#040 | What Our Pets are Telling Us (with Tami Hendrix)

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Oct 29
9 min read

Welcome to this in-depth look at communicating with our animal companions—both alive and in spirit—featuring insights from renowned animal communicator and teacher, Tami Hendrix. This blog post is inspired by an episode of Life With Ghosts—Let's Chat! #040: What Our Pets are Telling Us with host Stephen Berkeley. We'll explore the powerful ways our animal friends shape our lives, the soul connections we share with them, how to honor their presence (and absence), and even learn practical steps to deepen our own animal communication abilities.

So, grab a cup of tea, bring your furry (or feathered) friends close, and let's embark on a journey that will change how you view the animals in your life!

Meet Tami Hendrix: The Animal Mystic

Tami Hendrix grew up extraordinarily sensitive, an innate animal communicator before she even knew the role existed. She thought everyone “interfaced” with animals the way she did. It didn’t occur to her that it was any different for other people. Over the years, Tami found that animals entered her life at pivotal junctures—generally when she or her family was at a crossroads.

As Tami herself explains:

"I came into this world extraordinarily sensitive, and I was an animal communicator, but I didn't know it. It was just natural to me. And I thought everybody interfaced with animals like that."

Her early years, marked by family turmoil, taught her to read energy for safety. Animals were her refuge and her teachers, showing her deep compassion and authentic presence—skills that would one day help others learn to hear the wisdom in their own animal companions.

Tami’s life is now dedicated to helping people connect more consciously with their pets—both in the physical and after they’ve crossed over. Her work is not just her profession: it’s who she is.

How and Why Animals Come Into Our Lives

Do you think it’s just a coincidence when a certain animal comes into your life? Tami doesn’t. Animals, she says, don’t arrive or depart at random. There’s deep meaning in these encounters and even in these goodbyes.

“Animals do not come into our lives randomly. They do not leave randomly either.”

Tami encourages us to ask: What was happening in your life when your pet arrived? Maybe you were experiencing loss, a major transition, or even just felt a nudge to visit a shelter. Often, these “random” events align with major turning points—not just for us, but for them too.

Animal Entry Points: Clues to Deeper Meaning

Times of transition: divorce, moving, job change, or personal struggle.
An urge or intuition to seek out an animal companion.
Feeling drawn to a particular animal (seeing a picture, feeling a connection).

It’s not just animals. Tami invites us to notice that people show up in our lives at pivotal times for similar reasons.

Soul Contracts and Divine Timing

The concept of “soul contracts” is rooted in the idea that our lives and those of our animals are intertwined at a soul level. Each animal has its own path and lessons, just as each person does. We journey together for a time, learning and growing—sometimes until it’s time for one of us to change, move on, or even cross over.

The Beginning and End of Relationships

Most of us understand how relationships start—the joyful spark, the instant connection—but we rarely understand why they might end, especially if the ending feels sudden or too soon. According to Tami:

“It’s the ending that we struggle with. But that is also a juncture point of soul growth…whether we want to go through that portal or not, we go with them.”

Every parting is both a challenge and an opportunity for our souls to evolve.

Navigating Loss: Keeping the Connection Alive

So many of us have felt it: When a beloved pet passes away, it feels like the end of the story. Tami gently confronts this belief.

“We’ve been taught that that’s the end, you’re over, end of story. But it’s not. It’s not at all.”

The connection you share with your pet is not erased by death. In fact, the relationship can deepen in new, beautiful ways. It’s about tuning in, listening with the heart, and learning a new language—one you were already using, but didn’t realize.

Tami’s “Letting Go” Series: The Four Pillars

In a recent class, Tami broke down the process of letting go into four modules:

What is Letting Go?Busting myths and addressing the fear of losing the connection.
Emotional Aftermath:Identifying and sitting with emotions, like guilt and regret, after a pet passes.
Threshold Module:Meeting the sticky, heavy emotions face-to-face, finding healing in acknowledgment.
Creating a New Relationship:Moving into connection with your animal’s spirit, finding new ways to communicate.

These steps aren’t about forgetting your pet, but about allowing the love to evolve and remain alive.

The Language of Animal Communication

Tami believes everyone has the ability to communicate with their pets, whether they are alive or have passed on. It’s a skill that’s often dormant, worn smooth by years of overthinking or lacking instruction, but it’s never lost.

If you want to experience this for yourself, Tami suggests a simple heart exercise:

Drop into your heart.
Remember a special animal.
See if you can feel their presence.
Now, try to make them disappear from your heart.

As you’ll find: you can’t. That connection is unbreakable. It remains yours, always.

“You can’t break the connection. It’s yours to keep forever. And that is the thing we’re not taught.”

A Real-Life Story: Loss, Love, and Transformation

To make these points crystal clear, Tami shares real stories—her own and those from people she’s helped. Here’s a powerful example from the show, involving a guest named Gary.

Gary's Story: The Night of the Fire

Gary owned two beloved pets: Bear (a chocolate lab mix) and Piper (a cat of 14 years). One night, Bear woke Gary abruptly in the early hours, acting with uncharacteristic urgency. Moments later, Gary discovered his house was on fire.

Bear’s warning allowed Gary to escape alive. Tragically, Bear and Piper didn’t survive. Bear, after making sure Gary was out, returned to the bedroom and died from asphyxiation; Piper was never found and presumed lost in the fire.

“I don’t think I would have gotten out. I believe Bear saved my life.”

Gary lost everything that night—his animals, his home, his car, his possessions—but not his connection with Bear and Piper.

The Deeper Meaning

Tami explained that Bear and Piper’s actions were far from random; they belonged to a “soul contract.” Bear literally gave his life to save Gary, fulfilling a sacred agreement.

"It has everything to do with the soul contract you had together... They have a part in their own passing."

Gary’s loss became a portal for profound spiritual growth. With nothing left but his soul and his purpose, Gary devoted himself even more to helping others understand and cope with grief and to teaching that life is eternal.

Do Animals Choose How They Leave Us?

A question often asked—is our pet’s passing determined by fate, by our choices, or do they play a part too?

Tami shares that, in her experience, animals absolutely do have a say in how and when they transition:

“Animals have a say in their own passing... They have their own preferences, and sometimes we aren’t meant to intervene.”

There’s a comfort in knowing that, as much as we want to protect them, our pets are active agents in their own journey. In Bear’s case, he chose to fulfill his role bravely, ensuring Gary’s survival above his own.

Animal and Human Souls: Are They Different?

It’s common to wonder if animal souls are fundamentally different from human souls—is there a hierarchy or complexity that sets us apart?

Tami’s response is beautifully humble and direct:

“A soul is a soul, no matter what. Whether they’re human, animal, have wings—at the pure essence, we’re all that one soul.”

We may have more issues as humans (and perhaps more complicated stories), but the fundamental value, and the ability for growth and connection, is the same.

Do Pets Mirror Our Feelings?

One of the most intriguing insights Tami offers is that animals often mirror our emotional states. If your dog seems anxious, or your cat “has trust issues,” consider whether those feelings are showing up in your own life as well.

“The animal invariably will point to the person and say: ‘Ask them about how they trust.’ Animals are masters at helping us reflect within ourselves.”

Animals help us see ourselves as we really are and gently guide us to greater self-awareness and healing. They don’t have the barriers or masks we do; their authenticity invites us to drop ours, too.

Daily Practices to Deepen Your Connection

Ready to develop a deeper connection—whether for animal communication or just for richer companionship?

Tami’s Top Tips:

1. Become a Better Listener

Good communication is about the quality of attention and listening.

Don’t listen with your mind half on something else or waiting to speak.
Tune into the tone beneath the words (or barks, meows, or wiggles!).

2. Practice Presence

“To be present. Just sit with them. Put your hand on their body...notice their breathing and then match yours to theirs.”

Try matching your breathing and even your heartbeat to your pet’s.
This brings you straight into your own spirit and body, and into connection with theirs.

3. Get Beyond the Physical

As you practice presence, you’ll start connecting at a level beyond fur, feathers, or physical body.
When the physical is gone, you’ll more easily recognize your pet’s “soul signature.”

4. Notice When Animals Act Unusually Before Passing

Gary noticed that, before the fire, Bear and Piper were extra loving—spending more time cuddling and “talking.” Tami explains this as:

“Animals imprint their energy on you before they pass, so you can recognize them and their energy signature later.”

Saying Goodbye: The Imprint of Love

As gut-wrenching as loss can be, the love you and your animal shared doesn’t just disappear—it leaves a permanent mark on your heart and soul.

When memories are overwhelming, try this reframe:

“Think of memories as a portal to spirit—not a punishment. If I could wipe your memories completely clean of your loved one or pet, would you want that?”

Of course not. The pain is evidence of love; the connection is real and lasting. Instead of rushing through the pain, sit with it. There’s often a message or comfort hiding in the emotion.

“This is an opportunity,” Tami says, “to reflect: What was the gift we shared? What was their legacy? What am I going to carry forward because of that experience?”

Tami's Sanctuary & Grief Resources

Tami’s work is shaped not only by her deep bond with animals, but also by the many she’s cared for: dream-visitations, chance rescues, even animal “trade-offs” where one left even as another appeared. She currently runs a private animal sanctuary shaped by decades of experience and intuition. Her sanctuary is a haven for aging, rescued, and special-needs animals.

Tami is also passionate about helping people work through grief. She offers a Spirit-Guided Grief Guide—a set of gentle, intuitive practices for managing the pain and loneliness of loss. The guide supports individuals both in the rawness of new grief and those navigating a long journey with loss.

Community and Healing

Tami hosts live streams twice a month on YouTube and Facebook, often focusing on communicating with pets in spirit or creating new relationships with them post-transition.
She offers online classes and maintains a supportive community for those grieving animal loss.

“What I watched with this class I taught was, when we open the space to shared experience, it allows grief to release gently and easily, little bit by little bit… That’s what the grief guide is for.”

Final Thoughts: Begin Your New Relationship

So, what now? If you’re missing a beloved animal, or longing to deepen your bond with your animals here and now, remember:

Your connection is unbreakable.
Each animal’s arrival—and departure—holds meaning.
The relationship continues, evolving, even after physical parting.
Your love is their legacy, and you have the power to honor that in how you live and love.

Be present, listen deeply, and trust that your intuition is a bridge to your animal friends—here and beyond.

Further Resources & How to Connect with Tami Hendrix

Tami Hendrix’s Official Website
Watch her live streams on YouTube and Facebook (search for "Tami Hendrix Animal Communicator").
Download her free Spirit-Guided Grief Guide (look for the QR code or ask for the link directly from Tami's website).

Want to Work with Tami?

Tami offers one-on-one consultations, classes on animal communication, and workshops on grief and connection. Her work is guided by spirit, intuition, and—above all—a profound love for animals and the humans whose lives they touch.

Standout Quotes