Cole may look like an everyday black housecat, but on TikTok, he’s a mystical fur-friend, and his familiar, Emily Cook, is the woman who discovered his gift.

Across centuries of witchcraft, the lore of familiars (and devoted animal companions) is rooted in the belief that they aid a witch in channeling intuition and magic, often serving as a bridge between realms.

Cole and Cook are no exception. Together, they’ve garnered nearly 60,000 followers on TikTok — where they post under the username @mycatdoestarot — with fans eager to see which tarot cards Cole will pull next, and what those readings might reveal.

“I am very interested in tarot and astrology, so I had a deck of cards out — a traditional Rider–Waite deck — and I kept it in a cup holder on my couch,” Emily Cook tells PEOPLE exclusively.

“[Cole] just decided one day to go in there, and he started grabbing the cards, you know, almost like a litter box shuffle. Then he would grab whatever ones he picked in his little cat mouth and drop [the cards] on the carpet with his teeth. And I was like, ‘What the heck?’”

Intrigued by his behavior, Cook began rewarding Cole with treats each time he selected a card. The positive reinforcement worked, and soon, he was pulling cards over and over again. 

“There are times that I don’t wanna play 78 card pickup,” Cook admits. “But overall, it is super cool, and it’s kind of freaky how accurate he gets sometimes.”

In the Tarot, each card is layered with rich symbolism and spiritual meaning, often reflecting back what the reader — or querent — is already experiencing on a subconscious level.

For many, tarot cards act as a mirror, revealing hidden emotions, unspoken truths and the energetic patterns at play in a person’s life.

“I just really wanted to share what he did without trying to make it about [divination] like, Miss Cleo,” Cook says.

Still, she can’t deny Cole’s uncanny intuition. Cole began meowing nonstop about five minutes before this interview. “He woke up my son, who came out asking what was going on,” she says with a laugh. “I told him I had an interview coming up, and he asked if I thought Cole knew, and I’m like, ‘he might.’”

When considering the lore of familiars, these animal companions are said to choose their human, something that feels eerily similar to Cook and Cole’s own meet-cute.

Cole was a rescue from the Humane Society who had already been returned twice before reaching six months old. Sick and kept in isolation, he wasn’t even on display with the other cats when Cook arrived.

At the time, Cook was settling into a new home with her son after her divorce and knew she wanted to adopt a cat. Cole, however, was the opposite of what one would imagine in terms of his personality. He’d been extremely cautious after his early experiences at the shelter.

Even now, years later, Cook still describes him as “terrified of people,” which is ironic for a fur-friend who has since gone viral and captured the hearts of thousands online.

“They are soul protectors, [cats are] soul family,” she says. “I’m just so blessed that he’s here, and I couldn’t be happier with my little buddy.”

When asked if Cole had ever given a reading that truly caught her by surprise, Cook didn’t hesitate.

“Gosh, I do remember one of the first times that it hit me. I was going through some relationship issues and some backstabbing issues,” she recalls. “He had pulled the Seven of Swords, and I think it was The Lovers reverse. It was just like uncanny, and it just kept coming through over and over.”

In tarot, the Seven of Swords often represents deception, betrayal or someone acting in secrecy, while The Lovers reversed can point to disharmony, conflict in relationships or choices made for the wrong reasons.

For Cook, Cole’s card pulls hit close to home, and the fact that it came from her own cat made it all the more special.

While Cole’s readings can be strikingly accurate, Cook is quick to remind fans that they happen entirely on his terms.

“People thinking that I can schedule an appointment with a cat is kinda crazy because he wants to do what he wants to do,” she says.

Instead, she keeps a waitlist so she can pull from it whenever Cole is in the mood to work. For now, the readings are offered in exchange for donations, a setup that keeps the process as spontaneous and magical as it began.