Can Animals Talk About Other Animals?

When we think about intuitive animal communication, we usually imagine talking to an animal about themselves. We may ask how they are feeling, whether they are comfortable, what they need, what they like, or whether there is anything they want their human to know.

But sometimes, an animal will bring another animal into the conversation.

It could be another animal living in the same home, a sibling, a friend, an animal they know from outside, or even an animal who has passed away. And sometimes, we may not have asked about that animal at all.

I have experienced this myself.

I was travelling and speaking intuitively with one of my dogs when she suddenly mentioned that my senior dog wasn't feeling too well. This wasn't something I had asked her about. She simply brought it up.

Naturally, I wanted to know more, so I spoke to my senior dog and asked her how she was feeling. She told me that she was a little low on energy, so there was some truth to what the other dog had shared.

But she wasn't particularly impressed with how this information had reached me.

Her response was essentially, “I don't appreciate the fact that she was a tattletale. If I have something to tell you, I can tell you myself!”

I found this rather amusing, but it also made an important point. One dog had brought up another because she was genuinely concerned about her. The other dog, however, felt that she could speak for herself.

I did tell my caregiver to pay a little more attention to my senior dog while I was away, so the information was useful. But it wasn't a case of one dog trying to gossip about the other.

And that distinction is important.

When an animal brings another animal into a conversation, we shouldn't automatically assume that they are gossiping. They may genuinely be concerned. Animals notice one another. They can be aware when another animal isn't feeling well, when someone is upset, when their behaviour has changed, or when something is different in their relationship.

They may bring this up because they care about that animal and want their human to know.

Sometimes they may simply want to share something about their relationship. They may tell us that they enjoy spending time with another animal, that they miss them, that they are worried about them, or that they would like some space. Just like humans, animals have relationships with one another, and those relationships can be important to them.

At the same time, this isn't something that happens in every communication. Most of the time, an animal may simply want to talk about themselves and their own experiences. There is no reason to assume that every animal has information about every other animal in the household.

Sometimes another animal comes up naturally because there is something important to share. Sometimes it doesn't.

As communicators, we don't need to look for it. We simply need to remain open to whatever the animal chooses to bring into the conversation.

There is also an important distinction when another animal comes up. It isn't necessarily that the other animal doesn't want us to know something. Animals don't generally have this need to hide things from us or keep information from us. But they may have their own way of choosing how they want to communicate something.

My senior dog was a good example of this. She wasn't saying, “Don't tell my human.” She was saying, in her own way, “If I have something to share, I'll tell her myself.”

There is a subtle but important difference.

We may receive information about one animal through another, but that doesn't mean we should automatically start asking the first animal for every detail about the second. We can acknowledge what has been shared while still respecting the other animal's individuality and allowing them to communicate in their own way.

If an animal tells us that another animal isn't feeling well, for example, we can take that as something worth paying attention to. We can observe the other animal, ask them how they are feeling, or simply make sure they are receiving the care and attention they need.

But we don't need to turn it into an investigation.

This is where our ethical boundaries as communicators become important. Being open to what an animal has to say does not mean that we have to ask every possible question or access every piece of information simply because we can.

We are having a conversation with an individual animal, and that animal has their own relationships, feelings and ways of communicating.

Animals can also notice things that we may overlook. When several animals live together, they spend a great deal of time observing one another. They may notice subtle changes in behaviour, energy or routine that we don't immediately see.

So if one animal mentions another during a communication, it can sometimes be useful information for us to pay attention to. But it is still information to be explored, not something we should automatically treat as absolute truth.

If an animal is reported to be unwell, we should observe them, look for physical signs and seek appropriate veterinary care when necessary. Intuitive communication can give us another perspective, but it should never replace proper care.

One of the things I have learnt through intuitive animal communication is that animals don't always follow the conversation we have planned.

We may have a list of questions we want to ask, and the animal may decide to talk about something completely different. They may bring up another animal, a person, something that happened weeks ago, or something we hadn't even considered.

We don't have to dismiss it simply because we didn't ask.

We can listen and allow them to share what feels important to them.

At the same time, being open doesn't mean having no boundaries. Being a good communicator also means knowing when to pause, when not to pry, and when information about another animal should be approached with care.

I think this is one of the most important things to remember when practising intuitive animal communication. We aren't there to collect information about animals simply because we can. We are there to listen to them.

Sometimes an animal may talk about another animal because they are genuinely concerned. Sometimes they may want to tell us something about an important relationship. Sometimes another animal may not come up at all.

And occasionally, as in my case, they may be concerned enough to become a little bit of a tattletale!

But even then, there is a difference between listening to what an animal chooses to share and crossing an ethical boundary.

Our role is to remain open and curious while still respecting every animal's individuality, privacy and right to communicate in their own way.

Sometimes an animal brings someone else into the conversation because they care.

Sometimes they simply have something to say.

And sometimes, apparently, they just think we need to know that their sibling is being taken care of properly, even if the sibling would prefer that they kept their mouth shut.