Are pets really psychic?

Wiccans definitely think so while a recent study negates that belief. We get both the sides.

Ancient Egyptian priests are said to have kept sacred cats and used them to predict the future. But do pets really have extra sensory powers that we are not aware of? Can they really see the future? The debate has been on for a long time, but the answers are still inconclusive. While some wiccans believe that pets can predict the future, some studies contradict that perception? Read on to find out more.

What some studies say?

A recent study by researchers at an American university suggested that, while dogs' ability to 'read our minds' is real, it maybe a result of spending a lot of time with humans. Using a series of tests, researchers found that pets were better at interpreting human body language, verbal commands and frames of mind than stray dogs. In 2007, an American geriatrician published an article noting that a cat in a Rhode Island nursing home appeared to correctly predict patient deaths by curling up next to them in their final moments. By March 2010 he had correctly predicted 50 deaths. Oscar was probably sensing minute biochemical changes in those dying people rather than exhibiting any 'sixth sense' says Daniel Mills, a specialist in veterinary behavioural medicine. Many animals possess a type of awareness that seems to exceed human capabilities. For example, the alarm calls and movement inland among monkeys and birds prior to a tsunami, or birds hiding their heads under their wings prior to an earthquake.

So are pets psychic?

Sangeeta Krishnan, a wiccan definitely thinks so. She says, "Pets are indeed more clairvoyant than most of us. Since their fives senses are very sharp, they can detect cancer, pregnancy, and the presence of other worldly entities. They can also predict if their human housemate might have a fatal accident. Dogs have been known to warn people before they go out on the very same day they are meant to have an accident! All animals will be agitated minutes, hours, or even days before a natural calamity, a thunderstorm, or an earthquake is about to strike. She adds, "We don't give animals the credit they deserve. If you and your pet are able to communicate well, you will soon realise that they are trying to tell you something worthwhile all the time." Chandan Lohia, who practices runes adds, "Its not only pets but also plants and rocks can help predict the future because they are part of the same conscious." Apart from the future, pets have also been known to predict natural disasters and to prevent accidents. He adds, "There have been many cases over the years that support the notion that pets are psychic because they have successfully been able to prevent accidents by not allowing their owner to step out of the house or have been restless before a natural calamity sounding an alert."

And while the case for pets having special psychic powers is strong, there is an equally strong faction that contradicts these claims with enough research that leaves you questioning what to believe.