In Hong Kong I can't walk past the wet market because I can hear the fish crying out that they're suffocating or, in the past, chickens shrieking that they wanted to get out of the cages. I've also noticed how animals tend to live in the present despite what might have happened in the past.

I spent a lot of my early schooldays having tonsillitis. That was worrying in the 1950s because there was evidence that if you were forced to have your tonsils out, there was an increased chance of contracting polio, a widely feared disease that could lead to paralysis.

My mum had to work - she was a waitress - so my being ill meant I spent a lot of time in hospital.

I think now I was quite a nervous child and not able to say what I really wanted to. At one point we walked the streets of London, so for me school gave me some security.

However, I found I was a bit behind the others - although I had a good IQ. Some even thought I was stupid but in fact I had dyslexia. Later, I failed the 11-plus - an exam that would have sent me to grammar school.

It was quite obvious to me that I was dyslexic - as my mum was and probably my grandfather was. We didn't know it as such then and instead I ended up going to a convent school, where I found I was good at art and drawing.

I loved the boys. I'd sit and daydream about them. But we were also careful with them because in those days there wasn't the pill to guard against unwanted pregnancy. You didn't sleep around unless you were very promiscuous.

At secondary school we were streamed and I was in the A one for maths yet the D stream for English.

Luckily, Mrs Austin taught history and needlework, and took special needs classes for students such as me. I think she had a daughter who was dyslexic, now I come to think of it.

I ended up being moved up to the A stream for English, although, I have to say, at the expense of my maths and arts subjects.

We also had an art teacher who was ahead of the times and a music teacher who had a beautiful voice. I couldn't sing to save my life but she'd include me, positioning me in such a way that my voice would be drowned out.

When I reached the age of 13, I had to think about what I was going to do. In those days you became a secretary or did arts subjects. In the end though I worked in a bookshop, which was ironic seeing as I didn't find it easy to read or write.

I met my husband at the age of 21 after I'd become a vegetarian. He was a vet and life blossomed with animals from there on.

Then we decided to travel, which is how we came to Hong Kong 31 years ago, ending up with budgerigars and a cat who was mentally disturbed.

For me animals mean brothers and sisters - they're friends and companions and make life more complete. I've never had babies but I have dogs now - though that's not to say I always have good relationships with animals because I don't.

When I first came to Hong Kong, some people told me dogs were for eating. How times have changed.

Later, a particular dog breed would become the fashion based on which Cantopop star had one.

It was a friend who told me 20 years ago that I should start charging people to find out why their pets behaved the way they did. It progressed from there.

In my experience, when you're a bit different people will tend to seize on it, which is why I lacked confidence.

At one stage, I'd even do job interviews for practise because of the effect dyslexia had on me.

Now though, I've learned to live with it and in fact I just don't let people know I can't spell very well.

Rosina Arquati is a telepathic communicator with animals. She was talking to David Phair