Topic:  Do animals go to heaven?

Source of this posting: Moderator response

Date originally posted: November 23, 2003

Moderator who originally posted this source: Michael Chepul

Question:  My cat was hit and killed by a car. Do animals have souls? Will my cat go to heaven?

Answer: 

Jaymee,

Your question is a deceptively tricky one! In 1990 Pope John Paul II declared in a public audience "Also the animals possess a soul, and men must love and feel solidarity with our smaller brethren." So as far as your first question it would appear that the Catholic Church has said that, yes, animals do have souls.

As far as wether or not your cat will go to heaven, I sureley can't tell you. Don't feel bad though, I couldn't tell you about your cat just as surely as I can't tell you about anyone else in the world.

God and God alone knows who will and will not get into heaven. However, if you want to know what I believe, I think that when I die and finally get to heaven Suzie and George and Heidi and all of my pets that have died throughout the years will be there waiting for me.