• We have updated the guidelines regarding posting political content: please see the stickied thread on Website Issues.

Ghostly Cat?

P

PeteS

Seeking refuge
Joined
Dec 5, 2016
Messages
3,589
Weirdly, over the past few weeks, we have been experiencing the very distinct sound of what appears to be a cats collar bell tinkling- exactly like a cat rapidly shaking its head like they do. It puts our cat, who is very timid, on the alert and she begins pacing up and down, apparently recognizing the sound. No other cat noises heard and since the house is tiny there is no possibility of another cat sneaking in unseen. No TV or radio on at the time and no possibility of a cat accessing the sub floor area. At first I thought it may be the sound of a zip or something clattering about in the washing machine or dryer but it happens when neither of these are switched on. We don't have any wind chimes or anything which would make that sound. Funnily enough the sound brings a grin to my face for some reason. 2 cats have died in the house in the past couple of years but I am looking for a none esoteric explanation. Anyone had a similar experience or a possible explanation?
 
We have a ghost cat. Actually, now the house seems to have filed up with part-time cat lodgers maybe some of the newer cats are really ghosts? Hadn't thought of that.

Cats often attract other cats and my lot always have their mates round. All the deceased cats probably still turn up too.

Ghost cats're great. They don't scratch the furniture or spray so you only know they're there when you hear them rattling their bell or purring.
 
davidplankton said:
How about an old cat collar trapped behind a radiator or similar place where you can't see it. Every now and then your cat has a swipe at it, causing the bell to ring. The behaviour you describe as being on the alert is actually her in hunting mode.
Click to expand...
Good lateral thinking- but no , it happens when she is curled up on the settee.
 
escargot1 said:
We have a ghost cat. Actually, now the house seems to have filed up with part-time cat lodgers maybe some of the newer cats are really ghosts? Hadn't thought of that.

Cats often attract other cats and my lot always have their mates round. All the deceased cats probably still turn up too.

Ghost cats're great. They don't scratch the furniture or spray so you only know they're there when you hear them rattling their bell or purring.
Click to expand...
Ghost cats are great- I like that. Funnily the tinkling of the bell is so clear it seems to be right next to us and we both hear it. Our little timid cat doesn't like it all though. Hearing the sound I find strangely relaxing as though something is reminding us that they're still around. A most peculiar sensation - but I would like to find a more mundane explanation if one exists (and as I type this there it goes again!)
 
Our first house was diffidently haunted by a ghost cat but it never made the slightest
noise even when running within inches of us,
Back to yours is there any possibility a cat could have found it's way under the floor
and got trapped. Even down the flue and stuck behind the fire is not unknown but a
trapped cat will usually cry for help.
 
Whenever someone on a comedy panel show (think QI) or an internet discussion wants to sneer at the very idea of "ghosts" they often ask, triumphantly, how come people never see ghosts of animals (/cavemen/dinosaurs). It's a rhetorical question, as they believe no answer possible. It always strikes me, apart from countless other objections to the logic, that they've clearly not paid the slightest attention to the subject they have an expert opinion on. Phantom pets seem to a very common experience, whatever their nature. Even the headless horseman must be riding a bleedin' horse. Unless he's got a bus pass.
 
davidplankton said:
How about an old cat collar trapped behind a radiator or similar place where you can't see it. Every now and then your cat has a swipe at it, causing the bell to ring. The behaviour you describe as being on the alert is actually her in hunting mode.
Click to expand...


My Goodness Holmes you've done it again! :p
 
RaM said:
Our first house was diffidently haunted by a ghost cat but it never made the slightest
noise even when running within inches of us,
Back to yours is there any possibility a cat could have found it's way under the floor
and got trapped. Even down the flue and stuck behind the fire is not unknown but a
trapped cat will usually cry for help.
Click to expand...
No as I said in the opening post no chance of a cat getting under the floor. My first thought was that one was trapped somewhere but as you mention I would expect a cat to cry if it couldn't get out . Since this has gone on for several weeks I don't think it would have lasted this long! At our other house we experienced all sorts of (living) animals getting into the house including a peacock, fox, squirrel, hedgehog , various dogs and cats all of which soon made their presence known.Strange that we don't see, hear or feel anything other than the tinkling bell in this case.
 
davidplankton said:
*Indulges in a bit of rough shag to celebrate*
Click to expand...


Hmmm "Rough Shag" is a mild tobacco with a hint of ginger.

Ginger can only mean a "Ginger Tom"

Tom is short for"Tombola" which is a game of chance.

Another game of chance is "Black Jack"

That can only mean we are after the most wanted man in London - Jack the Ripper!

Jack! Of course Jack the Ripper killed the cat and placed it's corpse behind the radiator!


Holmes you astonish me with your clues but the logic is irrefutable!
 
Naughty_Felid said:
Hmmm "Rough Shag" is a mild tobacco with a hint of ginger.

Ginger can only mean a "Ginger Tom"

Tom is short for"Tombola" which is a game of chance.

Another game of chance is "Black Jack"

That can only mean we are after the most wanted man in London - Jack the Ripper!

Jack! Of course Jack the Ripper killed the cat and placed it's corpse behind the radiator!


Holmes you astonish me with your clues but the logic is irrefutable!
Click to expand...
Must be the solution then- eliminating the impossible whatever remains blah blah blah :)
 
Something on the chimney aerial or cowl moving in the wind?
neighbour put a wind chime out?
do you have any fans in the central heating or vents that could be idling in a drought,
The cat ghost in our house was there when we moved in and seemed to stay with
the house we never saw it again in other houses. as it seems to be repeating as ours did
you have a chance of investigating and ruling other things out.
 
Another thing worth thinking about is a blackbird they are very good mimics
I am going to strangle the one round here that does a spot on mimic of out
house phone gets me every time.
 
RaM said:
Another thing worth thinking about is a blackbird they are very good mimics
I am going to strangle the one round here that does a spot on mimic of out
house phone gets me every time.
Click to expand...
Yes that did spring to mind but the sound is so clear so rapid and distinct nothing being blown about or mimicking a bell really fits and it seems to be in the house as well. It really is absolutely identical to the sound of our funny little cat's collar bell when she shakes her head. I think she is mystified by it as well but then she is scared of her own tail sometimes. Having said that yesterday I spotted some sort of bird of prey in our very tiny front yard - unusual since currently living in a very densely populated urban area. As it legged it leaving a huge pile of feathers from a kill behind it was trailing what looked to be a tether behind. I know that some captive birds have bells attached to them - possible escapee and an explanation? Will keep a look out.
 
Next time you hear it nip out and see it the hawk is about
 
Well after being absent for 4 months our GC appears to have returned. He/she is currently finding it amusing to shake their bell on the landing in the middle of the night when I go to the loo(getting on yer know). Thinking I am about to stand on our dim little thing I put the light on to find nothing there. The dear creature seems to be enjoying sneaking up behind dlt and either goosing her or whispering something in her ear causing her to jump in the air and dart behind the settee . (she has done this a few times). We'll see how long our visitor stays this time.
 
Here's a musical suggestion to go with your ghost cat: "Nang Maew Pee" (The Ghost of Cat Woman) - a bit of 1970s Thai psychedelia, with some pretty spooky cat sounds thrown in.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top