From curious cats to dog’s mysterious patch – your pet queries answered

HE is on a mission to help our pets  . . . and 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.”

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Q) DO you think cats deliberately try to cheese people off?

As soon as my partner comes home from work, my cat Pudding gets in his armchair.

He ignores it the rest of the time and isn’t bothered.

But the minute my partner gets home Pudding is straight into the chair and won’t move.

LISA BARNES, Bournemouth

A) Sean says: It can certainly seem that way sometimes.

As they say, dogs have ­owners, cats have servants.

I think Pudding is just reminding your partner who really runs this house and who’s most important.

Maybe he is playing coy and wants some interaction from your partner, sitting in his chair to entice him to come and say hello.

It’s hard to say.

Cats are an enigma sometimes.

Q) MY poochon dog Kiki is nearly three.

Recently she has developed an ugly brown patch on her rear and legs.

She has been spayed, I’ve tried cleaning her but can’t get rid of the stain. Is there anything you can ­recommend?

SHELL MAKWANA, Ilford, East London

A) Sean says: Reddish brown staining on white dogs, and Bichons or their crosses, are a classic issue, often resulting from excessive licking, tear staining around the eyes or urine staining around the back end.

All of these bodily secretions contain compounds called porphyrins.

They stain the coat red or brown over time when they build up.

So as it is around her back end, I’m going to rule out tears and say this is a licking or urine issue.

Or maybe both.

If she’s getting drips of urine on her coat she will lick more, and that could be due to anatomy, especially if she was spayed very young, or a incontinence issue, which can also result from spaying too early.

I’d need to know a lot more info to get to the bottom of the problem, so I recommend a vet visit with a urine sample if you can get one.

Q) MY cat Toby can be a bit smelly. He’s getting on a bit as he’s 18.

Do you think the odd bath might help if I’m brave enough (maybe a flannel dab down rather than a full- on wash).

JAMIE BIRCH, Exeter

 A) Sean says: Causes for a “smelly cat, smelly cat” are varied. I’d first ask the cat: “What are they feeding you?”.

Then ask you if Toby is your favourite pet, and if you’ve taken him to the vet.

For anyone getting that reference, myself and Phoebe from Friends salute you.

Seriously though, I’d worry about Toby’s teeth, whether he might have gum disease or a dental infection causing the pong, or whether he’s perhaps too stiff and sore to groom his coat, leading to a greasy, scurfy coat and smell.

I’d recommend a health check at the vets to find out.

Q) OUR six-year-old pug Lola has recently started barking at 2.30am and won’t stop until me or my partner gets up.

She’s not lonely as her brother is next to her and it’s not noise disturbing her as she’s deaf.

As soon as one of us gets up, she stops. Any help would be appreciated.

DAVID WILLIAMS, Manchester

 A) Sean says: This is tricky as she is deaf, so she may just be looking for reassurance, but doesn’t hear you ­giving it to her.

Then the only way she gets it is by you or your partner physically getting up to give her attention.

Which then perpetuates the cycle all over again.

You’ve got into a pretty bad habit, and I don’t see an easy way out apart from completely ignoring her barking, but I appreciate that’s tricky in the circumstances.

A qualified behaviourist may be your best bet here.

Star of the week

VELMA the cat lost her faith in humans after she was abandoned, but she has learned to love and trust again thanks to the healing power of reiki.

The one-year-old was terrified when first rescued by the RSPCA at Christmas from a home in Durham.

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But after weekly sessions of the therapy that can heal trauma, she’s now ready for her furr-ever home.

An RSPCA spokesman said: “She has responded very well to weekly reiki sessions, which has helped her to feel at ease.”

Find out more at rspca.org.uk/local/warrington-halton-and-st-helens-branch.

No walkies can be good for dogs

TODAY is #DontWalkYourDogDay, which raises awareness that not all pooches love walkies.

Dog trainer Niki French, 54, says walks are an ordeal for some stressed and anxious pets – and also impact on owners’ mental health.

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Doing something different for a day can help you find other ways to bond.

Niki said: “When you’ve got a dog who isn’t confident around other dogs and people, it can really impact on your mental health.

“You don’t have to walk your dog every day if your dog doesn’t always enjoy it.”

Alternatives include using enrichment toys like snuffle mats where the dog sniffs out treats and food puzzles, playing with tug toys, hide and seek or even taking your dog swimming at a hydrotherapy centre.

Niki, author of Stop Walking Your Dog, practised what she preaches on her rescue dog Bodie, four, a Lurcher-Collie cross.

She also surveyed owners who tried taking “rest days”. A huge 70 per cent reported that taking their dog out less has improved life for them, and one in ten said their dog was calmer.

Niki, from puptalk.co.uk, added: “Dogs are family for many of us, and if they’re unhappy, that impacts on our feelings too.”