“I felt like a small boy was talking to me,” she recalled. Her children weren’t home, and it took her a while to uncover what was happening. “I realised the dog was trying to communicate with me.”
For the 47-year-old, this gift of connecting with pets – both living and deceased – has become her life’s calling. “I do this to help people understand their pets better,” she told FMT Lifestyle.
“It’s not about the money. I charge very little because this is special, something that brings comfort to people,” added the mother of three.
Chui, who lives in Cheras, is also an aromatherapist and president of the Malaysia Aromatherapy Association. But her true passion lies in helping people connect with their pets on a much, much deeper level.
Whether it’s a cat upset about competing in shows, or a dog craving more affection, Chui claims to feel what the animals feel. “I look into their eyes and talk to their souls. They don’t speak in words. They send me feelings, emotions.”
From a young age, Chui experienced signs of her connection to the spiritual world. At 15, she said, she began to see spirits – encounters that left her scared to leave the house.
Years later, after trying to block out these visions, she had a dream in which a deity urged her to embrace her ability. “I knew I couldn’t run from it anymore,” she added.
For 10 years, Chui studied Taoism to refine her spiritual skills, even travelling to Heilongjiang, China, to learn from a master. But naysayers discouraged her, saying she was crazy: “They said it wasn’t scientific, that I was wasting my time.”
But she didn’t let this stop her. Chui knew what she was experiencing was real, and the comfort she brings to pet owners today proves it. “Talking to animals wasn’t something my sifu taught me – it’s a gift from God.”
Her work extends beyond the living: she also helps pet owners connect with their deceased furkids, though it’s more challenging, often taking nearly an hour versus 15 minutes with living pets.
Some days are tougher than others, especially with difficult cases. Chui recalls a particularly heartbreaking situation: an adult dog mistreated after his puppy cuteness faded. His owners neglected and abused him.
“He was so confused,” she recounted. “He kept asking, ‘Why am I not like the expensive dogs? Why am I not beautiful anymore?’ It took three visits before he trusted me enough to talk.”
Despite the emotional toll her work takes, Chui remains humble and grounded. She keeps a low profile, largely shying away from social media, and only began offering her services in Malaysia two months ago.
Chui can be found at certain pet events in shopping malls, and she also travels to as far as Ipoh and Johor for house calls. But her dream is to one day open her own centre, so she can meet more families and their furkids.
For now, she is grateful for the opportunity to bridge the gap between pets and their humans. “This is a bigger power,” she said with a smile, “one that I’m honoured to have.”
Mickey Chui can be reached at 012-306 3428 or via Instagram.