A touching moment unfolded when a Japanese internet user unexpectedly encountered the familiar figure of his late cat while browsing the street view near his home on Google Maps. The cat, who had passed away, was seen leisurely wandering the flower bed in front of the house, as if alive in a parallel timeline.
Sharing the experience on X (formerly Twitter), the user wrote, "This is the first time in a long while that I have seen our family cat on Google Maps." Although Google Maps' street view images are updated periodically, in some areas the scenes remain unchanged for years, preserving these "residual traces of time".
For algorithms, these images may be just ordinary data, but for some people, they represent a precious opportunity to reunite once again with loved ones who have passed away. This phenomenon resonates with many who find comfort in revisiting moments captured in time, keeping memories alive through digital snapshots.
Such encounters on Google Maps have sparked a wider emotional response globally, where users share similar stories of seeing deceased family members, friends, and pets frozen in moments of everyday life, evoking a bittersweet blend of joy and sorrow.
久しぶりにGoogleマップで実家の猫見に行ってみたら見れるアングルがちょっと変わってた。 pic.twitter.com/uoG2yux75a
— ひじから (@hijikara) 2017年7月10日
