Many of us wish we could still speak with our closest friends and family members after they have passed away — and that includes our beloved pets. DailyOM spoke with experts in the psychology and psychic realms to learn more about the special bond between pets and humans, and how to continue that connection even after they’ve passed over the rainbow bridge.
Anyone who has ever owned a pet — whether cat, dog, horse, or bird — knows that these amazing animals truly become a part of your family. You create a powerful connection with each other and a special way of communicating. When they die, you’ve lost a pet, friend, and family member all at once. The heartbreak can be devastating.
But what if we told you it’s possible to speak with them again? Pet psychics who work in this realm believe that you can talk to your pet after their death. Here’s how to send them a message or request that they send you a sign.
The Emotional Bond Between Pets and Their Owners
For those who don’t own a pet, it might seem strange to feel such a strong desire to connect with a deceased animal. But the bond between pet and owner can be incredibly strong, says Amanda Butler, a licensed therapist based in Salt Lake City. Missing your pet — and wondering about them after their death — is as natural as thinking about friends or family who have passed, Butler tells DailyOM.
One reason is that animals and humans have similar attachment styles, making it easy to form genuine connections. The owner-pet bond has even been likened to that of a mother to her child, per a study published in October 2014 in the journal PLOS One.
“While pets aren’t children, they often show similar kinds of attachment behaviors with their human owners: following them around, seeking them out for attention/closeness, clinging to them, and calling out for them vocally,” Butler says. “There seems to be a similar need for closeness, and similar ways of seeking it out, between pets and humans.”
The psychological benefits of these relationships are plentiful. Connecting with a pet releases the “feel-good” hormone, oxytocin, which leads to stress release. One study, published in October 2019 in the journal Animals, showed that when a dog and its owner engaged in a positive activity, like cuddling, both parties experienced a surge in oxytocin.
Based on this, it’s not hard to see why a pet’s passing can be difficult to grapple with, and why your care and concern for your dog, cat, or guinea pig doesn’t end just because they’re no longer with you physically. It’s possible that communicating with loved ones who have passed may actually help in the grieving process. According to a study published in 2018 in OMEGA—Journal of Death and Dying, talking to the deceased as frequently as one would when they were alive can aid in the transition toward living a normal life without them.
Interested in learning more? Check out Soul-to-Soul Animal Communication
How One Pet Psychic Contacts Dead Pets
If you’re wondering how you can communicate with your pet long after they have passed, working with a pet psychic can help. Often, a pet psychic will make contact with your pet telepathically. Danielle MacKinnon, a Maine-based animal communicator, works with clients who want to talk to their pet after their death.
“It doesn’t matter how long ago the pet died,” she says. “Intuitive connection with pets is possible and it’s also something that our pets on the other side desire,” MacKinnon tells DailyOM.
If you’re new to this concept, then this might seem completely, wildly implausible. But MacKinnon says that similar to humans, animals have a physical body and a soul. After the physical body passes, the soul crosses over to the spirit world.
“Psychic connection happens through energy,” she says. “When you’re connecting with the animal on the other side, you’re connecting with that ongoing energy.”
MacKinnon often performs pet readings for clients. To do so, she first pinpoints a physical connection with the pet. For example, being present with the owner during the reading helps. Then, with the help of the pet’s name, their picture, or an object that belonged to them, she’ll energetically make contact.
Once that connection is made, MacKinnon mediates and listens, addressing any immediate messages she’s receiving from the pet first before moving on to the owner’s questions. “A lot of the time, the pet will answer a question that the owner was prepared to ask — before the owner asks,” she explains.
Each psychic has their own way of practicing, but when MacKinnon communicates with an animal, she says she may receive responses in a variety of ways, including visuals, sounds, words, feelings, emotions, and thoughts. For example, she might picture a blue ball, and it turns out it was a beloved dog’s favorite toy. “Animals want us to receive their messages in all possible ways,” she says, adding that the more we explore our psychic abilities, the stronger they’ll become.
How to Contact Your Pet After Their Death
Even without the expertise of a pet psychic, you and your pet can still maintain a connection. Our pets are constantly signaling to us, waiting for us to pick up on those signs, says MacKinnon.
“Our animals on the other side want to advance their relationship with us, even though they have died,” she explains. “They want to send us signs, they want us to talk with them, and they want to talk with us.”
The biggest issue when communicating with deceased pets is trusting that you’ve received a sign, MacKinnon says. Grief is a big deterrent to intuitive communication. Oftentimes, people are so overwhelmed by their sorrow that they ask for things that are too specific.
For example, they’ll ask: “Show me your collar if you’re still here with me.” They may also take for granted the smaller signs — like seeing their pet in a dream. That’s why the simplest way to try to talk with your pet is, before you go to bed at night, ask them to send you a sign, MacKinnon says.
Be patient. “Go through the next few days under the concept of ‘there are no coincidences,’” MacKinnon suggests, and be mindful for special signs or signals.
4 Signs Your Deceased Pet Is Visiting You
Deceased pets like to visit us from the spirit world, says MacKinnon. If you notice any of these signs, pay attention:
- You hear their sounds (a bark, nails tapping on the floor, feet moving in hay).
- You smell their distinctive smell.
- You see them flash by out of the corner of your eye.
- You experience a “visitation” from them in a dream.
Using Meditation to Connect With Your Deceased Pet
If “talking” to your dead pet seems a little too far-fetched for you, meditation can help.
MacKinnon suggests the following soothing meditation to help you reconnect with your pet, in which you “grow a memory” of when you and your pet were together. When you re-experience this memory, it reinvigorates your connection with them.
Use this meditation as a jumping-off point to begin speaking with your animal, to feel closer to them, and to find closure and comfort after they’re gone.
- Sit comfortably and close your eyes. Find a seated position. “Sitting is probably better than standing. You don’t want your body to interfere in any way,” MacKinnon says.
- Breathe and let your energy settle. Take several deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Allow your energy to settle into your body. Take your time to find calmness and stillness within yourself. It’s harder to trust the connection if you’re not calm.
- Choose a fond memory to relive. Remember a time when you and your pet spent time together, in a still way, ideally when you were touching in some way (such as your pet sitting on your lap, or you petting or grooming them).
Let the feeling that this memory brings forth expand throughout your body. Live in that memory once again.
