Susie, I can only speak for the pets but they appear when you least expect them. Often you only see the shadow or feel their presence but they are definitely there. We've been away this week and everywhere we have been there has been a robin appear and sit near us, I believe it's my gran. There's always a robin wherever we go.I've always thought of dying as changing channels.
As I type this I have BBC1 on my TV but I know that there are dozens of channels out there that I cannot watch because my television is not tuned to them, but if I pick up my remote control and push a button I can view any of them.
I think of my loved ones, both human and pets that have died as being on another channel, I know that they are out there but I can't view them because I haven't got the correct remote control.
CC