How to Communicate with Your Pets w/ Miranda Alcott

What's up, guys?

Welcome back to the podcast.

I know we've been diving deep into a lot of business content lately, and I'm just so excited to switch things up a little bit for you. This week we are talking to Miranda Alcott, who you're going to meet here in a second when we dive into the episode. But this woman is so incredible and her gift is so unique and so profound, and I'm so excited to introduce to you the work that she does in the world. So if you are someone who's ever wondered if your pets can understand you or if they know how much you love them, or you wanted to be able to explain things to them of why they don't see someone as much anymore, or when you're leaving, where you're going, or when you'll be back, like, I know we all just want to communicate with our pets. So much, because thinking of them just being in this bubble of complete unknown and not having explanations for any of the changes or things that go on in our life is heartbreaking. So if you're someone who loves animals, if you have or have had pets of your own, this episode is gonna be incredible. It's just so fascinating and interesting. So we're talking to Miranda Alcott, and Miranda has devoted her professional life to facilitating greater understanding and communication between animals and those who care for them, serving as an animal and human communications counselor and animal medical intuitive. Miranda is a highly respected consultant working with veterinarians nationally and globally to support medical professionals to understand the animal through an initial consultation, monitoring ongoing treatments, and providing feedback during actual procedures. So crazy and cool. Miranda holds a Master of Arts degree in spiritual psychology with 10 years of postgraduate work in consciousness, health, and healing from the University of Santa Monica. She teaches several popular courses and workshops online for anyone who's wanting to learn animal communication techniques, which we will share more about at the end and in the show notes. All of these courses and programs are based on her unique methods that she has developed for animal communication. And the work that she's doing in the world is just so, so important to better understand the animal kingdom, animals' feelings and perceptions and needs, and especially when it comes to their health and passing and what they need in order to feel safe to leave their humans and cross that bridge. So many beautiful things we talk about in this episode. I know that you are going to love it. And you're going to find it so fascinating and interesting, especially for all of my girlies who listen to the podcast who are just into all of the spiritual things. I feel like this is a whole new realm, a whole new level for us. So I hope you guys enjoy this episode. Let's dive in. Welcome to the Makeshift Happen podcast. I'm your host, Samantha Daly. Entrepreneur, life coach, and your no BS bestie here to bring you all things mindset, manifestation, and personal development. This podcast is designed to help you expand your mind and uplevel your life. So turn the volume up and roll the windows down if you're coming along for the ride. Let's go make shift happen.

Welcome to the show, Miranda. I'm so excited that you're here. I'm over the moon, just giddy. Absolutely cannot wait to have this conversation with you and to share more of the incredible work that you do as an animal and human communications counselor and animal medical intuitive. I know so many of the listeners of Makeshift Happen podcast are going to be blown away by this experience and the work that you do and the magic that is available to us when we're able to tap into being able to communicate and facilitate a deeper relationship with our animals. And as you said previously, the animals are going to be excited about it too. So I know that this conversation is going to reach so many people, it's going to touch so many hearts. So I'm excited to open that door. Welcome to the show. We're so excited that you're here.

Thank you so much, Samantha. It's so wonderful to be here. Um, I'm, I'm looking forward to this because so many people always ask me, well, but Miranda, you have a gift. And it's true, I came in with that, but really we all have gifts. The difference is I opened mine. So, so it's an opportunity to, to say, wait a second, maybe I can do some of this too, and maybe the animal right by my side has more to share with me. So I'm excited about this opportunity to help people understand. You may not have even made it to this podcast if you weren't already doing some animal communication.

Yeah. Okay. So let's talk about that gift, right? Take us back a little bit just for some context, some background. How did you discover this gift that you have of being able to communicate with animals? Or maybe what was the first animal that you ever communicated with what, like, how did you uncover that this is something that's available? Because there's so many of us humans that move through the world and have no idea that there's, there's ways or better ways to communicate with animals. So how did you first discover that this was something that's available and that you had a very strong connection to it?

Yeah, I, mine is a little different as far as coming in, and I say that because I am so blessed to have come into this life remembering where I just was.. And also knowing the agreements I made for this lifetime and accepting those agreements and coming in. So yes, I mean, I came in very present during my birthing period. And it wasn't until maybe, I don't know, 10 years ago, I said to my mom, how come the man who delivered me was drunk? And she just about fell off her chair and said, how did you know this? Because they had been telling me my whole life it was my Uncle So-and-so, like my godfather. Father that had delivered me, um, you know, who— and that guy was out of town. He was a good friend of the family, but he was on a sailing trip when I was born. I didn't know that, but what I did know was that that man was— something was wrong. Um, and so at that point I learned that wherever I was, I needed to be careful and really pay attention because the coming in with that information— I knew I was born to teach, and agreement was to teach, but you know, my thought of teaching was not what was needed here. And so I— it was very humbling. And at 3 years old, when my parents had an idea that I had other gifts, they didn't look at it maybe that way when I was that young. Um, had said to me, that's really nice, honey, keep it in the house, you know. Um, but what's interesting is because of that, because of my parents protecting me in that way, I didn't realize at the time when I was so young that was protection. But as time went on, um, and I saw how they would all of a sudden just sort of watch me, then I realized I don't see them looking at other people like that, so I really must be different. Um, then I learned that I needed to be careful about what I shared, which is what is so exciting about being here share with you today because we have changed as a species enough that we are opening up to acknowledging that we have these skill sets. So, um, I came in remembering most, and I would sit in the garden very young talking to the turtle or the ladybugs and all of that. And then, um, I had wanted to work with humans, counseling, and I started with humans in past life work when I was 19 and that sort of thing. But, um, I was told by my teachers, who none of whom were in physical form at that point, that I could help more humans by working with their animals because they would listen more carefully, which turns out to be true.

Wow, that's so interesting. So I have to share this with you because I, I didn't realize this, but I'm a past life regression practitioner. So I love that.

Wonderful.

I love, I love that you've already touched on, um, the idea of past lives. And it's amazing that you came into this life having vivid memories or knowledge of the previous lifetimes and the agreements in, in this life. Um, yeah, what you said just then about being able to help humans more effectively through the communication with animals is so interesting, right? It's kind of like when someone really, like a family member or a friend or something, gives you advice and you kind of like poo-poo it, you don't really listen to it. But then a third-party person comes in and they're like, hey, you should really do this. And you're like, oh, suddenly, oh, that's great advice, right? Sometimes I need to—

yeah, we need to hear it from the right source, which is so funny.

So can you describe the actual process of what you do in order to communicate with an animal, just for listeners to kind of understand what is going on for you in the process of communicating with an animal. So if a client comes to you and they're wanting you to talk or communicate with their animal to better understand what's going on with them health-wise, what they might need, how they're feeling, something like that. What, what is happening for you? Like, what do you see? How do you hear or receive the messages from the animal?

You've asked a bunch of questions there. You covered it all. Thank you. Nice to talk to you.

And that's the episode.

Yeah, really. Yeah. Um, you know, it's interesting, uh, I— it's things that have unfolded along my path along the way. As I was growing up, I would be given another skill set or a gift that I was— I mean, really, gift is just the first day, and I would be given something and then utilize it for years. And when I got better at that, I would be gifted with another level or a deeper way or a higher focus. So what I used to consider as different ways of expression have melded into one being in that it— I don't— I'm not thinking about how it's coming. I am just allowing whatever it is that I need to see. So, um, yes, we have so many different skill sets we can draw from: clairaudience, clairvoyance, clairsentience, all of— and the list is very, very long. But what I find exciting about this lifetime now is that there are people that are younger than me, just maybe by a couple years, that are coming in with deeper gifts, coming in than where I started. And it is imperative that we honor each other and support each other because we can learn from each other. So in your asking what happens with me, I am working Um, with the human, most of the, uh, work that I do is with animals that need their humans to understand where they are and what's going on. Um, as you mentioned, medical, emotional, spiritual, physical world reality, um, uh, with adding a new member to the family or not, maybe a clinical diagnosis that is hard to take, maybe their— the animal's human has passed. And so it, it just depends on how I'm called as far as what I'm working on. I think one of the things that might help answer what you've asked is for me to suggest an exercise for people to use, because that will help them start opening up or focusing in on, on what they can utilize. So would this be a good time? Do you feel that would be—

yes, yes.

Okay, okay, good. All right, so if we close our eyes and just think about checking in with ourselves. Do we have any anxiety, anything that we're still working on mentally? We need to really allow that to go down out the bottoms of our feet into Gaia because she knows how to use that energy and convert it. Couple of deep breaths. And now if you close your eyes at a relaxed way, Clear your mind screen, and then picture your animal coming toward you, no matter where your animal is, in different room, obviously in the same environment. And now call your animal to you, but not verbally. You would internally be saying, Alice, Elvis. And it takes practice. But for people who are hearing, which I have limited hearing, you may hear a call or you may feel a presence. When you do, open your eyes. Yeah. And I think you'll be surprised that someone's there. Looking up at you.

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This is—

so this is something that we can practice and, and do with ourselves kind of over and over again to start to bridge that gap and, and start to create the line of communication with our animal, correct?

Well, and it's really more— yes, and it's really more, uh, acknowledging that there is a line of communication already there because we spend a lot of time in our minds. And, uh, and so it's a matter of— wait a second, this may be a quieter voice, but it doesn't mean that it's less strong. It's just, are we paying attention to it? And are we honoring it by saying, I want to know more about you? So in the courses that I teach, and I do teach online, um, one of the things that we focus on is that it is wonderful to say, I now consciously want to hear my animal, but we also have to create the room to do that. Because otherwise we run the risk of— and by the way, I want you to communicate with me, and it has to look like— and you need to— instead of looking at that animal's culture, which they look at ours all the time, you know, uh, and being still enough to learn what's important to that animal. So we have a lot of subtexts going on inside of us. That, that sometimes get in the way. Um, children are wonderful. Children come in fully open. It's our social upbringing that can alter that. And so what I say to parents is, you know, encourage— if, if you are concerned about your child out in the world looking strange, just say, honey, that's great. Let's look at it in the house, or let's go to the park, or, you know, so that we encourage that to happen. Thank you, Alice. I appreciate that. Thank you. Um, you just came in and said what? Uh, so it's just the exercise sweetheart.

So, uh, coming in to say I'm here.

Yeah, like, what, why are you doing this this way? But it's okay. Thank you. Could you hold for everybody? Because lots of people are listening. They want to know that you're open. Everybody is open and you want to know that. Thank you. Yeah. So, so it really is important to understand that we may be the people stopping us acknowledging this, depending on how we were brought up, depending on what we were exposed to. There are other cultures in the world that don't have the limitations in this area that we do. And so it's important to say, you know what, I'm going to give this a shot. Let's just see what happens. Yeah. And this is a really wonderful exercise to do all the time. It, it also— there's so many areas we could talk about, Sam. I just, uh, it is not just animal communication. It is a way of living. It is a way of life, which I'm certain that you are exposed to as well, and you know. And that is that when we start acknowledging what we are doing in our lives we open ourselves up to learning in different ways. For instance, what do we have to learn from our animals? And then what do we have to learn about ourselves from our animals?

Yeah, can you share any examples? Because I know you've worked with, with so many people and so many animals. Any examples of that just kind of highlight what you're speaking about here, which is the human being able to actually learn something profound about themselves through what their animal has communicated to them.

Yes, and as a matter of fact, one of my, my favorites is COVID because we've all walked through it now. Um, when we first went into lockdown, uh, I thought, well, this will be interesting to see how we all do. I was instantly filled, over the top filled, because people were either adopting animals when they'd always wanted one and now was the time they could have one, or I would get a lot of calls from people that were experiencing the animals they've had for a very long time having different behaviors. For instance, I don't know what is going on with my dog. You know, he runs to the window, he stands there, and I can't see anything. I don't understand what's going on. And, you know, I don't know what's happening with my cat, but my cat is now crawling up the walls practically, and I don't understand what's happening. And interestingly enough, And in listening to those animals, the dogs were hearing dogs in their neighborhood barking that they'd never heard before. Why? Because we no longer had trucks or airplanes or traffic. So the human is seeing the dog, whoop, standing at the window, ears going, but she doesn't see anything. So what is it? And the cat realizing that the rolling energy that is coming around our planet of humans in fear is affecting all the wildlife—land, sea, air. And we, because we were jointly gathering together, that wave circled the planet, absolutely circled, and it went on for quite some time. You would have different movements of it going around the planet. We just had one that was very extreme on September 10th. Now we would have accepted it, expected it on September 11th, but this happened on September 10th. And I had so many calls of people and they themselves were frightened. I don't know why I'm frightened. I don't understand what's happening. And it has to do with, well, guess what? Where are we starting 9/11? And when— what did we each pick up before 9/11 ever happened? You know, uh, we picked up that, that information. So we start, yes, listening to the animals, and it's so important because they have a telegraph around the world that's been in place for a very long time. And so how we can learn from the animals is being quiet and looking at What behaviors do we see in them? And then we look in the mirror. Is any part of that ours? Do we have an influence over our nervousness? Do we have an influence over them? Are they looking out for us? Are they trying to get our attention and we're not there? That's why I say making room inside ourselves. I mean, we have to deal with You know what, what we have underneath that we're thinking, what is taking up room inside our hearts. We need to heal and do that at the same time that we're asking our animals to help us learn how to listen at a deeper level. Um, I hope that answers what you were asking.

Yeah, it's so interesting cuz I, I wrote down, I wanted to ask you about this specifically about the pandemic. So I'm glad that we, that you brought that up and we're talking about changes and shifts that the animals were noticing and feeling during that time. Because we had like— my dog went through such a dramatic shift since the, since the pandemic when both my partner and I, who previously worked outside of the home, were then forced to work from home. And then we kind of never went back to the office. We just were permanently at home from that point on. And so before that, you know, he was also a lot younger. He was He was probably around 2 at that point, so he was still a little bit in his puppy phase, but he used to break things all the time and eat things that he shouldn't eat, like things that could be really dangerous, like swallowing socks and get like breaking the remote and getting into batteries and things. So we had to, whenever we would leave for a long period, we'd have to put him in a crate to make sure that he was gonna be safe and, you know, not swallow something and choke or die while we were at work. Um, but then obviously we came home and we're able to work from home and we're with him so much more. We're basically, you know, locked inside for 4 months. We were living in Spain at the time, so our experience of the pandemic there was very intense and the rules were very strict. So we really were— it was the 3 of us just at home all day, every day. But since that time, you know, he's, he's just so much calmer and he's relaxed so much. And he's also matured, obviously, because it's been over the course of several years, but pretty much like right after the pandemic, we, we didn't have to use the crate anymore. And we started to practice, you know, leaving him at home by himself. And he did well for a couple of hours, and then we would extend for longer. And he doesn't break things anymore, and he doesn't eat things that he shouldn't. And I'm just, I'm just interested because, you know, the logical side of someone's brain could say, oh, well, he was a puppy, and, you know, he was doing that stuff because he was frustrated because you were gone. And and that was his way of outbursting. And now he's more grown up. He's almost 5 and he knows how to behave. But I also feel really deeply that there was like a huge, like, energetic part of that, that change in his behavior. What, what do you think about that?

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Well, what I experienced is seeing pictures, which just made my heart sing, of two goats in a downtown intersection with no cars. And this was because they could, you know. And so when you think about how it affects our animals and they're now surrounded by all humanity, that whether they like it or not, we are not necessarily pack leaders, but we have control over their environments being tense. And then all of a sudden having a wave of fear happen in such a way. And survival of that is really important. So as far as swallowing batteries in socks, those are deadly. And I would be asking the humans how their puppy got that in his mouth in the first place. But, and yes, there is a lot to be said for he's a puppy, but this this was unprecedented for all the animals on the planet to go through this in this lifetime for all of us. And then trying to figure out how to deal with that tension and where do you put it and what do you do when you're not allowed outside or you're allowed outside but very restricted or, you know, it has been a very challenging time. So I feel what you're describing is something he's walked through. And I encourage people to honor with their animals and talk about what, what has been happening. Um, I did some, um, webinars on that during that time because people were saying, how do we deal with this? How do we work with our animals? Um, and, and it was great. We had a lot of people attending because people really wanted to know, how do we help our animals? And first, always always, when you don't know what to do, stop, stand still, and observe. Just observe. Our, our natural instinct as humans is to jump ahead and say, oh, it's okay, it's okay. Actually, lady, it's not okay. So you just lost validity. So it's important to say, you know what, you're right, I am tense, I'm concerned. I don't have the answer right now, but I'm looking at the same thing you are. I don't know. That's honesty, and that's what our animals need to feel from us. Okay, boy, now we're in this together. Now there's a team. Now we have a team. Now we're building a pack, a pride. When you look at some of the best hunters on the planet, maybe the best hunters— well, I look at cats often. Because how do they hunt? They freeze and they wait to see what moves. And what moves, they then wait to see, is it injured? Is it easy prey? Is it sick and I don't want it? Is it too fast that I'd be wasting my energy? Talk about economy and life source and choices. Watch cats. So there's so many things we can learn Now, as far as behaviors in animals and humans, there are humans that may, maybe for instance, have— and I'm going to use an exaggerated example— they pick up the phone for a telephone call that a family member has been injured, and they take off and fly out of the house to go respond. They come home and the curtains are shredded, and they get mad at the dog or the cat. And that's without looking at— hold on, when you got that news, your energy became spiky, rigid, cut-sword-like, and then you left it in the house and you took off. So we have to think about what are our animals left to deal with what we go through. Right. And, and one of the most challenging things that I found years ago was when I first lost my hearing, because I did many years ago, um, and we didn't have all this wonderful equipment we have now. My very first service dog, I had to— I had donors that wanted to meet him because they had helped me raise the funding, and I found myself walking on the tarmac with this beautiful little Border Collie who had never been on an airplane. And it wasn't even the jet we think of, a jet. This was an airplane on the runway. And so I knew in that moment I had to remain absolutely calm with absolute clear, mild, gentle energy. Because if I let anything come out, the rest of his life he would be spiking going towards an airplane. So I did that, and as I got onto the airplane, there were issues with the pilot saying he has to go in luggage. No, sir, he's the real deal, blah blah blah. Well, then he has to be in the galley behind a screen. I said, no, sir, he's my ears. I'm not going to separate with a part of my body. And then he put us way in the back, which of course the plane moves like crazy in the back, right? So we're sitting in the back and we're taxiing and my animal is at my feet. The next thing I remember, Sam, was that I had a face full of fur and I had two legs on either side of my shoulders. I went, okay. And I got clear that what— however I responded was going to program this wonderful, loving animal. So I had to, whether I liked it or not, I had to focus and center myself to be calm so that as a pack leader I would exhibit I'm not worried. But I had to be sincere. This was not a mental I'm not worried. It was like I'm not worried. And I need you to be by my side. Well, when we think about just daily life, maybe we have a telephone call that upsets us. Where does that end up in our environment that our animals, our cats, are going, whoa, I need the window, give me sunlight, I need air? So those are the kinds of things where they can reflect to us. And then as time goes on, the lessons get deeper and more articulate. Yeah.

So what you're really speaking to, which is so amazing, is the animal's ability to really pick up on our energies. And what I'm reflecting on as you're talking about this is the energy with which I left the house every day when the dog was acting out, which was probably spiky and jagged. I was working in a job that I hated at the time. I was very anxious and I was always running late. So it was always like kind of this frantic, like grabbing the keys, like shutting the door, like running out to go catch the metro and get into the city to get to work. So yeah, it— that like has brought some light bulbs for me. And knowing now, you know, that I'm in a place in my life and with my work where I love what I do and I have more free space and everything is a bit more calm and grounded. So is my dog. You know, my dog is not worried most of the time when we leave. Um, but I know there are things that you, that you teach that can help prepare the animals if we are going to leave, um, or be gone on vacation or wherever we're going. So I'd love to chat about that because I think it would be really useful for everyone who's listening that wants to know, you know, how do I prepare my pet for a big change or something like that?

Right. So an easy mark is that to go to, um, MirandaAlcottCourses.com, and you can sign up there and get the vacation exercise given to you, which I'm going to suggest you do even when you hear us talk about it, because following the steps is really important. So you need to remember that when you're going to go on your vacation, it is important to focus Well, actually, even before that, considering leaving cats alone for days at a time is really not appropriate. A lot of people like to do that. I know they think, "I'll just leave dry food out. They have a litter box. I'll have someone change the food or the litter." But we really need to look at what we're asking that animal to do. So we can save that discussion for another time and go right to the vacation exercise. Is, and that is that you want to give information to your animal maybe 2 days before and no longer. Because if you start picturing where you're going to go and that you're going to be leaving, they're now waiting for the other shoe to drop. So that's not a great way to leave them. And for 2 days they're worried about, are they going to be left alone? Are they going to be abandoned? So what you do is you, and you're in your nighttime before you go to sleep, when you're in a relaxed place, again clearing your mind screen, you can then say to them, we are going to be leaving and you will have Susie who's coming to stay here while we're gone. You've met Susie, and by the way, if you haven't, you need to do that before you leave. You don't leave and then have that person show So you let them know, I'm going to be gone for how many days, and I will be talking to you while I'm gone, but I need you to stay where you are. So you picture them always in your home. I really want to be careful about this. You're not going to turn and look at a seagull flying over, you know, an Italian seascape and say, isn't this beautiful? Here's why. Because your animal, and we've had this happen, will try to leave to find you. We don't want that. And you can say, oh, but Miranda, you know, my cat's inside, my dog's inside. Up until now, Yes, but the challenge is when you least expect it, and cats are amazing, you least expect it, and the next thing you know, you can't find your cat, or you can't find the cat you're house-sitting because they went out the door. So it's important that you picture your animals in your home, and sometimes it makes them feel very comfortable to you picture in your mind, them— if you allow them to sleep on the bed with you, you show yourself sleeping yourself in your bed back in their house, and they're with you, not where you are in France. No. And this is all—

this is all in your mind, right? This is silent communication. It's not that you actually have to verbally say, I'm going here for this many days. Or can you, should you, both?

You can do both, but the tendency of us as humans is to talk about it for weeks before we go. And that's why I'm saying no, because as humans we picture what we're thinking. So it's best just, just to keep going. And you know you're packing when the suitcases come out. Animals know what's going on. But the bottom line is, um, you know what, I am going to share with you what's going on. Just in a couple of days, we're good. Nothing big. Okay. And then you just keep moving. But yes, it is in your mind when you're doing the communication of showing that you are— that they're going to stay in the house and you're happy they're there. You show them with the pet sitter. That's fine. The door closes behind you. So I'm in the cat seeing you leave my home, door closes, and I feel you telling me that you'll be home in a couple of weeks, all of that. And then 2 days before you come home, you let your animal know, in 2 sunsets we'll be home, in 2 sunsets. And then you show your animal that they are still inside your home, and here you come through the door, and here you come through the door. And that's— that, that is the container for Yeah, beautiful.

The power of visualization, of just like creating that imagery in your mind, is what communicates it to your animal. Yeah, yep, absolutely.

I mean, because as humans, we, we don't always realize this, but we— when I'm describing something to you, I'm seeing it. When you're describing something to me, you're seeing it. I mean, when you were saying, I was in a job, I hate, I hated, I went, oh, there she is. You know. And so, so that's why it's important to be, you know, tenacious at holding to their environment when you're picturing this. That's your way of protecting them. One way, yeah.

I've heard you talk— well, you, you kind of mentioned it a little bit about the culture, different cultures of animals. And I'm curious to know, because we, you know, I mean, like the, the typical pets are like you're either a dog person or you're a cat person, right?

Or a horse or fish, of course, or guinea pigs. Yes.

But you hear people talk about the difference between cat people and dog people. It's like a pop culture thing, like what it means about you if you're a cat person versus a dog person. Right. And it's obvious that the different types of animals, different species have different personalities or ways of being. And I think every animal probably has their own individual personality per se, just like we humans do. But I'd love to hear you talk more about the different cultures of cats versus dogs versus horses versus whatever else.

You know, well, one of my fun stories that I love is that A few years back, I decided I was going to ask animals, the ones that were domesticated mostly, what they thought was funny. And, you know, because I thought animal humor, you know, I mean, this is like my favorite one, which is the one I'll share about that, was squirrels. And I said, okay, what do you guys think is funny? And they went, dogs. Ah, stop. And when you think about it, you know, that tail is all meant to attract a dog. And then, because the dog just goes crazy over it, right? I, Miranda, think that's a hoot.

You can't make this up. Oh my God. So when we, we lived in Spain and there wasn't really— for whatever reason, we lived in Madrid, there wasn't really many squirrels around. But we're in Florida now. And there are squirrels everywhere. So Storm, which is my dog, he's like loving the, the chase of, of the squirrels, watching them run up the trees. He stands at the base of the tree and his, his tail's wagging. He's whining, he's shrieking, he's trying to climb up, jump up the tree, get the squirrels. And my partner and I are watching him do this. And, and Jaime said to me the other day, he said, I'm getting really annoyed with the squirrels because they don't just run away. Like, they stay there. And I saw this the other day with my own two eyes. This squirrel has a nut in his mouth. The dog comes up, he runs up the tree, not all the way up, just far enough where the dog can't get him. And then he turns around in the tree so that he's looking right down at Storm's face with the nut in his mouth. And I swear, I swear to God, I was like, he's doing this. Like they think it's funny. They're teasing the dog. So that's incredible that you just said that, because I've just had this experience in real life thinking to myself, they must enjoy this because they're, they're not scared, they're not running so far away, they're not escaping, they're hanging out to watch the show of the dog trying to desperately get them.

And I was just staying at a friend's house whose little dog loves chasing the squirrels. Now, that's not something that my service dog can do for obvious reasons. She's a real service dog. That's not appropriate. But— and she knows, and so she doesn't. But I watched little Skyler, bless her heart. I would be washing dishes, and out of the corner of my eye, boom, she'd go out the dog door. And then I'd look out the window And here was a squirrel up in the tree with that tail doing this, essentially just, you know, like— so I thought, but how does Skyler know? Because Skyler was looking at me at the sink while the dog door was a clear flap. And even though it was not crystal clear, she was waiting, she was waiting. And the minute she saw— so yeah, they laugh. I mean, they openly think this is hilarious and there's no sense in getting upset with them because we all have ways of having fun. It isn't actually— most of the time we hope it's not putting the dog in harm's way. But there are a few dogs that have caught squirrels. I mean, it's, you know, it's a risk. But that squirrel where I was staying, they had a tree that was in full blossom. All you could see was just the tail. Going. Yeah, teasing. So, so that's something. And, um, I, I— cats are incredible in that they, they operate and work on so many different planes all at once, different frequencies, different realms. They're, they're not, uh, as married to the physical world reality as perhaps we are in some ways. And so their humor is different because their cultures are different. They're multicultured depending on where they came from and what they're working on and what they have to share. So that's much more complex. I mean, we can— yes, it's true that there are cat people and there are dog people. What's interesting is the cat people are mostly human cat people, as human dog people, as we all are. In other words, we've built our own culture that we call dog or cat, but it's still through our eyes. It's still through our eyes, you know. Yes. And then, and I've also met animals that don't fit into the file folder. You know, they're not, they're just not in that file. There are cats, dogs, horses, gerbils, whatever, that have different activities than many of their same species. Um, yeah, so, uh, dogs, we know, are in the obvious, um, are incredibly loyal if we treat them with respect. And even when we don't, sometimes unfortunately they're still loyal, bless their hearts. Um, but there are more fine points of the personalities that matter just as much as culture. So it's, it's a challenge. I'm very careful not to try to address breeds because people have a tendency to put Dachshunds in one and, you know, Border Collies in another, whatever. It's true there are some traits, but we have to remember they're traits. They're not something that we need to judge everyone by. Yeah. So, and then horses are magnificent And they're— the wisdom that they carry and the history that they carry for this particular planet is astounding and breathtaking. Their connections are such that to learn from them requires that we have to go to a much deeper place and a quieter place to be able to hear what is going on with them. The way they are treated overall may not be that supportive. There are people that are very supportive, which I love. The way the dogs are treated overall could be better in support. Same with cats. So I hesitate to talk about the cultures of those. Mm-mm. I mean, because they're generalities. But when I say we need to learn about their culture, it is that when you are asking a cat to stay alone, while you go adventure when all they have is inside and we took them out of exploring. That's one of the ways I say let's look at the culture. Um, you're leaving for 9 months because you're going to hike on a trail and you're asking a friend to take care of your dog for 9 months and your dog is 14 years old. What, what about this when you get to go out on the trail and he doesn't? You know, we, we really need to take responsibility for what we see as ours. And it helps when we start respecting the animals and listening to them. We can find out more of what they need and we can also have more exchange with them that's meaningful, you know?

Yeah. Yeah. Speaking of respecting our animals, I heard you speak about phones because we are all so glued to our devices these days. We're always on the phone, whether we're looking at the phone, scrolling on the phone, talking on the phone. Mm-hmm. How does this show up as potentially a way of disrespecting our animals or the time with our animals? And what should we be aware of when it comes to the phones?

I'm glad you're asking. Yes, consider this a public service announcement. Um, do not ask your animal to wait at home for 8, 9 hours, 7 hours, and then you get home to walk your dog and you take your phone. What's wrong with this picture? So he's waited all day to be with you. He hasn't shredded, he hasn't eaten batteries or socks or anything. Yes. And the best you can do is, yeah, come on. Okay, right here you are not present. He is. He's saying, hey, why don't we talk? We've been away for a while. You know what, Harriet, I'll meet you for lunch outside. But I thought you came home for me. I thought we were going to be together. And also, one of the funniest things I saw— it's funny, this memory is coming back. Forgive me, but I can't help but tell the story. So I was driving in Brentwood one day, and I'm in my car, and I look over to— I'm at a red light, and I look over at the intersection, and here's a man with his boxer who's intact. Meaning that he has not been castrated, meaning that he still has his testicles. The dog is standing and the human is on the phone but yelling to his dog, "Sit! I said sit!" And it's like 100 degrees out. The dog starts to sit and comes up again, of course. Starts to sit and comes up again, of course. Okay, I couldn't help it. I rolled down the window and said, "Excuse me, sir." Excuse me, excuse me, is your dog intact? Yeah. And you're asking it to sit on the hot sidewalk? Oh, green light. And then I went, I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. You're like, his balls are hot. Yes. You know, it's like, for God's sakes, buddy, drop your drawers and try it. You know, it's like, yeah. So anyway, those are, those are things where we just need to be in touch. Our animals have given us loyalty. And also with cats who really need to be outside and inside. And we have to, and we are clear that if they're outside, I mean, coyotes are much more bigger in numbers since we had lockdown, at least where I am. And they don't have water. Guess what that means? They're coming in. So people have fountains outside their homes and wonder how their cats go missing or why their dogs are stolen. It's the coyotes. The coyotes are not wrong. We're in their space. We have to learn how to get along. But it's really hard when you lose an animal like that. I mean, it's— but we just have to think ahead of time, okay, wait a minute, what am I doing? Am I encouraging anything? Am I letting my dog out alone and I'm not with it? Yeah, 6-foot fence isn't a big deal to a coyote. And so we really— it depends on the make of the fence and how it's constructed, you know. So those are, those are things that we need to be careful of when we get off work. Are we really coming home to be home? And let's honor that animal.

Yeah. I tried something today when I was on a walk with Storm. And I could tell that he wanted to go a certain way, but we had to get back home because I had an appointment. So we had to go a certain way because we had to start making our way back home for time's sake. And, you know, whenever he tells me that he wants to go a certain way, he kind of like stops or he signals to the direction that he wants to move and he stalls. And instead of just, you know, pulling on the leash and being like, come on, like, I'm going to be late, I stopped with him. And I looked in the direction where he wanted to go and I said, I know that you really wanna go that way, buddy. I can tell you really wanna keep walking that way, but we actually have to go this way cuz mom has to go home now cuz she has an appointment for work. And I just paused for a minute and he turned with me and we walked back towards home. Excellent, Sam.

Excellent. Yeah, excellent. And you know, one of the things I, my dogs are all sign language and voice trained. And one of the signs that I like to use— this, this means up to you, up to you. So you touch your forehead and you hit your thumb. You can use that with Storm when he is looking and you have the time and he's at that intersection and he really wants to go, but he knows you're going to say no. And then out of nowhere you say, it's your choice, it's your choice. And then you go. In time, they learn that sign, and it is heaven. It's heaven. And people think you're nuts because silently you look at your dog and go, and the dog goes, yeah, you know.

Yep, yep. I love that. When we do have the time and I can tell he wants to go a certain way and he'll be pulling, or he'll turn and look at me and I'm like, okay, let's go that way, he gets so happy. Like, there's a pep in his step, like he got to make a choice and go the way that he wanted to go. Um, so it's, yeah, it's beautiful to give that opportunity to your animals too, to have choices, because we're— we kind of have the majority of the choices, right? We choose what they eat, when they eat, where they can be, where they can't be. Um, so yeah, I know questions we can—

all those are questions we can ask when we learn how to, you know, is this food agreeing with your body, you know, which is a lot of the medical work that I do has to do with diet because everything starts in It does. And, uh, I, I encourage people, if they're interested in learning more, to consider taking a course online. Um, and, um, if it's appropriate, can I just say a couple words about that? Yes, please. Yeah, so, um, I teach a Level 1, which is a beginning animal communication, and we work with you getting in touch with your animal. We have meditations, exercises, and then we work from pictures and videos and all that sort of thing. Um, I teach a Level 2, which is your animal and you. What is your precise relationship? What is it you're learning from your animal? What is it inside of you? Because again, you've got to make room inside. So that's more advanced than Level 1, and Level 3 is past that as well. It's more of a spiritual basis. And what it is that we are doing together in, in body, working together. Each of the courses has 7 classes, and each class is 2 hours each, and, and they are recorded, but not recorded ahead of time in the sense that you're in class with me, and if you miss it, you can then watch it. In time, we may record ahead of time, but I really enjoy being with the students and supporting them, and I know the animals do too. Uh, and then I also do private mentoring, but that's for people who are more advanced.

Yeah, yeah, amazing.

So you can find out about any of that either with my website, mirandaalcott.com, for appointments, or mirandaalcottcourses.com.

Yeah, and we'll leave those links for you guys in the show notes below if you're curious about those courses, if you want to start communicating with your animals, or if you need a personal appointment of some kind for maybe something a little bit more in depth with Miranda's help. So you can find those in the show notes below. I have so many questions that I still want to ask you, but I think before we go, I do just want to touch on the fact that we all— those of us who have animals that we love, we all worry about the time when we might lose that animal. And I think for a lot of people listening that have had pets that have lost them in the past, they've transitioned. It's one of the most heartbreaking experiences. I remember when my childhood dog transitioned and I had never felt that pain before. Like, I really felt like physical pain in, in my chest. It was, it was really hard for me to handle the loss of, of an animal. Is there anything that you've learned through your work that might bring peace to people who have lost an animal or fear losing their animals one day?

That's a big, beautiful, wonderful vista to, to address. There are no shortcuts to that. I would say 50% of my practice is asking animals if they're ready to transition. One of the concerns is that that sometimes we feel we're objective, but we may not be. And it is challenging because we, of course, we want our animals to stay with us. Of course we do. And we have to look at quality of life. So what I would suggest is when you feel that there may be something changing in your animal, that you use a reputable animal communications person to check in and see where they are. Um, there may be health issues that have not been addressed yet, and maybe that's all it is. When you see that there's an animal that's your animal and you're concerned about their transitioning, that is the perfect time to have conversation with them. But I strongly suggest that you use a well-established animal communications person because We're talking about someone's life and we want to make sure that we don't jump the gun or that we don't, you know, hold on for us. We all want to hold on. There's no blame in that. There's no judgment there. It's natural. You know, I also feel that as women, we are almost as much attached to the fur the scent, the ears, as we are the soul. Um, we're very tactile creatures. And so when an animal transitions out of the body, it is really painful because it's not just that personality. We still feel the soul when we let ourselves, but we also have to deal with the fur. So what I would suggest is that you have an open-ended conversation with your animal while they're healthy. To say, you know, I know that we have a forever commitment, and I want to let you know that when you— it's time for you, you may see it be hard for me, and that's part of my culture. That's who we are. But it doesn't mean that I want you to suffer, and it doesn't mean that I expect you to stay for me, but I just want to give you a heads up. I'm so glad we're together now.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So beautiful.

We're just one, you know, I just want to say one more thing. We're not as objective as we like to think we are, Sam, and that's, that's the challenge. Um, when I was 8 years into doing this work in this lifetime, um, I had a dog and people would say to me, well, can you tell like what's going on with your dog? What's it like? Oh yeah, oh yeah. I mean, we talk all the time. Oh yeah. And then all of a sudden, one day I looked at him and he was really sick. And I mean, he had been sick for a while and I had totally missed it, completely missed it. And it was incredibly humbling, humiliating, and good lessons for me. And that was when I learned about, you know, I may think that I am objective, but I have backup now. Because it's not appropriate for me. I'm not as objective as I like to think I am. I've gotten better over the years, but when it's my animal, when it's your animal, it's really close. So it's good. Yeah. To ask for help.

It's hard to be objective when you're so close to it, when it's, when it's your relationship. Totally. I think that's the same with human relationships. It's hard to be objective about the people that you love in your life.

This is why people go to therapy. Well, and the animals have opinions about those relationships as well. Oh yeah, I'm sure they do. They're begging you to set boundaries, babes. Yeah, no, because they watch us 24/7, you know, and they can see our interactions. Uh, yeah, no, I mean, one last story, which is when I was very young I was dating and I had a cat who, when the guy would come to pick me up, I would go downstairs, let him in, we'd walk up the stairs and my cat would go walk by the guy and go, pfft, and just walk on. It was like, and then the next guy would come and the cat would be friendly and then, and walk off. This cat was spot on every single time. I was so egoed out and pissed off that I would open the door for the guy, put the cat out, like, right, I don't want your opinion because I'm not dating here because everything you say is right and I need an opportunity to date here. And then I really got into trouble because, because now I didn't have the cat to fall back on. So anyway, yeah, no, all the animals, if we watch our animals, they will tell us how sincere your people are. They will tell us who's telling the truth and who isn't, if you know how to watch and look. And that's why I say it's not just about animal communication.

Yeah. So this is funny because Storm is a husky— not that it matters too much, but you know how huskies talk. Um, and there's, there's only certain people— yeah, yeah, there's only certain people that he'll talk to. Like, we'll go out to, you know, and I'm like, he knows, like, he has a radar. There's some people that we'll see in the street on a walk, and maybe it's a neighbor or someone will stop to chat, and Storm will get all excited and he'll woo, like, as if he's saying, hey, how are you? I missed you, or good to see you, or something. And then other people he pays no attention to. There's no greeting, there's no howl, there's There's no talking.

To me, you don't exist. Done. Exactly. It's precious.

Um, okay, one last rapid-fire question: do we choose our animals, or do our animals choose us?

Both. That was my rapid-fire answer. I love it. Not even multiple choice. So let's look at it that way. Um, we put out what it is that we came to heal, or what we're working on, we draw to us that which will teach us that. That's true with human to human, animal to human, animal to animal. So yes, both. Hmm, I love that.

I've always said to my partner that I think Storm is a gift from God or the universe to teach him so many things that he needed to learn because he'd never had an animal growing up. He never had a pet. And I've watched him transform his own journey. So much of learning selflessness, of learning patience, of learning unconditional love. So many things that, that he was an only child and he never had any animals. And these were really important lessons that he had to learn to, like, grow as an adult. And I've seen him learn those through the dog, through the difficult things with the dog, through the challenges with the dog, and through the good times with the dog. And so I've always really believed that, that he's here to teach us really important lessons.

If we listen. Yeah, if we listen. If we listen.

All right, you guys, I hope you enjoyed this episode. I hope you feel inspired to go practice that exercise and start opening the door to communication with your animals. Miranda, thank you so much for your wisdom and your work that you're doing in the world. I can't wait for this episode to touch so many listeners' hearts and help them start deepening the relationship with their animals. So thank you so much. Don't forget, you guys, check out the links in the show notes to contact Miranda or figure out when those courses are going to be opening for the next rounds. You can also find her on Instagram @mirandaalcott. Everything will be linked for you below. Um, if you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to take a screenshot and share it to your Instagram stories. You can tag me and you can also tag Miranda so we know that you enjoyed it and that you're listening. If you have other animal lovers in your life that you know should hear this message and, and learn this wisdom, go ahead and copy the link of this episode and send it to them, text it to them. Um, invite the other people in your lives that have pets that you know they love dearly to this, this beautiful way of communicating with them. So thank you so much, Miranda, and we'll see you guys next time. Bye!