I loved Rupert Sheldrake’s, Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home and Other Unexplained Powers of Animals! 

Most of us with dogs, cats, and other pets, notice how intuitive our animals can be. We don’t need science to confirm the empathy we see in our dog’s face when we’re hurt or stressed out.

We know our dogs and cats sense when we’re upset or grieving, and often show us they care by a lick or cuddle. Our cat may curl up on our lap when we’re feeling ill or have had a rough day and seems to offer us a bit more TLC than usual.

A dog may stay a bit closer to our side when we’re sick or hurt, and show us extra affection when we’re down. And, of course, Many of us have seen evidence of our dog’s extra-sensory perception—he often seems to know when we’re “coming home from work” at the end of the day minutes before we arrive. Other family members may report that our dog, or even cat, has its face pressed up to a window watching for our return just a bit before we pull up in our car or are dropped off at home. It’s as if our pet is able to sense we’re on our way home.

Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home and Other Unexplained Powers of Animals, by Rupert Sheldrake, offers fascinating insight into this phenomena.

Have you ever noticed, as I have, how your cat seems to know you’re planning to take her to the veterinarian before you even get out her crate, and goes into hiding? Or how she knows when she’s due for a pill or some treatment she hates, and suddenly disappears? We all have stories of the intuitive abilities of our pets. Some skeptics write these occurrences off as coincidence, but a growing number of animal lovers, who are also scientists. have studied and actually measured such events and uncovered some amazing facts that show our animals are indeed capable of ESP.

Rupert Sheldrake explores these mysterious animal behaviors from the perspective of both an animal lover and a scientist. Sheldrake argues that telepathy is a normal part of animal communication in the wild, and that this natural ability extends to the animal-human bond if there is close emotional bonding between the pet and the human. He urges us to also consider human telepathy as part of the natural order. Sheldrake believes these extra-sensory perceptions or abilities are necessary for survival for both animals and people because species that can sense danger and perceive information telepathically have better chances of survival. He says humans are also naturally sensitive or telepathic, but as societies become more technical, and people become more educated, we lose these innate tendencies that are still alive in groups such as, the Bushman of the Kalahari and the Aborigines of Australia, and people in more rural areas.

Here are some of the stories Sheldrake shares, based on research and meticulous record keeping, that illustrate this psychic bond between animals and their owners:

• Dogs regularly responded 10 minutes or more in advance of their owners returning home from work by getting up and going to a window or door and waiting. Some responded hours in advance if their people had to drive long distances to return home—the reactions could not be explained in terms of the dogs being able to hear or smell their owners.

• Many cats seemed to know when their owners were returning home and in most cases, cats, like dogs wait only for one person—the person they are most bonded or attached to. In cases of both cats and dogs, the studies revealed the animals waited about 10 minutes in advance of the owner’s return and this did not depend on a regular routine—if the owner had to stop on the way home or was late, the animals seemed to know, and didn’t start waiting until the owners were closer to home. Many cats were able to know when the owner was returning even when the owner was arriving in a different car or at a different time. Fewer cats than dogs anticipate their owner’s arrival. Sheldrake says this doesn’t mean cats are less sensitive than dogs, but may just mean they are less interested.

• Parrots have also been know to display this sense of knowing in advance when their owners are returning home and have the ability to talk about it. Sheldrake gives an example of an Amazon Parrot, Pepper, who belongs to Dr. Karen Milstein. Pepper is very attached to the owner’s husband, Phillip, and begins calling out his name shortly before he comes home, even though he returns home at odd hours and unpredictable times. Dr. Milstein also noticed (and later tracked results) that Pepper seemed to start calling out greetings when Phillip began thinking about coming home.

• Dogs and cats have been known to howl at the time of their owner’s death even though they have no way of knowing about the event. Sheldrake tells of a family in Switzerland whose tomcat was extremely attached to their son, Frank, who went away as a ship’s cook and came home irregularly. The tomcat would always wait for the son at the door before he arrived. One day, the cat arrived at the door and cried out in extreme sadness, then went into Frank’s room sniffing and still wailing. Two days later, the family discovered Frank had died on his voyage at sea at exactly the time the cat had begun the wailing.

• Many cat owners report their cats disappear as soon as they start thinking about taking them to the vet for an appointment. They claim before they have even taken out the cat crate, the cat is gone and refuses to come when called. I must admit, I’ve had similar experiences and people have heard me saying, “Leanne is psychic! She starts hiding as soon as I think it’s time to take her to the vet and I haven’t even gotten out the crate.” Sheldrake says many vets he interviewed in England said so many clients reported this problem, the office simply stopped making appointments for cats, allowing people to bring cats in without appointments.

• Cats also tend to disappear when they are about to be taken away for good. A women in England who did cat rescue work, reported that after receiving a call about abandoned cats or cats no longer wanted by caretakers, cats would disappear before she arrived and were never found. Many of these cats would have been euthanized. Sheldrake suggests this sensitivity to danger is part of nature’s mechanism for survival and is inherent in wild species.

• Dogs often know when they’re going for a walk even before we get out the leash. Many owners report their dogs know they’re thinking about taking them for walks before they show any outward signs. The dog may get up from a comfortable spot on the floor, start to follow them around, wag their tale, and basically say, “Let’s go!”

My personal story – How my Chow mix displayed chivalry!

Over the years, my pets have continued surprising me with their intuitive abilities and heightened sensitivities. I have also been amazed by their compassion and healing influence. Here is a story about how understanding my Chow mix, Beardog, can be. A few years ago, I needed to give him a bath in the tub (now I’m set up in the basement to make dog bathing so much easier!) Beardog weights around 50 lbs. and because bathing is not his favorite activity, I had to pick him up and put him in the tub, and he often demonstrated frustrating resistance. This one night I was tired after work and not feeling very strong physically or emotionally, but he needed his bath so I was determined to get him in the tub. As I was bending over to pick him up, I suddenly stopped and kneeled next to him on the floor and said, “Bearie, I am so tired. Will you please help me out and just get in the damn tub.” I said this in a pleading voice – no alpha male energy was present. He actually put his paws on the edge of the tub and started to crawl into it! I gave him a slight push and there he was—standing in the bathtub on his own. I was amazed and also in awe of his intelligence and devotion. Not only had he understood what I asked of him, and what I needed emotionally at the time, but his generous spirit moved him to comply with my request. Like the gallant protector he has been to me over the years, he overcame his own dislike of bathing to give me what I asked of him.

This seemed a miraculous moment, a reward for that animal human bond that can only be earned by respect and love.

For more information on this fascinating subject, read Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home and Other Unexplained Powers of Animals, by Rupert Sheldrake.