He is on a mission to help our animals. . . and is here to answer your questions.
Sean, who is the head veterinarian at a pet food company tails.com, has been helping with property owners’ inquiries for ten years. He says: “If your pet is acting funny or under the weather, or you want to know about nutrition or exercise, just ask. I can help keep the animal happy and healthy.”
Q) OUR gerbils Barbie and Kendra purr like cats.
They also like to fight, but then they end up caring for each other.
Does this mean they are happy or they find a pecking order?
They are sisters and both six months old.
Especially purr during cuddles.
Rhiannon South, Reading
HAS) This all sounds like perfectly normal gerbil etiquette and behavior to me.
The fight is played and it is a sign that they are doing well.
Perhaps there is also an element of testing that is also in charge.
Purring is usually a sign of contentment and often occurs during a spot of mutual grooming.
Q) WHY is my cat Tim obsessed with cardboard boxes?
It has comfy beds (both cat and human), a sofa, armchair and high and low cat beds – and even a radiator bed for warm snuggles.
But no, all he wants is a cardboard box.
I seem to have forgotten to put out the trash but he is so happy when he is curled up in one
Any idea why?
Maggie Brown, Exeter
HAS) Tim is not alone. Most cats love a cardboard box.
I think it gives him a nice safe place from which to survey his kingdom.
They can hide behind their walls if danger threatens.
And maybe it mimics the kind of tight den spaces that their ancestors would have sought out in the wild.
Q) My mixed breed dog Mo won’t leave me alone and even tries to put me in the bath or shower.
I tell him that I love him but I need to give him some space.
If I close the door he scratches on it non-stop until I give up and open the door.
I work from home so I think he either loves me or it’s some form of separation anxiety or maybe a little bit of both.
How should I deal with her without hurting her feelings?
He is two years old and is a good boy in every way with no behavioral problems.
He is happy to be left for short periods when he goes out.
Meg Patrick, Glasgow
HAS) It sounds like a character, and you’re probably right that this is a hyper-attachment type of separation anxiety.
Some will say if it doesn’t cause any harm and makes them feel less anxious, then allow him to be around you.
Others recommend building some distance at home to teach him that it’s okay and nothing bad happens to be alone, or at least in another room left.
Transparent baby gates can be a semi-useful house.
Q) PUMPKIN, my two-year-old cat, is constantly grooming himself. Should I worry?
It has no skin irritation or fleas, but it is extreme.
Is it a poseur or could it be something else, like anxiety or pain?
Sarah Smith, Kettering, Northants
HAS) If there is no skin irritation or hair loss, patchiness or a broken coat then it is likely that Pumpkin is a clean cat and aware of the image.
Some groom more than others.
Over-grooming an area, such as over a certain joint or at the base of the spine for example, can sometimes be an indicator of pain.
But we expect it to happen more in older cats.
If Pumpkin is grooming at all, I think it’s normal for him.
In case of doubt, a veterinary check is always good to ease your mind.
Star of the week
MIRACLE puppy Opie was given just weeks to live after being born with a rare heart defect.
But two years on, the cute labrador is living life to the fullest at home with Julie Parsons, 53, an RSPCA inspector from West Sussex.
Opie climbed Mount Snowdon, ran in forests, rode a fire engine, ate ice cream, met Santa and attended a black tie dinner and a Remembrance Sunday service.
Julie said, “I just wanted to add puppy training classes at the beginning because he’s become a cheeky guy.”
To give a dog a new lease of life, go to rspca.org.uk/findapet.
WIN: Talking kit for dogs
IF you’ve ever wondered what your dog is trying to say, Brightkins can help.
The firm is giving three readers the chance to win a range of Hunger For Words pet communication buttons, each worth £92.
Developed with Christina Hunger, who wrote the book How Stella Learned to Speak, about her dog.
To enter, send an email entitled Brightkins to Sunday pets@the-sun.co.uk, by November 19.
See Brightkins. co.uk IT & C apply.
Cats suffer as the cost increases
A THIRD of Britain’s 11 million cat owners have been ‘significantly and negatively impacted’ cost of living crisis, according to an in-depth study.
Cats Protection’s new Cats And Their Stats report also reveals that 330,000 people now rely on food banks to feed their pets.
Another 14 percent are seriously worried about how they will meet their cat’s needs in the future.
Of these, seven percent say they have already reduced spending on necessities like cat food.
The report also found that 13 percent of people who had a cat, but no longer say that it is because they can not afford it.
Cats Protection CEO John May said: “The report suggests that concerns about the cost of living are having the tangible effect of stopping cats from entering or staying in loving homes.
“We have noticed in recent months that calls to our contact center to donate a cat have increased while those wanting to adopt have decreased.”
The charity has an online center on its website with information on how to care for a cat on a budget.
It also runs schemes to help people on a limited income with the cost of microchipping and neutering their cats
See cats.org.uk for more information and advice.
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