Do Our Pets Remain With Us After Death: A Brief Study On The Soul

      Nearly one year ago I lost my beloved cat, Salem. Some of you reading this blog may recall seeing him, along with his brother Binx making weekly appearances on the podcast. Binx of course continues to grace us with his curious and chaotic presence. His void black tail and ears constantly popping up in the videos while we record with guests. But Salem, the one who would sleep on the headrest of the computer chair as we recorded  passed away on August 13, 2025 due to heart failure. He was only one year and eight days old and it was one of the hardest losses I’ve ever felt. Binx too struggled with the loss and so he and I together, mourned. Our hearts hurt, the house fell silent for weeks when suddenly, while Binx and I lay on the couch, we saw a black tail disappear around a corner.

      At first I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, except that I wasn’t the only one who saw it. Binx’s ears were perked, eyes wide, as he looked at the same corner in the hall that I was looking. This of course was the first of many sightings of our sweet Salem. Since Salems passing, I've seen him follow me through the house, caught him disappearing around corners, felt his little body resting on my chest as I sleep, even felt his heart beating against mine as I lay in my bed, something that was consistent when he was physically with us. Then, recently I awoke to what I thought was Binx jumping on the bed and carefully walking over me. I felt every movement, every gently paw pressing down on my legs as he walked from one side of the bed to the other. And so, as I often do in the middle of the night when Binx jumps onto the bed, I opened my eyes and reached out to pet him… except to my sleepy bewilderment, Binx wasn’t there. In fact, no one was there. But in that moment I knew without any doubt that someone WAS there, at least for a little while. That someone was my sweet Salem.

      This sparked a curiosity when I awoke the following morning and a raised a question that millions of people ask when losing a beloved pet. Are they still with us? Is there a heaven for them? Where do they go after death? Well, let me first start by answering these questions with a simple and resounding yes, yes, and… let’s find out. 

      I’ll be honest up front, life after death is still speculative. Science of course, has yet to prove or disprove the afterlife, metaphysics is still entirely based on theory. Even evidence caught within paranormal investigations is subject to scrutiny based on a number of factors including, light anomalies, credibility of source as well as camera trickery, audio interference and many other things that can trick the senses and even influence paranormal evidence. So, where does that leave us? We have exhaustive information on the existence or non-existence of the afterlife from both science and metaphysics, including eyewitness accounts. You can simply do a google search and find the evidence for or against the argument of the afterlife. With that said, there’s no point in beating a tree with a stick as it accumulate zero results. So, instead I’ve decided to focus this short article on something else. Theology. Now let me start by saying that as both a Bible believing Christian and a generally spiritual person, I strongly believe in life after death, I believe in heaven and hell, I believe in the spiritual realm and I believe that every living creature has a soul. But, as the naturally curious person that I am, simply believing isn’t always enough. There’s nothing wrong with blind faith but, not only am I an individual who likes substance when it comes to my faith and beliefs but, God even calls us to study and research His Word to find the reason for our faith. I know that not everyone reading this blog is Christian; in fact, I’d bet that most of you aren’t. But I encourage you to continue reading, as the knowledge can certainly benefit all of us. As you know, our show, ParaTruth: Reborn strongly encourages the opportunities to learn from each other, despite our differences. And after reading this blog, I encourage you to share your thoughts, beliefs, and evidence on the topic as well. So, what can we learn?

      Let’s turn our attention onto the “soul”. If you’ve spent time around any number of Christians, you may have heard that animals can neither go to heaven nor have a soul. They argue that humans are unique in having a soul and therefore the afterlife is only designed for us. They may have even used scripture to argue their reason and have done a decent job at persuading you however, I’m going to argue against such notions and as you may have guessed, I’m going to use scripture. Now, before we go any further, let me be clear on something; the Bible doesn’t actually contradict itself. Instead it’s the reader who interprets the scripture that often finds inconsistencies. If though, we’re willing to take some time to “study” the Word rather the just “read” it, we'll find such inconstancies and contradictions squashed. With that said, I’m not bashing anyones beliefs but, would like to take a brief moment to argue my point.

      To begin we know that God “breathed” life into Adam and Eve. This particular breath is indeed exclusive to humans since we are made in Gods image, but after receiving this breath, humanity was commanded to become caretakers of both animals and the earth. In fact, Proverbs 12:10 says, “The righteous care for the need of their animals”; Deuteronomy 22:6-7 mandates the humane treatment of animals; and Exodus 23:4-12 requires that owners of working animals give those animals a sabbath day of rest. These are only a few of many passages that reference the care and protection of animals as ordained by God and even prove Gods love for animals. Lets’ go a little deeper though. The Bible also states in Genesis 1:30; Genesis 6:17; Genesis 7:22; Genesis 17:15; and Ecclesiastes 3:19 that both humans and animals “share” the “breath of life”. These verses directly imply that the life we humans breathe is identical to the life that animals breathe. Why do I point this out and how does this help my argument of life after death, especially when it comes to our pets?

      Well, despite the fact that God did not directly breathe life into animals like he did into the nostrils of humans (He spoke animals into existence) the Bible explicitly states that both humans and animals posses the “breath of life”. This “breath of life” is translated from the Hebrew word Nephesh, meaning a living “soul” or breather. Now let’s take a moment to consider the word “Nephesh” or “soul”. It’s highly important because the word nephesh is used over 750 times within the Bible and is most commonly used to describe Life/Breath, A Living Being, and the Whole Self. The word “soul” in english is most broadly used as the “immaterial essence, animating principle, or spiritual part of a human being”. Now, if this “soul” is the same soul or nephesh that unites both humans and animals within scripture, then it is safe to say that animals do have a soul!

      So, what does this mean? Again, life after death is still speculative. In fact, there are some Christian denominations that claim the soul goes to sleep after death and awaits a bodily resurrection after judgment day while others hold to the prospect of 2nd Corinthians 5:8 when Paul expresses that to be away from the body is to be in the presence of the Lord. Likewise, Jesus says, “In my Father’s house are many rooms… I go to prepare a place for you” John 14:2-3. This “place” has been subject to much theological discussion as to whether this is a heavenly dwelling, a union with Christ or even something that happens on the “New Earth” after judgment day per the book of Revelation. But while writing this section, such theological thoughts and perhaps the Holy Spirt brings me back to a single promise spoken by Jesus while He hung on the cross for the sin of the world. He looked to a repentant criminal crucified beside Him and said, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise” Luke 23:43. This promise alone proves that the soul doesn’t simply go to sleep after death. It’s awake, it’s aware and it exists beyond death.

      So, do our pet’s remain with us after death? Well, though not everyone may agree, I felt it necessary to share my short study of the term soul before answering that question. In the process I hope you’ve learned something about the Hebrew term soul and can apply your new knowledge in your life and beliefs as well. The truth is, God initially created animals to be a companion of humanity according the book of Genesis. God, being omniscient (all knowing) knew how much love we would have for our pets and how our pets would likewise love us. He knew that our pets would help us emotionally, physically, and spiritually and I don’t for a moment believe that God, being a loving God, would allow such creatures into our lives just to take them away from us permanently. After all, the scriptures prove that God loves animals too and He’s well aware that our pets are family. With that understood, I have no doubt that our pets are eagerly waiting for us on the other side. But, I also believe that the rules of the spiritual realm don’t apply to our pets either. Judgement doesn’t exist for them as they are naturally pure souled creatures, they come and go as they please, and they continue to protect and nurture us the same way they did when physically present. I truly believe that the beloved pets we’ve lost know that they’re on the other side. They know it’s not the same as when they existed in our physical realm and I am confident that they are perfectly content aside from awaiting the day that they get to see us again. Not only do I believe this in faith but I believe it based on the substance of my study. The passages of scripture that point to the truth and the understanding that God is a loving God who cares for all of His creation. In accordance with that, I know of many psychics, mediums, and spiritualists who claim the truth of animal spirits in the afterlife as well as many of you reading this who have for yourself witnessed your pet walking around your home, leaving you sweet hints of their presence even after they’ve physically left us. Today, I know that my sweet Salem is gone in physical form but his beautiful soul lives on in spirit form. He makes himself known to me and Binx as well. Sometimes when He feels like it and many times when we need it. Our pets are a part of who we are. They’re family, they’re wholeheartedly loved and they love wholeheartedly; and whether departed or not, they remain with us and within us and they wait eagerly in heaven to be held by us again.