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I swear, animals can sense things that we can't. Or at least they can see/hear/smell things we can't. Whether you've had a pet or not, it's easy to tell.
When everyone goes to bed in my house, sometimes I'll still be up and I'll go downstairs for a drink of water, and my dog will suddenly burst out in a howling bark, which tends to freak me out a bit. Most would probably say it's a noise she heard, or a squirrel or something, but...I don't know. Even if it was, I'm so sure they sense things that humans can't sense.

My dad says he's always found it creepy when cats go and arch their backs and their hair stands on end. I mean it makes you wonder what they see that you can't. Also when they get that weird, pensive look, as if they're looking right through you.

My dogs (who are all scraed of thunderstorms confused ) will start freaking out before any thunder can be heard by my ears. And during a thunderstorm my lab's ears will always perk up, his panting will stop, and he'll look in the direction of some tunder he heard. Sometimes he'll do this and it all my ears hear is a blissful, pant-free, second of silence. Othertimes one or more of my dogs will freak out and bark at something, only nothing's there. Nothing's going on.
I have heard that dogs & cats can see & sense paranormal stuff we humans can't see or detect.
And yes animals can sense natural disastors before us.
Some dogs can tell when a heart attack is coming on in their human, or dectect caner or diabeties.
My brother has mental retardation, Down syndrome, & autism. My mother, myself, my brother, and my Auntie M & one of her daughters once went to this horse rescue place (they owners take in abused horses or homeless horses, etc. & either cats or dogs...can't remember...) anyhow, horses can scare easily if a person screams or runs around them. However, when my brother started screaming bloody murder (he's scared of horses), the horses didn't even blink. One even followed him around. My mother told me that it has been said that horses can sense that kids like my brother are different. My lab will let my brother use him as a pillow, punching bag, climbing playset, etc. & doesn't care one bit about it. Course that could be just because Bear's probably the best natured dog in the world.

Yep. I heard of a cat that lives at an old folks' home, and would go to lie at the edge of a persons' bed when they're about to die.
I wonder if animals can see spirits or ghosts (if they exist.)

cats are very calming creatures. they are used in many old folks homes for just that reason too. gotta have a lap cat tho, not all cats like people that much. a lot of it is the sound of their purring. I have 3 of them. and I can swear at times not only do they understand me when I speak to them, but they can sense when something is wrong with me.

Yeah, animals are great, aren't they? I can totally understand wondering what pets see that we can't. Seriously, I've always had cats and when I was younger, my cat would suddenly freak out of nowhere and follow something zipping past back and forth that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't see. IT kind of annoyed me. I figured it was always just a bug or something, but that doesn't mean it didn't make me wonder... then there are the times they don't do anything, just lay down and stare in total concentration at a random spot in space.
And you can totally tell animals have a thinking process you're not aware of. Whenever I'm in a happy mood and start to dance or sing out of nowhere, I swear to The Holy Mother of Mew that my cat gives me this look that she only gives when I do something oddball-ish. (I've had her for seven years, I know her looks fairly well. xD) I can practically here her saying "Dear Lord, this is the company I have been subjected to?" Then I laugh and she turns away.
Point being, animals are fascinating creatures.

Animals have naturally heightened senses that most human sensory pales in comparison to-though there are people too that are sensitive to sounds, smells, and light among other things. Some humans can predict certain events-whether through premonitions, or just a logical guess (like our meteorologists whom which we depend on for our safety). Animals (other than us) have to rely on instinct and their senses to keep them out of harm's way. In a way-animal's abilities to sense a natural disaster is both true and false all at once. Here's an example- If anyone remember's the earthquakes (Ive forgotten where-Indoesia I think) and the reaction of the elaphants, then this will make sense to you, if not then research at will, sometime. Here's what I remember about elephants- they use sound that they feel with their feet, (roars that cannot be heard by the human ear) to communicate and travel-echolocation. What happens in an earthquake is that sound bounces off from the epicenter, and then when these curves of sound hit the ocean-they cause massive waves. destroying all in their path. What happened was that the elephants had felt the strong waves coming, and went to higher ground-taking their passengers with them. they did not predict the tsunami, but instead where warned moments before the giant wave made land-fall.

In another case, there are dogs that can tell if someone is ill, (sometimes these individuals are trained), but they learn to sniff out cancer cells in people. As for mself, it is my cat who comes to reassure me at times, as said before, I too believe that animals can sense our pain, andcan sense the differences in people- I think my cat follows me as if he is my living guardian. I'm both autistic and epileptic, and never far from my animal companions, for they presnt me with a sense of security no human could match.

This is truly a fascinating topic!

Isn't that how elephants know where to dig for water? Now if that sentence doesn't sound odd...

I third tht statement!

Yes, it is their instints and sensory above a human's that allow the desert-dwellers to locate water in the most-desolate of places. Animal Planet is highly eduational. x3