Who hasn't fantasied about having the power to communicate with animals ? Plenty of folk want to have a chat with their cat, or work out what their barking dog is actually yelling about. Imagine discussing your feelings with a rabbit, bantering with a horse, or telling a joke to a snake. It would be amazing to learn about the true thoughts of all creatures, great and small.

But unfortunately for us, talking to animals, in reality, is usually pretty simplistic stuff - based on tone of voice and gesture. Even then, it's hotly debated by biologists and behaviourists whether or not we're actually 'communicating' with animals at all. Even the most intelligent species out there, such as great apes and dolphins, might not necessarily fully understand us.

However, there is one person out there who claims to be able to talk to animals for real: a genuine Dr Dolittle, who even claims to have the ability to speak to animals from beyond the grave. Meet Ruthy Bradshaw - or Ruthy Dolittle as she is known online - the animal whisperer who can put all the others to shame.

Once upon a time, Bradshaw was the director of her own marketing business. She was successful in her own right, but had a true affinity for everything furry, feathered or scaly. But things changed after she went on a humanitarian trip to Madagascar back in 2008. There, she claims, she had an experience with a lemur that changed her life.

Believing that she had uncanny abilities, Bradshaw left her stable, boring job, and decided to become an animal therapist. Now she charges big bucks to talk to people’s pets, helping the animals express themselves. She asks for £997 ($1334) for her services – or pet owners can fork out an extra £1,997 ($2672) if they want to learn the language. Recently, Ruthy talked with an anxious horse, using non-verbal signals to convey meaning.

In a recent interview, Ruthy stated:

"Animals can understand everything we say. And the horse was able to give me the information very quickly. I can’t explain how it happens. But I will make a voice up in my head of them talking back to me ... They can be a little bit guarded about communicating with me at first – I am a stranger. What am I doing poking around in their business?

"But when I was communicating with this particular horse I instantly saw red and a broom. I said to the lady that he had been hit with a broom by someone with a red polo t-shirt on. The lady said the last place he had been, all the staff wore red polo shirts and it had confirmed her thoughts that he had been beaten. The horse was able to give me that information very, very quickly."

Ruthy added that her husband supports her new role fully, stating: "My husband, Chris, is so supportive. He has always known me to be different to the masses. It has been a continual journey. I think I have always had the gift but never understood what it was. I believe we are all born with this because it works on initiative and everyone has that. ‘You just have to work on your belief."

So there you have it: if you just concentrate hard enough, and believe in yourself, then you might well be capable of talking to your pets. It's (apparently) that easy.

Who hasn't fantasied about having the power to communicate with animals ? Plenty of folk want to have a chat with their cat, or work out what their barking dog is actually yelling about. Imagine discussing your feelings with a rabbit, bantering with a horse, or telling a joke to a snake. It would be amazing to learn about the true thoughts of all creatures, great and small.

But unfortunately for us, talking to animals, in reality, is usually pretty simplistic stuff - based on tone of voice and gesture. Even then, it's hotly debated by biologists and behaviourists whether or not we're actually 'communicating' with animals at all. Even the most intelligent species out there, such as great apes and dolphins, might not necessarily fully understand us.

However, there is one person out there who claims to be able to talk to animals for real: a genuine Dr Dolittle, who even claims to have the ability to speak to animals from beyond the grave. Meet Ruthy Bradshaw - or Ruthy Dolittle as she is known online - the animal whisperer who can put all the others to shame.

Once upon a time, Bradshaw was the director of her own marketing business. She was successful in her own right, but had a true affinity for everything furry, feathered or scaly. But things changed after she went on a humanitarian trip to Madagascar back in 2008. There, she claims, she had an experience with a lemur that changed her life.

Believing that she had uncanny abilities, Bradshaw left her stable, boring job, and decided to become an animal therapist. Now she charges big bucks to talk to people’s pets, helping the animals express themselves. She asks for £997 ($1334) for her services – or pet owners can fork out an extra £1,997 ($2672) if they want to learn the language. Recently, Ruthy talked with an anxious horse, using non-verbal signals to convey meaning.

In a recent interview, Ruthy stated:

"Animals can understand everything we say. And the horse was able to give me the information very quickly. I can’t explain how it happens. But I will make a voice up in my head of them talking back to me ... They can be a little bit guarded about communicating with me at first – I am a stranger. What am I doing poking around in their business?

"But when I was communicating with this particular horse I instantly saw red and a broom. I said to the lady that he had been hit with a broom by someone with a red polo t-shirt on. The lady said the last place he had been, all the staff wore red polo shirts and it had confirmed her thoughts that he had been beaten. The horse was able to give me that information very, very quickly."

Ruthy added that her husband supports her new role fully, stating: "My husband, Chris, is so supportive. He has always known me to be different to the masses. It has been a continual journey. I think I have always had the gift but never understood what it was. I believe we are all born with this because it works on initiative and everyone has that. ‘You just have to work on your belief."

So there you have it: if you just concentrate hard enough, and believe in yourself, then you might well be capable of talking to your pets. It's (apparently) that easy.