Yesterday was a victory for Spain, but it was also an equally momentous win for clairvoyant beasts and their devotees. With the Spanish win, Paul, Germany’s psychic octopus, has correctly predicted the outcomes of eight out of eight World Cup games. Paul will now retire from soothsaying in order to “play with his handlers and delight children who come visit to him”—the “spend more time with his family”–equivalent for sea creatures, no doubt.

Unbeknownst to even the keenest cephalopod fanatic, the prophetic octopus was not a singular visionary—nay, Paul joins a host of other sibylline animals in the annals of auguring.

Santa Monica, California, is home to Wizard and Mystic, psychic cats. Their many students have flocked to the Internet in droves, where they have contributed to the stuff of legend.

Of the psychic-cat experience, one disciple wrote: “First, I selected a subject to be read, How long will I live. Then, one cat spins a fortune wheel. Next, the other cat picks a fortune scroll out of bowl. Lastly the first cat handed me the scroll.” Even the cynics, doubters, and dog-lovers amongst us will allow that if the cats are not quite clairvoyant, they are at least impressively well trained.

The Psychics and Mediums Network (“The Official Website Of The Psychic Mediums Craig & Jane Hamilton-Parker”) brings word of William, a dog who arrived at a home belonging to his owner’s friend—despite never visiting there before. (William is maybe a more marginal figure than Paul.) In any event, the Psychics and Mediums Network reports that “[s]cientific research is slowly beginning to substantiate the many anecdotal claims of pet owners who say that their animals are psychic,” and offers as evidence the case of an anonymous cat that pulled a stunt similar to William’s.

According to CatsMyLove.com, which, full disclosure, we suspect of pro-feline tendencies, cats are also characteristically credited with weather-predicting capabilities. For instance, fear a cat licking his tail and hiding his head, for bad weather and rain are yet to come. However, be aware that even psychic animals are not infallible. Whither Mani, the Singapore-born parakeet who incorrectly predicted a Dutch victory in the World Cup final. Any cat worth his weight in fur will portend storms ahead for poor Mani.


By Juli Weiner
Source vanityfair.com