“I so desperately want to believe that the life of these little beings remains some where...”
Spirited: Thomas Aquinas held that animals are redeemed through our love and care of them. C.S. Lewis agreed, saying that dogs for instance, only become doggie when loved by humans.
So what becomes of redeemed animals/pets? Lewis believed (and I agree) that since eternal Paradise is a very real physical place (earth renewed/perfected) and our heavenly Father loves us and wants us to be happy then our much-beloved tail-wagging, head-butting furry friends will be there.
OMG.... this is almost exactly, word-for-word, the truth that was revealed to me when I was in conscious contact with Higher Power. The reason I know it was God and not my subconscious is that when I asked the question "Do animals have souls", I got an answer that was contrary to a lifetime's worth of belief. If it had been my subconscious surfacing, the answer would have been "Of course they do." Instead, I got a definite "No." I surmised to God, then, that I would NOT see Cathy again. I got back a feeling of "incorrect". The two were cognitively disassociated, they ran counter to one another. I questioned this disconnect to God. It was revealed to me that Cathy (and other loved pets) would be recreated for me on the other side. I objected: "That's just a copy!" I got back a feeling of great love, and an assurance that no, this would not be a copy. It would really be her.
I didn't share this before now because it sounds so crazy. No audible voices were heard, not even words, just emotions that flowed over me from God. It's hard to describe.
Now I hear a Saint, Aquinas, confirming what God 'felt' to me. I guess I was truly in conscious contact with my Higher Power.
Blows my mind to have YET ANOTHER confirmation. We are so loved and treasured by God.