For a joke, Faye Rogers' friends call her Dr Dolittle.

However, the Weedons woman calls herself an "animal communicator".

She says she can talk to anything – from worms to horses.

Much like a horse whisperer, Rogers says she tunes into animals' thoughts to give owners an insight into their pets' health and behaviour.

Rogers says she understands some people are sceptical, but they become convinced after she provides personal information only they could know.

She says all beings are "connected by a higher consciousness".

This way, animals are able to send information to each other despite geographical distance. For example, birds may pass international information to fish.

Rogers says she has been "advised" of impending disasters such as the Victoria bushfires and earthquakes in Haiti and China.

"But it's not my place to stop it," she says.

"Who am I to just ring China?"

She says animals have told her about global environmental concerns.

Rogers says she receives information through words, emotions and visual pictures.

Contrary to the accusation by horse whisperer Bill Northern that cats are "liars", Rogers says they appear wily because they must be asked specific questions.

Dogs and horses are "direct", and birds are "busy and purposeful".

"Cats play with mice because they are giving them respect. It's actually giving them a second chance or time to get away. It's just that humans don't see it like that.

"Farmed animals are happy to be farmed as long as they are treated well.

"They don't mind because they know they are part of the food chain."

A cat recently advised her it had a thyroid problem and a neighbourhood staffordshire terrier correctly complained of having a fracture in its spine when its owners believed the problem was a sore leg.

Rogers started speaking to animals to help friends, but began charging for it about six years ago.

The price is $65 an hour.

Clients approach her with problems, such as animals that share a home but do not get along, queries about health and how to settle an animal that has come from an abused background.

At the rural lifestyle block she shares with her partner, Rogers looks after a pond of goldfish, a rabbit, budgies, a cat, guinea pigs, llamas, four dogs – including an Irish wolfhound called Emerald – a pet sheep called Beanie, and Thistle the donkey.

She has communicated with fish, worms, an ant, a seal, a herd of cattle in Invercargill and a chicken in New York.

The chicken had passed over and wanted to give its owner a final message.

WHAT THE CAT SAID

The Press emailed Rogers a photograph of Dave, a cat belonging to Christchurch couple Steve and Hayley Marsh.

The email provided the cat's name and age and its owners' names.

While Dave had no particular issues, the couple asked where he went at night, if he wanted to be on a diet, and whether he was embarrassed to be ginger.

Rogers emailed the information back in a Q&A format.

She said the cat saw himself as "Mighty Dave", and his main quality was humour.

He visits a black cat at night.

"We play and have fun and I am having chasing games, but more likely we sit and look at the great night sky, and the mice are visible in the moonlight and their smells are heightened, so it is good."

On the subject of diet, Rogers said Dave carried no shame about his weight and did not want to "be like Steve".

On being ginger: "I am more than a colour. I see myself like the sun, bright and energetic.

"I just don't see people's perspective of finding a beautiful colour like me as derogatory. Yes, I showed great hysteria when you asked me this question. I have no complex being ginger. So Hayley, dear, I am just fine."