The Skeptics Society & Skeptic magazine

ALSO INSIDE SKEPTIC

in this issue

The Incredible Claims of Pet Psychics

• The Business of Pets;
• Psychic Animals In the Past;
• Pet Psychics—Does It Work?;
• Reasons for Doubt;
• What Does Science Say?;
• Imagining Psychic Powers

By Daniel Loxton. This issue’s cover features a digital painting by Jacob Dewey.

from the Introduction

Hello!

Have you ever wished you could ask your dog what she’s really thinking? Wouldn’t it be great if you could have a genuine twoway conversation with your cat, hamster, or turtle? There are people who claim to have the ability to do just that. “Pet psychics”—sometimes called “animal communicators”—say that they can speak with all sorts of animals using telepathic powers. They charge money to read animals’ minds and tell the owners what those animals supposedly said. Many pet psychics also claim they can locate lost pets, heal their illnesses, and even communicate with pets who died long ago. Are these claims realistic? Let’s find out!