COLCHESTER’S Dr Dolittle says she has cured furry friends in distress thanks to her ability to talk to them.

Ruth Bradshaw believes she has always had a gift of communicating with animals and now she has taken it up as a career.

Mrs Bradshaw, who has five cats, two rats, a bearded dragon and a dog, said her inkling started in 2008 while she was travelling.

She said: “I was in Madagascar, on a humanitarian project. I was about to enter the jungle and I just felt unwelcome. I heard a voice saying ‘Get out’.

“I looked up and there was a Lemur staring directly at me, it defecated on my head. I totally dismissed it at first.”

Ruth, 41, has been in marketing for more than 20 years and offered therapy on the side.

She kept the service quiet at first, but is now committed to the thing which “sets her heart on fire”.

She said: “My husband, Chris, is supportive. He has always known me to be different to the masses.

“I absolutely love what I do, it has been a continual journey. I think I have always had the gift but never understood what it was.”

Harwich and Manningtree Standard:

It was not until 2012 when she rescued her cat Zanzi she realised the potential.

The cat would mess on Ruth’s bed whenever she was out of the house. Ruth called in an animal communicator and now the cats has stopped the behaviour.

Ruth then went on a mission to see where she could learn more, training in the UK and America.

She says she has dealt with grief, fear and general well being of the animals.

She added: “What I do does not replace veterinary care, but it can be helpful for vets to do their work.

“There are people who think we are crackpots and it’s not something for everybody, but if you believe in the human soul, can animals have souls?

“We cannot explain everything that happens in life but if you are open to the possibilities, it’s a good place to start.”

Harwich and Manningtree Standard:

When I met Ruth at her home, she was about to start a connection with a horse.

She explained muscle testing and how yes and no answers can be represented through hand movements.

She paused, feeling a pain in her hamstring and told me she felt the animal was experiencing some sort of discomfort.

She scans the animals’ bodies using her eyes to pinpoint any problem areas.

Whether it works or not, only Ruth and the animals can tell.