Your S’pore Story: ‘I am trying to help humans and animals live in harmony’

Her pet dog’s incessant barking became the starting point for “conversations” with different creatures, including cockroaches

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Ms Nicole Lai with Bubbles, the furry companion who opened the door to her career as an animal communicator.

PHOTO: SPH MEDIA

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What began as a desperate search for ways to manage her adopted dog’s behavioural issues took an unexpected turn for Ms Nicole Lai.

Convinced by what a fellow practitioner did, she decided to train as an animal communicator in 2020. 

Watch her video.

The 31-year-old now “talks” to animals using what she describes as telepathy. She likens it to a conversation that flows like WhatsApp messages in her mind.

Currently, she estimates that she has conducted over 2,000 consultations in five years with pets ranging from dogs and cats to birds, guinea pigs, rabbits and even chickens. 

Ms Lai says she has even negotiated a peaceful coexistence with the lizards and cockroaches in her home.

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Ms Lai says she needs to quieten her mind during a communication session with animals.

PHOTO: SPH MEDIA

“I owe everything to my dog Bubbles,” says Ms Lai, who is a former corporate project manager.

“There was a time when he started to dart around the house as if he were being hunted. He also could not stop barking every few minutes, so much so that we got an HDB complaint letter.”

Having already spent thousands of dollars on dog training, she says she could sense something was particularly off. “That is when I found an animal communicator who identified an energy issue in the house. After we cleansed the house, the barking stopped,” she explains.

“For someone driven by numbers and logic from my corporate background, this was amazing. I started looking into how I could learn it myself, attended courses, and now what I do every day is I talk to animals.”

Ms Lai explains that communication can take different forms, but visuals are often the clearest – such as glimpses of an animal’s favourite spot or details of the space it lives in.

“During my training, I described images that came to mind about a classmate’s cat. When my classmate confirmed every detail, that was when I knew I was not imagining things,” she says.

She says this experience gave her the confidence to continue learning. And while she acknowledges that scepticism is natural, she hopes people will keep an open mind.

“What I do involves a lot of empathy, a lot of presence, a lot of trying to help different beings, no matter the species or form. I am trying to help animals and humans live in harmony,” says Ms Lai.

She jokes that even uninvited “guests” at home get her attention, and says she prefers to bargain rather than battle with them.

Adds Ms Lai: “Now in my own home, I do not use insecticides anymore. I tell the lizards and cockroaches: ‘Sorry, if you come out when my mum is awake, she will make me dispose of you. You want to come out, just come after we are all sleeping.’ 

“Then they say ‘okay’. We struck a deal – this world is for us all to share.”

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