are given such important roles to help society, it is certain that their “sixth sense” cannot be ignored.
Recently, many stories have come out where cats have cuddled with cancer patients before their unforeseen deaths, and rumors have been flying about cats that have placed their paw on a cancer patient, pointing out the tumor that doctors could not find. Other cats have been known to constantly sniff the freckle on arms of cancer patients, when the person did not know they were suffering. It is definite that we, as humans, have lost our connection with the earth, and now we rely on our companions to instruct us on what is going on.
Could this be an intuition, a psychic connection between pet and ill human being that currently is beyond our thinking? Could this just be that we release a chemical when we have cancer or are dying and cats have the heightened sense of smell and understand what is going on, and thus feel empathy for their sick human friends?
Dogs have been known for their keen sense of smell, but cats are often overshadowed. Considering that cat’s sense of smell is fourteen times stronger then a human beings, we must not overlook our feline friends! Cats have an incredible organ, the vomeronasal organ. Located behind the front teeth in the mouth of a cat, it is connected to the nasal passage. Have you ever seen your cat open his or her mouth and close it rapidly? The cat is sensing, either smelling for food, looking for a mate, or, it has been argued, sensing deeper things like irregular weather patterns, natural disasters, or the health problems of a family member.
I have personally had pets who are much more reliable then my meteorologist. So whether cats have a sixth sense or an organ that can give them senses beyond human perception is not the case at hand. The truth lies beyond what mainstream thinking offers. We must observe and listen to our pets. Their actions and moods must be seen as complex as ours. They have senses beyond ours, therefore they must be respected. In est, if cats truly can “sense” cancer, further research must be developed, especially if we can save lives.
13 comments
Very interesting. I have seen the cat that was in the nursing home who would go to the next person who was passing. Thought it was an isolated incident. Very interesting since we have a few rescues cats of our own. Thanks for writing this.
Hi Tina,
Thanks for your comment. Your experience is interesting but also a reoccuring incident. This topic is definately something that needs to be explored further!
My stepdad has stage 4 throat cancer and was recently in hospital due to 3 bad infections one being a bladder infection and he was brought home sat. I have been at the house with him almost 24/7 as well as before he was in for infections and i came home last night and my male cat has been acting unusualy affectionate to me he purrs rolls on my arm and flexes claws on my stonach then curls up there this is very odd and very recent behavior from him he never ever sleeps curled up on me like this I am positive he is smelling stepdads Cancer and or infections.My moms dog has been acting very very nervous as well shaking a lot and very agitated when stepdad or she leaves the house, even blocking moms way out it should also be said this dogs poochie mom died of a horrible seizure in the bathroom where she somehow got herself locked in..her pup has been traumatized ever since…
i have stage 3 ovarian cancer…my cat knew i was sick before i did..started sleeping me ..right beside my stomac..never done before in 11 years..never slept with husband like this after hernia or appendix..i juat watched show about dogs sniffing cancer..well cats can too..my cat is 11 and she knew somting not right..i have turmor removed and full hystorectomy..and 20 lbs of water also removed…but she still hasnt left my side since before i got sick…if i lay down even for nap she is right beside.. ..i thought she was sick when she first did it..about amonth before i saw about me and it was detected…i wish i had seen dr earlier..if the helps one person with ovarian cancer.. then this has all been worth it..dont rule out cats! or dogs. we need to learn to listen to them JILL
Hi Debbie,
Thank you for your comment, I just want you to know that I am praying your step dad has a full recovery. I appreciate you sharing your story. There are so many like yours. TVO network just published an interesting documentary about dogs and the question whether they can sense cancer. It was very interesting and perhaps you would want to see it. All the best!
Hi Jill,
I hope you are recovering well. I want to thank you for sharing your story. I have decided that I should write an article about ovarian cancer to bring awareness. Thank you for the inspiration and sharing your personal experience with our readers. Please know you will be the reason for this article. You definately have made a difference! I wish you a speedy recovery!
Hi there
I am a Healer and I know all animals can sense things unknown to us but I was asking this question as for the last month I have had this sort of itchy pain either sides of my scalp, above my ears. Since having it one of my cats (he’s a Bengal) keeps trying to actually eat my head where I am itching! I am quite stressed at the moment and thought I might be getting Psoriasis on my head but there is nothing there! I recently went to a ENT app as we think I might have Tinnitus but the consultant wants to give me a MRI head scan to see what is causing these vibrational noises in my ears. Bugsy knows something is not right and I don’t believe in coincidences! I saw my Doctor this morning and he thinks I might have a high wheat intake which is making my cat trying to eat my scalp but I’m not convinced….
Sorry I made a mistake… not wheat but yeast!
I decided to look this up because this experience just happened to me, I have Lupus, an with it Rheumatoid Arthritis in all my joints, but my right knee last week was bothersome, I was laying on my bed watching t.v. when my cat Sabrina jumped up on the bed an began sniffing the exact knee that was hurting, then she curled up beside me doing that whole kneading thing they do while purring, it was as if she knew…
Our gorgeous girl has never been a smooched, never came for cuddles. About two months ago she has started coming to me for cuddles, in bed she pushes in between my husband and I and lies next to me, at times she tries to get under the blankets and licks my face. she will jump up next to me on the lounge and rub her face against mine, lick my hand, We were totally confuse as to why she would start to react with us this way, as she never has before. . During a visit to the Doctors two days ago, I showed her two moles I have on my right shoulder and right leg, and was told that they look a bit iffy, and so I will have them removed this week. It has made me think that perhaps she knows something that as yet we do not. It has made me reassess her position in our household, and that perhaps animals are more in tuned to us than we think.
Animals sense our psycholocgical /emotional pains as well, of course. I have no doubt that as a spirit, my dog ‘Hobbes’ came into my experience to help keep me sane and heal after the death of my first daughter, many years ago.
They not only sense things, but animals carry energies for us as well. On a planetary level, dolphins (for example) are essential to our well-being for the fact that they carry and transmute painful energies that we couldn’t otherwise handle. O so many levels, it’s in our interest to protect them.
Wow that’s weird cause I have a 7 week old kitten that goes and lays on my mom stomach and she has stage 3 cancer in her lymphoid in her stomach . every time she puts the kitten on the floor she climbs right back up to her. I thought it was cute.
My husband had liver transplant now he has cancer in new liver and lungs my cat will not eat drink or leave his side the doctor said the cancer is progressing fast will he do this when my husband is lose to death