Have you heard of animal communication? This incredible practice is the transfer of information from one group of animals to another — and it’s helping dogs and cats lead happier, healthier lives.

Animal communication experts work with a range of animals in a variety of different circumstances. Some of these critters have particular problems that need addressing, while others just need to be better understood by the humans they live with. Each case is unique and each reveals a wonderful new facet of the animal-human bond.

We asked three animal communicators to share their favorite stories with us. Read on for some truly amazing insights into the profound connection we can share with our animal companions, if we take the time to really pay attention to what they’re trying to tell us.

Ocean’s dilemma

By Lynn McKenzie

“Many of my communication experiences have warmed my heart and expanded me deeply, but the one I had with Ocean, a young long-haired whippet, stands out as a favorite.

Ocean had gone off her food and was literally starving herself to death. Whippets don’t usually carry much extra weight to begin with, and Ocean had lost so much that her normal get-up-and-go had been replaced with depression and lethargy. Her guardians, needless to say, were deeply worried.

Ocean had been to her veterinarian and the local teaching hospital for tests but they proved inconclusive. When I “tuned in” to her, she had a very small voice, meek and shy-sounding. But the message she delivered was crystal clear: she had a problem with her duodenum.

I was quite surprised at how specific this information was, and found myself almost questioning it. Often, animals will show me a problem area, or indicate a particular system that has an imbalance in it, but in the decade I’ve been practicing, this clear, definitive type of information was new to me. Yet Ocean insisted her duodenum was the problem, and to please tell her family.

Ocean’s guardians relayed the information back to the vets they were working with. After specific testing in this area, her duodenum indeed proved to be the root of her problem, although it’s not a condition that is normally even found in dogs.

With a special diet and some medication, Ocean was soon back to her happy playful self and continues to thrive to this day.”

Gabby’s dream of flight

By Maia Kincaid

“I remember feeling an overwhelming sense of joy and gratitude when I first met Gabby. He was an African grey parrot, over 20 years old. He loved his human family, but had a dream of flying. One afternoon, he shared with me a wonderful vision.

I saw his wings miraculously take him high into the air where he looked down upon the earth, the trees and his home. He was exhilarated, and so was I as I shared his intense passion and gratitude. Gabby flew from tree to tree, marveling at the precise, powerful way his wings moved through the air.

He was flying from one tree to another when he noticed the enormous wings of a great bird of prey, high overhead. His joy intensified with the honor of flying near this grand bird. Then, Gabby shared excitedly that he and this great bird suddenly became one as he was caught.

I struggled with this information. I thought it sad that Gabby was taken by this bird, yet he was totally delighted. He explained to me that although he shared an amazing life with his humans, he had a wild ancestry in a far-away land, where he experienced the magic of flight and provided nourishment to a great bird of prey. To him, this was a sacred joining of all that he was: his distant roots, his humans, and the life he proudly gave to a grand bird of prey.

Gabby asked that I remind his humans of the importance of love and gratitude. “Join me!” he seemed to say. “Feel the joy of flight upon my wings! We are one!”

Cire’s important lesson

By Lydia Hiby

“A client named Peg called me for a reading on her seriously ill animal. Her veterinarian was stumped. I asked her the animal’s name and was told it was Cire. I immediately felt nauseated and started to smell some kind of chemical coming from a floor.

For some reason, I never asked what type of animal Cire was. I just assumed he was a dog. After telling Peg what Cire had sent me, she said, “I understand what you are telling me, but this is an iguana you’re talking to.”

I was stunned. I had never considered that a reptile would be able to communicate as clearly as a dog, cat or horse. Peg just said, “Tell me more, and I will take it back to my vet.”

We figured out that every week when their housekeeper came and mopped the kitchen floor, Cire would follow behind, licking the floor. This is how iguanas sense their environment, but in the process Cire was poisoning himself.

I asked Cire if he knew what would help him get better. I immediately saw and tasted sweet potatoes. Peg confirmed that he had recently been eating more of these vegetables when she made his daily salad.

Peg stopped the chemical floor cleaner, and took Cire back to the vet. After doing lab work, he found that Cire’s liver was toxic. The prognosis was guarded but Cire improved with vitamin C and sweet potatoes. Three months later, re-testing showed he had made a full recovery!

Several months later, I met Cire in person. This six-foot-long iguana came right over to me and looked up to say “thanks.”

An animal doesn’t have to be the “typical pet” in order to have a deep relationship with humans. All animals communicate. We just have to listen.”