Ghost pets
I believe that there are quite a few ghost pets around. It is not
at all unusual for someone to see their departed cat or dog, or to
feel the animal jump onto their bed, the way it did when alive. Most
of phantom pets are found in private residences.
The types of ghost pets
However, below you will find details various ghost pets that can be found. There is a ghost cat that haunts a church, a ghost dog and a phantom monkey that haunt Stately Homes and a second spectral dog that been seen by members of the public in a pub.
Ghost Cat
Many years ago, the organist at the church of All Hallows Church asked in her will that her beloved Pedigree Persian be buried in consecrated ground. The organist passed on and was survived by her pet cat. When it too died, the vicar would not allow the woman's request to be carried out. What became of the cat's mortal remains we are not told, but it was not interred in the church yard.
Consequentially,
the ghost cat has been seen walking around the church. Anyone who spots
it, assumes it to be a normal animal. That is until a search fails to
find the creature as it has disappeared.
Ghost Dogs
Leeds Castle
The ghost that is said to Leeds Castle, in Kent, is a black dog,
described by a witness as a 'curly-haired retriever' which
will 'appear and disappear within moments, sometimes fading into a
wall or passing through a closed door.' The dog has come to be
associated with a death or other misfortune befalling a member of the
castle owner's family.
This is strange given the fact that many
years ago a woman was sitting by a window when she saw the dog
disappearing into a wall. The woman went to investigate the creature
and the window by which she had been sitting collapsed, the masonry
landing on the spot where she had been sitting just moments before.
Anchor Tavern
In the 1700's, a press gang entered the Anchor Tavern to in order to 'persuade' men to join the King's Navy. A dog belonging to a customer bravely attempted to protect his master from these violent men. In order to keep it away, a gang member slammed the heavy pub door on the dog, severing its tail. The animal ran off yelping into the night never to be seen again 'in the flesh'.
It is this dog that has often been seen at closing time sniffing around the pub. Maybe it is searching for its master whom it failed to save so many years ago.
Littlecote House
Just one of the many ghosts of Littlecote House, is a phantom dog.
It has been seen on the Jerusalem staircase by several members
of the staff. It is black in colour and appears to be totally 'real'. If
someone makes an attempt to to grab it or stroke it, their hand goes
straight through the animal.
Ghost pet monkey
A ghost monkey can be heard in Athelhampton House. The house was originally built by the Martyn family who's family crest was a monkey sitting on a tree stump and their motto was, "He who looks at Martyn's ape, Martyn's ape will look at him". And it is Martyn's ape who haunts the hall.
The tragic story is as follows. The ape had freedom of the house and could wander as it chose. One of the daughters of the Martyn family had an unhappy love-affair and determined to kill herself, climbed the hidden stairs to the secret room, the ape following her unobserved. The poor girl put an end to her life feeling, no-doubt, that she was totally alone in the world.
But she was not alone, the ape was with her. By the time the girl was found, the poor monkey had starved to death. The ghost monkey is never seen but its spirit can be heard vainly scratching at the panelling of the secret room and staircase in an eternal, frantic attempt to escape.
