HE is on a mission to help our pets. . . and she is here to answer YOUR questions.
Sean, who is the head vet at tailored pet food firm tails.com, has helped with owners’ queries for ten years. He says: “If your pet is acting funny or is under the weather, or you want to know about nutrition or exercise, just ask. I can help keep pets happy and healthy.” If you want him to answer a question for YOU simply email him at [email protected]
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Q) I’VE a rescue cat called Claude and mine is his third home. But he doesn’t seem to have the fun he should do outdoors.
He asks to go out of the back door, wanders round to the front then just sits about.
I let him in again and he does the same. This would go on all day long if I let it.
He’s not getting quality of life and doesn’t go exploring like most cats. Any suggestions on how to move forward with this?
GINA MOLLARD, Gtr Manchester
TO) I have a very easy solution, Gina. It’s called a cat flap.
If you are worried about other cats coming in, you can buy one that only lets Claude in, using an attachment on his collar.
I’m worried about your quality of life as his door slave, up and down all day and night.
Put your feet up and invest in a good flap.
Q) MY dog Rocky, a mixed-breed rescue from Spain, is nearly 11 years old and for a long time he has suffered with bad digestive problems.
In June 2021 our vet referred him to a specialist and they said he had irritable bowel syndrome.
But none of the medications he was prescribed seems to be working.
Rocky used to weigh 18kg but he is now 10.5kg and skeletal.
He is constantly drinking and urinating and his coat is in a dreadful condition.
RAYMEN MIA, Lowestoft, Suffolk
TO) Poor Rocky has really been through it, hasn’t he?
If he hasn’t been to his regular vet recently, I would recommend booking him in for a re-check.
Lots can change in the space of a few months.
Being 11, with weight loss, excess thirst and urination, I would worry there may be something else going on, perhaps with the kidneys, liver, and even diabetes.
Got a question for Sean?
SEND your queries to [email protected].
Q) MY tabby Mystic came home with his tail hanging off.
The vet managed to stitch it back on but I wish I knew how it happened.
Any suggestions on how I can stop him being prone accident, fighting and getting into scrapes?
He refuses to be a house cat.
SEAN BOW, Plymouth
TO) Poor Mystic. This is a really difficult one.
If your cat is going out in a busy cat neighborhood, there’s always the possibility of friction.
First things first, I presume (and hope) he is neutered.
Unneutered male cats fight more and are more prone to injury and potentially fatal diseases such as feline leukemia virus.
If there is an un-neutered tom cat in the area it would be worth tracking down his owner and asking if they’d consider neutering him.
You could look at keeping Mystic from venturing beyond your garden, which would be safer for him, and hopefully allow him to defend a smaller territory.
There are various ways to do this, including screens to fit to the top of your fences.
Q) DOLLY, my 23-month-old French bulldog, has started trying to go for vehicles on our walks.
She has also started pulling the lead as if she can’t get to where we are going quickly enough.
How can I stop both habits?
ISOBEL SWEENEY, Auchinloch, North Lanarks
TO) That’s a dangerous behavior that really needs nipping in the bud.
It’s probably fear or anxiety-based, so for the moment it’s vital to prevent Dolly having the opportunity to display that behaviour.
The more she does it and “fends off” cars, the more ingrained the behavior will become.
Next step is to hire a qualified animal behaviourist to come with you on a walk and observe exactly what’s happening, and why.
They can then give you homework on how best to tackle it.
stars of the week
FORMER stray cat Mikey, five, helped his new family smile after the heartache of losing a baby.
The world crumbled for Jessica Barnard, 28, from Southend-on-Sea, Essex, and her 30-year-old partner Connor when their boy was stillborn in July 2017.
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A friend told her of a stray being cared for by Cats Protection that needed a safe home after having an eye removed due to an abscess.
They took him in and he has helped them navigate their grief.
Their family also now includes three-year-old son Jenson.
Jessica said: “When Mikey arrived everything seemed that little bit better. He brings nothing but love and we have a very close bond.”
Know a puss that deserves recognition? Find out how to nominate at cats.org.uk/national-cat-awards.
WIN: Two-night break
WE are still in Walk Your Dog Month.
To mark it, Devon Coastal Cottages is offering one reader a £300 voucher for a two-night self-catering stay.
It’s for up to four people, with dogs, on a weekend in March. Your pet will love the dog-friendly beaches.
To enter, send an email titled DEVON COASTAL COTTAGES by February 13 to [email protected] See devoncoastalcottages.co.uk.
T&Cs.
Dogs top bill on the big screen
WE are known as a nation of dog lovers – and now canines have trounced cats in a poll to find the country’s favorite films featuring pets.
Man’s best friend holds the first four places in the ten most popular cat and dog films, in a poll carried out by money.co.uk/pet-insurance.htm.
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Topping the charts was Hachi: A Dog’s Tale, a 2009 tear-jerker starring Richard Gere about the loyalty of a rescued Akita to its owner.
Crime comedy Cruella from 2021, based on 101 Dalmatians book character Cruella de Vil, came in second, pushing 1961’s 101 Dalmatians into third place.
Fourth was 1955 Disney classic Lady And The Tramp about a pampered cocker spaniel who finds herself out on the streets.
In fifth came Britain’s favorite cat movie – Disney’s 1970 film The Aristocats.
Next up was dogs again with The Fox And The Hound, from 1981, while 2002 movie The Cat Returns came seventh.
The website’s pet insurance expert Salman Haqqi said: “The answer to the question of whether we are a nation of dog or cat lovers has finally been revealed by our favorite films starring pets on the big screen.”