Going to the Dogs

Fido barks incessantly at visitors, even when he knows them. Bella the cat often mistakes the rug for a litter box. Your parakeet seems depressed. You don't have to bark back at your pets. Instead, contact your local animal communicator (also sometimes known as a pet psychic - though most communicators prefer not to be addressed as psychics). These equivalents of Dr. Doolittle are experiencing an increase in demand as pet owners seek to cure behavior problems in their animal friends. Prices range from $50 to $200 an hour, but for those who really want to get along with their pets, no price is too high to pay.

I recently spoke with Janet Ridgeway, an animal communicator based in Syracuse, N.Y., about her unique job. Even though she lives in Central New York, Ridgeway has traveled the country, from Florida to California, teaching classes and helping pets and their people become better acquainted.

Miranda Marquit: When did you first realize that you had this gift?

Janet Ridgeway: I've always been able to understand animals. Watching Disney movies really reinforced the idea that animals have personalities. It was very real to me. I thought all people could hear them, but I thought people were dismissive of them, as they were with children. My friends knew about it, and I was the person that when everyone goes out of town for Christmas, I have 14 animals with me.

MM: How do you speak to animals? Can anyone do it?

JR: I hear words in my head or see images. Sometimes it's like watching a movie in my head. It's a matter of learning to raise you [spiritual] vibration. It's learning to develop telepathy. What you focus on is what you get. You must learn to be quiet in mind and receive. Most people just don't believe that if you talk to an animal that it will talk back. You have to be aware of the energy and signals you are sending as well as receiving.

MM: Does this help change unwanted behaviors in animals?