Pet Whisperers, Psychics and Communicators: Real or Foxes in Sheep's Clothing?

I was 22 years old when I volunteered to clean some cages at Petsmart in St. Cloud, MN. My mother was with my along with my good friend Drew. I was on my last cage when I looked in and saw a small black lump sitting huddled in the back of its cage. I went to open the door and a Petsmart employee said to me "Be careful, that guy is not very friendly."

I paused for about a second but something made me open the cage door. I peeked inside and said "Come here sweetheart, its ok." He looked up, stretched and crawled over to me. Wrapped his paws around the back of my neck, and crawled into my arms. I knew at that moment that we would never be apart again.

My mom, Drew and the Petsmart employee watched the whole thing slack jawed.

"Mom" I said over the cats now purring head. "I think I have a new boyfriend, can you buy me some cat stuff?"

His name is Billy and he is still my number one guy.

Every one has a story of falling in love with a pet. Some even have really strong feelings, even intuition that this pet had chosen them or that it had been meant to be. Is it the calling of a pet psychic?

Many times later in my life other animals have shown up on my doorstep, in my path or in front of my car seemingly by accident and I have had to figure out how to help them. Wild sparrows, owls and pigeons have literally landed beside injured me as I ate lunch in a field or at a picnic.

Dogs by the tens have found me by wandering up to me while I walk home, to work, to school, or to a meeting.

Cats by the hundreds have found me by being abandoned on my doorstep, abandoned at my work, abandoned at a dumpster, or even found huddling under my car in the rain.

In all kinds of weather and all conditions I have been called or found by animals needing help in some way shape of form and either brought them into my family or took them to a family or found the family that lost them.

It seemed there wasn't an animal around that I couldn't approach. I even had Dog Control calling me for help.

So much so that after a while I had the unfortunate title as an "Animal whisperer of Westcott"

Now I've know pet whisperers, and most were dog trainers who used the term whisperer to attract more clients. But an animal psychic? Of the two I've met, one had a high school diploma and was willing to talk to a bunny and chicken about how they both didn't like the placement of their water dishes, and wanted more sunlight and time out of their cages. The second spoke mostly about not enjoying certain foods, not liking certain walk routes. Another animal she claimed wanted to hear more classical music in the house, and then the cycle would repeat itself. Coincidence? I think the psychics just didn't know I had talked the owners after their sessions and compared notes.

I on the other hand am not nor have I ever claimed to be a whisperer, psychic, or communicator.

I've spent hours in wild animal parks, zoo's, aquariums, botanical garden's, wildlife refuge's, oceanography institutes, wild elephant refuges ,wolf center's, dog and cat refuges, veterinaries, farm sanctuaries and classrooms learning about every animal from aardvarks to zebras and observing as many in as close to their native habitat as possible. I've done my time learning actual skills to working with animals. If there is any talent I have with working with animals its because I've done the dirty work. Its not just charisma and flashing pictures sent my head.

This is how I can tell what is going on with an animal. Using my "techniques" this is a true story

A cat was eliminating outside his litter pan. After the couple assured me the vet had checked him out and that it was not an infection or urinary tract crystals I agreed to take a look at the cat and his environment.

I walked into the house and asked to see the litter pan and found the litter pan was in the bathroom against the wall to the other side of the kitchen. It was clean, unscented litter, no cover, high sides, no sign of use.

I looked around the bathroom and saw no signs of strong smells, no signs of fallen objects or things that might spook a cat. Then I heard a beep from the other side of the wall. "What was that? I asked, the woman replied it was the microwave from the kitchen.

I walked into the kitchen saw a can opener, the microwave, coffee grinder, coffee maker, toaster, and cabinets and on opposite side of the kitchen his food bowl against the wall to the outside.

"Has his litter pan always been in there?" I asked? Pointing back toward the bathroom. They replied yes.

How long has he been having accidents? For about 2 months. Where? In the laundry room just off the back porch. I walked back and looked. It was a quiet, dark area, silent except for the whoosh of spinning laundry in the dryer.

I went into the Kitchen, looked into the cabinet and I found two very used coffee cups. I looked in another and found A bag of Jamaican blue mountain whole coffee Beans and three large bags of light individual sized microwave popcorn. I pulled them all out and put them on the counter. I asked how often they drank coffee; the woman frowned at me and said that the husband often drinks coffee twice a day.

"You grind your own beans?" yes they did, how did I know? "How often did they eat the popcorn?" twice once each, how did I know that? I waved my hand saying it didn't matter. I pointed to the two items placing them next too the grinder and microwave. "You wake up, grind beans, make coffee for breakfast, then at noon have popcorn for lunch, grind fresh beans, more coffee, then cook dinner, use the microwave, and then after dinner someone has popcorn for a snack?" I ticked off 5 times the microwave or the grinder was being used.

The couple stood there blinking and nodded. I explained that even though to them it probably didn't seem very loud to a cat it was probably too much, I explained the grinder and the popcorn noises had been startling the cat and making it too frightened to use its litter pan. Plus he needed privacy and he is in the bathroom that everyone uses next to the kitchen that everyone uses.

I told them if they moved the litter box to the basement or the laundry room they would probably not have any more problems.

They did and the elimination stopped. The woman called me back a month later to report they had no more problems and her cat seemed a lot happier and asked me if her cat had told me about the grinder and the microwave. I informed her that her cat had indeed not spoken to me at all.

Years of learning about animal behavior and paying attention to the world around myself and around them has lead me to become a successful advocate for speaking "human" on their behalf. In short Animals don't speak human in any way shape or form and anyone who claims they do, I have to believe has about as much credibility as "Miss Cleo" There are those of us who have studied animal behavior, human behavior, and can act as translators but would never mislabel ourselves or claim to be psychic. Can I say there is absolutely no such thing as a psychic? Not with full certainty. It makes my fake radar go off and I tend to think anything they could do any behaviorist could do better and more reliably.

In short, if you are looking for answers and are considering hiring a pet communicator or pet psychic save yourself some possible money and time and pay a behaviorist. Then you will be guaranteed to know exactly what you are getting.