Halloween, that spooky time when the souls of cats past come to visit the living cats and humans. A short story for cat lovers everywhere.

The Souls of Cats Past Visit On Halloween

Nearly midnight on a cool, clear Halloween. A breeze is blowing softly through the trees making a rustling sound. The moon peers through the branches of the trees casting an eerie light on the mountainside.

The souls of cats past have come down to earth to visit old and new friends and bask in the memory of tummy rubs and cat treats. Invisible, they mingle with the living and check out their favorite places. They bring warm memories and companionship.

Time For Some Spooky Stories For The Kittens

Oblivious to their ghostly visitors, the cats have gathered on the roof of the cat garden. For six month old Niblet and Monk, little gray tabbies, it is their first Halloween so they are not quite sure what to expect! As we join them, Malteser, a brown and white cat and the group’s elder has started to tell a story.

The Stalking Monster Cat

“A few years ago there was a big cat living on this mountain,” said Malteser. “What, bigger than Rolly?” said Monk as the others laughed. Rolly, another gray tabby, is known for his love of food. “Yes, even bigger than Rolly!” said Malteser.

“This cat was the size of a big dog. Mummy and our Nanny from England saw it first. They were sitting outside and saw a big cat standing on the crest of the hill. The first thing Nanny said to Mummy was, ‘Now you are not to try and feed that one’!” All the cats laughed. It would just be like Mummy to try and adopt it.

“The next time the cat was seen was at night. One of Mummy’s friends was outside looking at the stars and when he turned round the cat was stalking him – like this!” Shrieks from the kittens as Malteser pretended to be stalking them. “Mummy’s friend ran inside fast!”

“There were several sightings of the cat over the years but the scariest one happened when Mummy had some friends over for dinner. All of a sudden the big cat appeared and jumped up on to the roof and ran over it making a clatter on the roof tiles.” There was a bang which made all the cats jump, including Malteser. Treacle, grey and mischievous had banged something on the roof.

Malteser finished, “But no-one knows what happened to the cat since then. There have been no sightings but there are rumors it walks the mountain looking for … kittens!” as he pounced on Niblet who screamed with laughter. The souls of cats also laughed, remembering the fun they had like this when they were alive.

“Let’s have another story, who is next?” Malteser said.

Vampire Bats

“Me next, me next,” said Treacle, who was throwing himself wholeheartedly into the mood for the evening.

“Look!” said Treacle. “Bats,” and sure enough a small number of bats were flying around, swooping to catch insects. “Did you know that there are vampire bats that suck the blood of sleeping cats”? “Eeeeek,” squealed several of the listening cats, some laughing others pretending to be terrified. The kittens were looking at Treacle wide eyed.

“Vampire bats can suck your blood and you don’t even know it,” continued Treacle. “They inject you with something so you don’t feel their teeth.” “It could happen to… you!” he shrieked as he pounced on Monk. The other cats were laughing. Moonboots, always the sensible one, reassured the kittens that there were no vampire bats in Italy so they could rest easy. The kittens did not look totally convinced.

Cat Eating Owls

At that moment, a shadow flew in front of the moon, a big owl, hooting as he flew overhead. “Ah yes,” said Hogie, a big ginger cat. “That would be the great cat eating owl on the move.” “Cat eating owl…” said Niblet looking horrified. “Yes, only eats gray tabbies apparently,” said Hogie nonchalantly.  This was greeted with howls of laughter.

Something Really Scary Happens

As the cats stopped laughing and were waiting to see who would tell the next story, there was a loud noise behind them, coming from the house. A banging on the window. They looked up and, to their horror, there was a ghostly face at the window, horrible to look at and totally terrifying. They all screeched and scattered into hiding places.

What Was It In The House?

The souls of cats rushed through the walls into the house to see what was happening. They were greeted by the sight of two cats holding each other up. Stevie Mouse screaming with laughter, tears running down her face. Emmy was also laughing, shrieking “Stevie, you baaaaaaad!” “I learned that trick from my old friend Barnie,” said Stevie. “Stand with a light under your chin and you look really scary.” “Treacle is going to get you for that,” said Emmy. “It was worth it,” replied her sister.

The outside cats were beginning to emerge from their hiding places, looking very sheepish. But it was getting late and time for bed. And time for the souls of cats to depart. But there was one thing left to do.

The Souls of Cats Visit Mummy and Daddy

The souls of cats visited Mummy and Daddy who were fast asleep in their bedroom. Just for a moment, they remembered the cuddles and the love. And then it was time to leave, with the departing words, like a soft perfume falling on the sleeping occupants of the bed. “We will be there when it is time, we shall see you again, we wait for you.”

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Before you go

My name is Dorothy Berry-Lound an artist and writer. You can find out more about my art and writing at https://dorothyberryloundart.com.

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Thank you for reading!