Can cats and dogs talk? An animal communicator speaks to our cat and tells us what it’s thinking
Does your cat think you’re too needy? Do you ignore one of your dogs? Pet communicators say they can tell you just what your furry friends are thinking
It’s a strange thing to live with someone (or something, if you prefer) for years and never know what it’s thinking (other than “feed me”). And cats, especially, are weird. Unlike dogs – who “smile”, wag their tails and bark to communicate – they’re pretty much impossible to read, which is why I enlisted the help of an animal communicator in an attempt to better understand my furry companions.
The Institute of Scientific Animal Communication was founded by an MIT graduate with a master’s degree in computer science
Animal communication itself isn’t a new concept – in fact, it’s been around for as long as animals have. Long ago, before language was invented by humans, we were all supposedly born with the ability to communicate instinctively, intuitively, and (stay with me) telepathically.
As we grow up, we’re taught to communicate through words instead of our feelings, thoughts and emotions – using elaborate and carefully-put-together sentences that do not necessarily convey what’s inside. In contrast, animal communication is all about returning to our gut and intuition. And mine is telling me that I have no idea what my cats are thinking.
My search for an animal communicator in Hong Kong led me to several different personalities online, many of whom seemed to be part-pet psychic, part-Reiki or energy healer, but it was the Institute of Scientific Animal Communication (ISAC) that caught my eye as a slightly more credible source.
Founded by an MIT-graduate with a master’s degree in computer science, ISAC’s Thomas Cheng is the first ambassador in Asia to have completed the professional and teacher-level training by Penelope Smith, one of the original pioneers of animal communication and author of the book, Animal Talk. With its network of trained and accredited animal communicators – all of whom must have completed at least two years of training – ISAC provides animal communication sessions and training courses to help people connect with their pets.
The first step to booking a session is filling out a form from its website, which asks for the name, age and gender of the pet, how it came into the home (was it bought, adopted or given) and how you refer to yourself in its presence (by name or “mummy”, for instance).
The second part of the form asks for three objectives you’d like to achieve in the session, as well as three questions or messages to express to the animal, if time allows. Most importantly, solo pictures of the pet must be sent along to the animal communicator, as the sessions are done remotely.