July 11, 2025, 4:35 am | Read time: 12 minutes
Most pet owners are likely familiar with those moments when they look at their animal and wonder: Is my dog happy? Or is it perhaps in pain without me knowing? After all, animals can’t tell us directly. This is where many animal communicators come in, claiming they can speak with animals. PETBOOK editor Dennis Agyemang spoke with one such animal communicator.
The desire to communicate with one’s pet has likely existed since humans first began keeping animals. The motives can vary greatly, but in most cases, they are positive and aim to improve the pet’s life. However, aside from personal experiences with the animal, reading body language, and veterinary diagnoses, there are no ways to truly understand how one’s pet is doing. Much remains uncertain.
Animal Communicators–a Matter of Belief
Technology and science are (still) not advanced enough to translate conversations between humans and animals. This is where animal communicators come in. These are people who claim to be able to speak with animals. However, there is no scientific evidence for this, nor is the term “animal communicator” protected. Therefore, anyone can call themselves that, with or without the actual ability–if it exists. This isn’t about affirming or denying people this gift, which they claim to have. Instead, it’s about the market for animal communicators, which has been steadily growing for years.
Sabine Kaiser from Hesse is one such animal communicator and can speak with animals as an “animal whisperer,” as she calls herself. She can connect with pets and mediate between both parties. She connected with two pets from the PETBOOK editorial team: my dog Paco and Nairobi, the cat of my colleague Saskia Schneider. I spoke with her on the phone after she had communicated with our pets to discuss her profession and the experiences she had with our animals. Just a heads-up: I’m torn about whether to believe in telepathy with animals, but there were indeed some inexplicable situations. (Read my experience report here.)
Animal Communicator: “For Me, It Was Always Normal to Speak with Animals in Thoughts”
PETBOOK: When did you realize you were an animal communicator and had this gift?
Sabine Kaiser: “It’s not a special gift in that sense. Any adult can relearn it. It’s just atrophied because we haven’t used this sensory channel anymore. Like a foreign language you haven’t spoken in a long time. I noticed it as a child. For me, it was always normal to speak with animals in thoughts and to hear them speak. At some point, adults told me it was nonsense–then you lose this gift eventually.
In 2019, it came back: Three different people told me independently in February that I should do something with animals. That was my key experience. I immediately looked for courses and found one that started on March 1. It lasted over a year–I learned everything from scratch.”
How do animals perceive you when you connect with them? Are you a voice in their head?
“Yes, exactly. I hear their voice in my head, and for them, it’s as if someone is speaking to them. It doesn’t matter how far away the animal is. Whether it’s 6 km or 6,000 km away, it doesn’t matter. I connect with the animal through the photo the owner sent me beforehand.
A client even documented it: At the moment I spoke with her dog 400 km away, he jumped up, ran to the door, and stared into space as if someone was there. Animals notice it very precisely. It works like telepathy–when you think of someone, they think of you too. Animals have no prejudices, so it works immediately with them.”
“I Hear Whether It’s a Male, Female, or a Puppy”
Do animals really speak with words? Do you hear voices like you hear mine now?
“Yes, exactly. I hear whether it’s a male, female, or a puppy–puppies actually speak with a child’s voice. And I can tell by the tone of the voice how the animal is feeling: sad, happy, excited, downcast. I then tailor my questions to delve deeper. I often ask things the owner hadn’t thought of.”
What impression did you have of Paco when you spoke with him? What was his voice like?
“He seemed a bit downcast, stressed, and rushed. What particularly struck me was his strong fear of loss. He was constantly on high alert inside–afraid that you would leave and not come back.”
“I Don’t Force Any Animal to Speak–I Wait Until They’re Ready”
You said such conversations often last hours. If someone were to listen to us for two hours and transcribe the entire conversation, there would be an incredible amount of content. Why do animal conversations, despite lasting so long, seem relatively short?
“That’s due to several things. Some animals speak immediately and a lot–you can barely keep up with writing. Others are cautious, suspicious, need to build trust first. They wonder: ‘Does this person mean well with me?’ Some say only three sentences in five minutes. I respect that. I don’t force any animal to speak–I wait until they’re ready. I’m there for them during this time and give them the space to say and express everything they want. They’re not obligated to answer the owner’s questions. They also have their free will. And I don’t give animals orders from their humans.”
I understand …
“And when I ask about pain, I have an anatomy book in front of me–a skeleton. I go through the animal’s body and look: Where does it hurt? I stay connected with the animal during this. It then tells me: There’s something, it hurts there. I then feel it in my own body. It all takes time.”
Has your work ever uncovered medical issues that veterinarians missed?
“Yes, for example with a horse. The osteopath was looking at the front shoulder, but the animal told me it was the hip–at the back, where the tail is. And indeed, a vertebra was dislocated there.”
Animal Communicator: “Animals–Especially Cats–Often Fudge Their Age”
I was just at my vet, but she only looked very superficially and couldn’t find anything with Paco. She said the pain you described could be tension. So she recommended I also speak with her orthopedic colleague. What do you recommend as a medium?
“It doesn’t have to change immediately. But you’ve read what Paco said. Maybe today you can be more open to how he feels and what he wants. And since he’s a rescue dog, I assume he has a trauma. Many of these dogs simply don’t have the capacity to implement new things. They still lack inner stability and strength. It just takes time for them to settle in and get used to their new humans. You’ve had him for two months now?”
Exactly to the day. But he seems very open and confident to me in real life–different from the conversation with you. And according to the papers, he’s only two and a half years old–but he told you he was already five. I found that interesting!
“Yes, animals–especially cats–often fudge their age. They like to make themselves younger, which isn’t unusual. Some animals don’t even know exactly themselves or don’t care. I only ask for fun for the pet owners because sometimes it really matches.”
“In My Town, I’m Considered ‘the Eccentric'”
How do people react when you say you can speak with animals or hear them speak?
“That’s why I wrote an entire chapter about prejudices in my book. In my town, I’m considered ‘the eccentric,’ clearly. Adults often struggle with it. But children understand me immediately. They tell me that the dog has already told them that too–it’s completely natural for them.”
I can imagine you also encounter distrust and strong reactions. What were the most extreme situations? Have you ever been accused of lying?
“Of course. Then I always say: ‘I’m just the messenger, not the message.’ If the dog says it would rather go to the animal shelter than stay with its human, that’s hard for the owner. But I’m committed to my code of honor–I write everything down one-to-one. That’s why I only want the questions and the photo of the animal from the owner beforehand, no other information. So no one can say they already told me that and I knew it anyway.”
Was there a particularly extreme reaction?
“Yes, the most extreme was being called a fraud or liar. I was accused of just wanting to make money. But that never came from my clients–only from strangers, often people without animals who don’t engage with it.”
My Experiences with the Animal Communicator
“Although I was initially skeptical about animal communication, I was surprised by how much I recognized in the conversation with my cat Nairobi. She described, for example, that she often hears me laugh when I’m on the phone–which actually happens when I’m working from home. Her comment about the treats was also accurate: She gets them regularly because of her medication.
Some statements like ‘I love lying in the sun’ or ‘I’m afraid of thunderstorms’ apply to many cats, but there were also some details that were quite specific and touched me deeply: Nairobi spoke of a blue object she missed–presumably an old towel from her first basket, as I later discovered in old photos. When I brought out the basket, she immediately lay in it, even though it’s now much too small.
Health aspects were also discussed: Her aversion to being touched on the head is indeed related to a traumatic experience from the early days of her epilepsy.
After the session, Nairobi seemed more communicative–she meowed noticeably more. Whether coincidence or not remains open. But overall, I felt that she became visible as a personality in the conversation–with her preferences, quirks, and her loving, calm nature.”
Animal Communicator: “I Am Committed to Honestly Conveying the Animals’ Statements–Even When They’re Difficult”
You just hinted that animals sometimes say very serious or terrible things. Do you keep such things to yourself or do you pass them on?
“No, I really pass everything on. I am committed to honestly conveying the animals’ statements–even when they’re difficult. Only then can something change for the animal, and I can help it.”
What was the worst thing an animal ever told you?
“There were cases where, for example, a dog said that the partner in the family is violent–toward the child or the other parent. And that the dog can hardly bear it anymore. That was very distressing. I still get goosebumps when I think about it.”
Were there also situations where the animals then actively intervened in problematic situations?
“Yes, once a medium-sized dog bit its human–out of protection. The owners were arguing, the man became physical, and the dog instinctively intervened and bit the attacker on the arm. Quite deliberately, to stop it.”
“A Problem Can Only Be Solved If You Change Something”
Was there an experience that particularly touched or surprised you?
“Yes, especially when an animal completely opens up to me and the human implements everything the animal says. Once, it was a horse that was being bullied in its herd. The owner followed everything I conveyed from the animal–and she said she saw every day how the animal was doing better. That was very nice.”
What do owners ask you most often?
“Typical questions are: ‘Do you have pain?’, ‘Do you like your food?’, ‘What can I change for you?’ Because they usually come when there’s a problem. And a problem can only be solved if you change something. The animals are usually very grateful for such help.”
Are there also animals with a sense of humor?
“Yes, my own dog, for example, laughs a lot. Especially when several animals live in a household, the animals usually have really good moods and laugh a lot. They like to play pranks on each other and have a good time. The owners often confirm this.”
Animal Communicator: “I Can Also Speak with Dead Animals, Because the Soul Lives On”
Can you also speak with deceased animals?
“Yes. Because the soul lives on. Deceased animals speak differently–very wise, almost like scholars. And sometimes they don’t even realize they’re dead. I once had a dog that, after its death (it was hit by a car), waited by the road for its owner to pick it up. She drove to the described spot but found nothing. Weeks later, the road maintenance department contacted her–they had found the dog exactly where it had told me.”
How do animals see their own role in people’s lives?
“They only say that if you ask directly. They come with tasks: to protect, accompany, point out something, or help the person develop themselves. If people don’t believe in it or ignore it, problems or illnesses often arise in the animal.”
It’s often said that some deceased animals “send” their humans a new animal. Does that really happen?
“Yes, that actually happens. I once had a situation where a dog told me: ‘In three months, a new dog will be at my owner’s door.’ And indeed: Three months later, exactly such a dog showed up at her door. The owner then said: ‘That’s him–that’s my old dog, just like before.'”
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These Things Animals Often Try to Tell Us, According to the Animal Communicator, but We Overlook Them
Are there things animals often want to tell us, but we keep overlooking?
“Yes, very often it’s about the resting place. People think the animal has to lie in the middle of everything. But some prefer to rest in a corner. Or they want their food in a specific place. Cats, for example, love window seats, horses want to be able to see as far as possible–they hate being confined. This is often overlooked.
Also, that people are too stressed, not present, and instead of being outside in contact with the animal, they’re just looking at their phone or wearing headphones and are distracted. When my shepherd catches me on the phone during a walk in the field and I stop, he looks at me indignantly, tilts his head briefly, then just continues, turns somewhere, leaves his toy somewhere, and pretends to be deaf. This goes on until I end the phone call. He notices immediately because I’m back in contact with him. He then comes back on his own and ‘coincidentally’ finds his toy again.”