The question of whether animals, particularly pet dogs and cats but also other animals, have an existence of some kind in the afterlife is something so many people would like to know that it might even be worth a book on its own, perhaps. That animals can and do communicate amongst themselves and between the different species would seem clear and credible, as numberless instances show. Australian tennis great John Newcombe’s story in our previous book (page 111) of his “best mate”, his old dog Pancho, who appeared to him in a dream at about the time the dog died, and in this book, actress Jeanne Little’s somewhat similar story (page 66), would both seem to suggest that some dogs, at least, do communicate, even in dreams, at probably the most poignant and important point in their lives: the time of their dying.

Pamela Kildea’s stories about her own pet cat and her sister’s dog would seem to add something more to the thinking about pets and life after death. Pamela is a legal secretary and personal assistant to a successful young lawyer who has his own legal firm, Pierre Tomaszuk. Pierre has been a legal advisor to both my son and publisher, James, and myself for some time, mostly in an honorary capacity (at least, until these books become big bestsellers, thus enabling us to afford to pay for such legal costs).

On the wall to one side of Pamela’s desk in Sydney hang photographs of several of these precious pets, all of whom are obviously very dear and important to her. One day whilst talking to her I asked her, mainly by way of making polite conversation, whether she’d ever heard of deceased pets communicating with their owners - or perhaps I should say parents or family, since so many indeed become and are treated this way, as is obvious with Pamela particularly.

Pointing to a photo of a lovely-looking black cat, Pamela said with conviction, “This one, my precious Kitt, certainly did - and still does.”

Intrigued, as usual, I asked her how Kitt communicated.
“It started soon after she died, mainly of old age. She was nearly eighteen years old when she died - actually on the day of Pierre’s wedding, in 2001.

“Not long afterwards she started doing what she’d always done most nights: she jumped into bed with me. Now, I know how that sounds, but I also know that, as far as I’m concerned, Kitt is still here. You know the way you can feel if a favourite pet is in your bed? Not quite touching you, but making its presence felt? Well, that’s how it’s been ever since my Kitt died. At least, until relatively recently, when she seems to have been there far less frequently - almost as if she’s starting to become accustomed to being wherever they go when they die. Something like the afterworld, perhaps?”

Normally I wouldn’t write about such things, but because of my policy of being prepared to present stories that are told by people who, to all appearances, are credible, honest and sound of mind, I thought this was one, like Newk’s, that is worthwhile telling. As is the story of how Kitt came into Pamela’s life.

“She was simply dumped on our doorstep by some unknown person when she was about six weeks old. I sometimes wonder whether that person somehow knew how well she’d be treated and how important she’d become in my life. The name, Kitt, came from a TV show at the time in which the American actor David Haselhoff starred: Nightrider. She was just so beautiful, shiny and jet black, like the turbo-charged vehicle in that show.”

Pamela also told of how her sister, an equally avid pet person, once had two dogs that died quite close together in time. When she finally found another dog to replace these two, she was surprised by how many traits of both her previous pets this new one had.

“It’s almost as if both had been reincarnated in this new one,” says Pamela. “That is, if you believe in such a thing as re-incarnation, and also life after death, not just for human beings but all creatures, particularly pets.

“Believing in such things does help to make losing a loved one - whether a pet or a person - much easier, knowing that even though they may have died in this life, there is another existence elsewhere which leads us back to living on earth again.”