Hi
Well I haven't read all the posts here, sorry. I find interesting the idea to invent an animal communicator.
Thinking of it, I know about a great and already invented possible mean to communicate with animals. I'm a musician, playing guitar and bass. I love watching nature espacially how birds evolve, how animal species evolve, just in front of my eyes. I discovered some "logic" in bird singings, what I may call patterns.
I know it sounds a bit delirious, but I'm convinced (as a certain scientist BATESON) that music can be a way to communicate with animals.
I just tried to play some music to my cat, as many did before me. Music as I see it (blues, jazz, or just acoustic guitar sweet melodies) just seemed to freighten my cat. If I play unlogical patterns (you would call that cacophony :P) the cat responds differently, judging by its behavior.
When you listen to a little bird singing (let's call it "Mésange" in French), you can here some high frequency "bips", always ended by a low frequency "bip".
The number of "bips" changes all the time, and "echoed" responded by other "mésanges" around. Just like a conversation between two jazz musicians.
I just see patterns in bird singings, as in wolves's hawlings, or dog's barkings. Patterns that informs other members of each species about the proximity of a food source, an imminent danger, or simply the location of home.
I may be wrong and you think I'm totally mad but maybe if someone think this hypothesis is worthy, please share your opinion
One last thing : I think we'd better try to understand how animals communicate between them, rather than teach them to communicate with us.