Real Life

Animal communicator put to the test

Animal communicator Faye Rogers is a real-life Dr Dolittle. We put her to the test!
Animal communicator Faye Rogers is a real-life Dr Dolittle. We put her to the test!

One of Faye Rogers’ earliest memories is being at home when she suddenly knew her family cat was in distress. She felt its fear that it was being preyed on by people in a car, who were perhaps about to steal the beautiful pedigree from the front lawn.

How did she know these details? Faye is one of New Zealand’s only recognised “animal communicators”, who says she is able to telepathically talk with animals – a “gift” she’s honed over many years.

It’s a unique talent she puts to use with clients in New Zealand and afar, as she “talks” to pets and lets their owners know how they’re truly feeling, in person, over the phone or via Skype. She’s helped concerned owners locate their missing pets (a task she finds difficult and often upsetting), assisted with behavioural problems and given peace to owners whose pets have passed away.

Despite living on a tranquil lifestyle block just out of Christchurch, it’s a fairly noisy set-up for Faye, who shares her section with sheep, donkeys, llamas, chickens, goats, cats and dogs – all with their unique voices and opinions! They talk about everything from their health to their views on American politics. We put Faye’s communication techniques to the test, with four pet owners and their “babies”.

Malinda & Oscar

Oscar, a six-month old British Shorthair, lives with Malinda Yanko at the Auckland home she shares with five flatmates. Faye describes Oscar as a happy, talkative cat – even though he was feeling overwhelmed by being in a strange new environment.

“Oscar thinks he’s the clown of his house, but also considers himself a VIP,” says Faye. “When we met, the first thing he said to me was, ‘I’m a show cat, you know!’

“Oscar knows Malinda waited a long time for him – he wasn’t a spontaneous decision. He loves the atmosphere at the house – there’s a boisterous energy from a male flatmate he quite enjoys. He says he doesn’t need all the fussing Malinda gives him but he quite likes it.

“He knows Malinda is a very busy person and is always on the go – Oscar worries she moves so fast, she’ll trip over!

“He didn’t enjoy the car ride in – he has very sensitive paws – and found the experience of getting his photo taken quite scary.

“Oscar loves it at his home. He peers out the window a lot – he can see something bushy out there, and insects too. He finds the birds outside very inviting, but he knows Malinda doesn’t want him to catch birds. He loves exploring around the house. He showed me the bathroom and the bath – that was of significance. He likes something jangly in there that he plays with.”

Malinda’s reaction

Malinda agrees with Faye about the energy of her flatmates, and laughed when Faye mentioned the bath. Apparently, Oscar does like jumping in there, and was recently surprised when he leapt in to find the bath still draining of water!

“To begin with, I was a little dubious about the whole idea of a pet whisperer, however, I was open to it and keen to bring Oscar along.

“As Oscar was unsettled and anxious about being around new people, I thought it would prove very difficult for anyone to try and communicate with him. Nevertheless, Faye quickly connected with him and she began speaking to me on Oscar’s behalf.

“Many of the things she described were right on point – him peering out of the window and being intrigued by the insects and birds. Also, how he thinks of himself as a show cat – he certainly does! Overall, I found the experience very interesting as I often think, ‘I wonder what you would be saying right now?’”

Sarah & Vince

Vince, a British bulldog (7) lives with Sarah Hoffman and her family, including her young son and three cats. Vince has had a few health problems which concern Sarah, but Faye reassures her he’s not in pain and adores his owner Sarah.

“Vince says that Sarah’s son annoys him sometimes, but he thinks her son pesters him in order to annoy Sarah and get her attention. Vince says he just puts himself away when that happens and shows the son his back. Vince says Sarah is a great mother and he wouldn’t have her patience!

“Sarah can be very matter of fact and she’s managing her life well, he says. Vince says, ‘Don’t tell me how much you’ve spent on vet bills!’ – he suspects he’s cost Sarah a lot of, and he knows she works hard for it. But he loves visiting the vets and

he knows they love seeing him too.

“Vince doesn’t mind the other cats at the home, although he says he’s been swiped on the nose before. One of the cats has a very high opinion of itself – he says it doesn’t deserve that opinion! He likes lying in front of the TV and checking out what’s going on in the kitchen and the laundry.

“He said he likes the artwork in the place – Sarah’s done a great job decorating it. If he were to describe himself in one word, it would be ‘humble’.”

Sarah’s reaction

Sarah was sceptical about what Faye might be able to share with her, and while she came out with some fairly accurate observations – including Vince’s relationships with her son and the cats – she felt, in general, that much of what Faye said was a bit vague.

“I went in with the hope that Faye was going to tell me something I didn’t know about Vince, and I would think, ‘How on earth did she know that?’ Unfortunately that didn’t happen. I did like the fact she said Vince was okay health-wise and that he loved me. I also liked how she was interacting with him – looking at him for guidance – it was really cute

and endearing. Nothing she said was completely inaccurate, so that’s a plus.

“Would I recommend her to friends? Probably. I have a bit of peace knowing that Vince is okay.”

Sunny & Leonard

Leonard (12), a Pomeranian-Chihuahua cross, is a loyal companion to Sunny Humphries. Faye found him to be a very thoughtful and reserved dog, who takes his responsibilities very seriously.

“Leonard is a very courteous and gentle dog. He loves the car trips Sunny takes him on, particularly because there is never just one destination.

“Sunny asked about him being home during a burglary. Leonard said he felt terrible and wished he could have done something to stop a sentimental object being taken – he saw the legs of three men. Leonard had only experienced people being happy to see him before, so it was a frightening experience seeing humans act like that.

“His favourite thing is when Sunny plays ball with him, or with a small object he holds in his mouth. He loves that Sunny’s friends know who he is and talk about him – he feels like he has a fan club! He said besides Sunny, there are three people in his life he really focuses on, including an older woman. When Sunny couldn’t place her, I thought it may be a woman in spirit form, who likes to check in on her from time to time. Leonard said he had got Sunny through some really fun times, but some difficult times too. He couldn’t ask for a better home – he said he’s not treated like a dog, or even as a child, he’s just taken care of and is an important part of Sunny’s life.”

Sunny’s reaction

Sunny hoped to get more information about the burglary and its effects on Leonard, but some of the information she received was quite disturbing. She couldn’t place the small item Leonard likes to play with, but found several of Faye’s observations to be correct.

“I went in very open and excited, but also careful not to give anything away. I know it can be easy to give a psychic clues they can create a story from! At times, I thought she was struggling to come up with things to say, however, she did say a few things I could imagine Leonard would think. It’s true he has got me through some tough times – he was there as I cared for my mother. I definitely feel her checking in on me through Leonard.”

Bella & Maverick

Bella Gerbic’s beloved cat Maverick passed away two months ago after being hit by a car. Faye was able to speak to Maverick using a photograph and found him to be a loving cat who had a strong friendship with both Bella and her partner.

“Maverick was loved from the moment Bella first saw him. It was an instant connection. He knows he is missed dearly.

“Maverick enjoyed chasing crickets. He spent a lot of time in the garage, because he liked the smells there, but he stood on something sharp there once. He’d sometimes come home with something sticky on him. He used to get frustrated with his kitten body, but he loved his adult body – he felt so powerful. He liked the cool nicknames he was given, particularly the ones he was called when he did something naughty.

“Maverick says he was distracted at the time he was killed. He liked going over to the neighbours to annoy their cat, but this particular time he simply put himself in the wrong place. Maverick says he’s now at peace.”

Bella’s reaction

Bella enjoyed her time with Faye, as she found much of what Faye shared to be completely on the money when it came to Maverick!

“Most things Faye said were very accurate! He spent a lot of time in the garage because my partner works on his cars in there. He caught mice more often than crickets, though.

“She told me he would visit a sticky bush and come back with little bits all over his tummy that I had to pick out – that happened a lot! She also said he will take the form of another animal soon to come into our lives. The whole experience was actually very comforting. My expectations were exceeded.”

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