{"id":84615,"date":"2023-11-05T01:21:15","date_gmt":"2023-11-05T01:21:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mylifestylemax.com\/?p=84615"},"modified":"2023-11-05T01:21:15","modified_gmt":"2023-11-05T01:21:15","slug":"from-purring-gerbils-to-obsessed-cats-your-pet-queries-answered-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mylifestylemax.com\/lifestyle\/from-purring-gerbils-to-obsessed-cats-your-pet-queries-answered-the-sun\/","title":{"rendered":"From purring gerbils to obsessed cats – your pet queries answered | The Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"

HE is on a mission to help our pets\u2009 .\u2009.\u2009.\u2009and is here to answer YOUR questions.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sean, who is the head vet at tailored pet food firm tails.com, has helped with owners\u2019 queries for ten years. He says: \u201cIf 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.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n<\/p>\n

Q) OUR gerbils Barbie and Kendra purr just like cats. <\/strong><\/p>\n

They also like to wrestle but then finish by grooming one another.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Does this mean they are happy or are they finding a pecking order?<\/strong><\/p>\n

They are sisters and both six months old. <\/strong><\/p>\n

READ MORE PAWS AND CLAWS<\/h2>\n

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From a neutered cat to a timid hamster \u2014 your pet queries answered<\/h3>\n

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From parrot mimicking the doorbell to anxious dog \u2014 your pet queries answered<\/h3>\n

They particularly purr during cuddles.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rhiannon South, Reading<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

A)<\/strong> This all sounds to me like perfectly normal gerbil etiquette and behaviour.<\/p>\n

The wrestling is play and it\u2019s a sign they are getting along well.<\/p>\n

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Perhaps there is also an element of testing who\u2019s in charge, too.<\/p>\n

The purring is usually a sign of contentment and often happens during a spot of mutual grooming.<\/p>\n

Got a question for Sean?<\/h3>\n

SEND your queries to vet@the-sun.co.uk<\/strong><\/p>\n

Q) WHY is my cat Tim obsessed with cardboard boxes?<\/strong><\/p>\n

He has comfy beds (both cat and human), a sofa, armchair and high and low-placed cat beds \u2014 and even a radiator bed for warm snuggles.<\/strong><\/p>\n

But no, all he wants is a plain cardboard box.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It looks like I forgot to put the rubbish out but he\u2019s so happy when he\u2019s curled up in one<\/strong><\/p>\n

Any idea why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Maggie Brown, Exeter<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

A)<\/strong> Tim\u2019s not the only one. Most cats love a cardboard box.<\/p>\n

I think it gives them a nice secure place from which to survey their kingdom.<\/p>\n

They can duck down behind its walls if danger threatens. <\/p>\n

And maybe it mimics the kind of tight den spaces their ancestors would have sought out in the wild.<\/p>\n

Q) MY mixed-breed dog Mo won\u2019t leave me alone and even tries to get in the bath or shower.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I tell him I love him but he needs to give me some space.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If I shut the door he scratches on it non-stop until I give in and open and the door.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I work from home, so I figure he either loves me or it\u2019s a form of separation anxiety or maybe a bit of both.<\/strong><\/p>\n

How should I deal with it without hurting his feelings? <\/strong><\/p>\n

He\u2019s two and he\u2019s a good boy in all ways with no behavioural issues.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He\u2019s happy to be left for short \u00adperiods when I go out.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Meg Patrick, Glasgow<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

A)<\/strong> He sounds like a character, and you are probably right that this is a hyper attachment type of separation anxiety. <\/p>\n

Some will say if it\u2019s not causing any harm and makes him feel less anxious, then allow him to be close to you.<\/p>\n

Others recommend building a little distance in the home to teach him it\u2019s OK and nothing bad happens through being alone, or at least in left another room.<\/p>\n

See-through baby gates can be a useful halfway house.<\/p>\n

Q) PUMPKIN, my two-year-old cat, grooms himself constantly. Should I worry?<\/strong><\/p>\n

He doesn\u2019t have any skin irritation or fleas but it\u2019s extreme. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Is he a poseur or could it be something else, like anxiety or pain?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sarah Smith, Kettering, Northants<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

A)<\/strong> If there is no skin irritation or hair loss, patchiness or a broken coat then it\u2019s likely that Pumpkin is a clean and image-conscious cat.<\/p>\n

Some groom more than others. <\/p>\n

Over-grooming one area, such as over a certain joint or the base of the spine for example, can sometimes be an indicator of pain.<\/p>\n

But we expect that to happen more in older cats.<\/p>\n

If Pumpkin is grooming all over I\u2019d think it\u2019s normal for him.<\/p>\n

If in doubt, a vet check is always good to ease your mind.<\/p>\n

Star of the week<\/h2>\n

MIRACLE pup Opie was given just weeks to live after being born with a rare heart defect.<\/p>\n

But two years on, the cute labrador is living life to the max at home with Julie Parsons, 53, an RSPCA inspector from West Sussex.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Opie has climbed Mount Snowdon, run in forests, ridden in a fire engine, eaten ice cream, met Santa and attended a black-tie dinner and a Remembrance Sunday service.<\/p>\n

Julie said: \u201cI just wish I\u2019d added puppy-training classes at the start, because he\u2019s turned into a cheeky little chap.\u201d<\/p>\n

To give a dog a new lease of life, go to rspca.org.uk\/findapet.<\/p>\n

WIN: Dog talking kit<\/h3>\n

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IF you\u2019ve ever wondered what your dog is trying to tell you, Brightkins can help. <\/p>\n

The firm is giving three readers the chance to win a Hunger For Words range of pet communication buttons, each worth \u00a392.<\/p>\n

Developed with Christina Hunger, who wrote the book How Stella Learned To Talk, about her dog. <\/p>\n

To enter, send an email headed Brightkins to sunday pets@the-sun.co.uk, by Nov 19. <\/p>\n

See brightkins. co.uk. T&Cs apply.<\/p>\n

Cats suffer as rising costs bite<\/h2>\n

A THIRD of Britain\u2019s 11million cat owners have been \u201csignificantly and negatively impacted\u201d by the cost-of-living crisis, according to an in-depth study.<\/p>\n

Cats Protection\u2019s new Cats And Their Stats report also reveals that 330,000 people now rely on food banks to feed their pets.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A further 14 per cent seriously worry about how they will meet their cat\u2019s needs in future.<\/p>\n

Of these, seven per cent say they have already reduced spending on necessities such as cat food.<\/p>\n

The report also found that 13 per cent of people who used to own a cat but no longer do say it is because they can\u2019t afford it.<\/p>\n

Cats Protection CEO John May said: \u201cThe report suggests that concerns about the cost of living are having the tangible effect of preventing cats from entering or remaining within loving homes.<\/p>\n

"We\u2019ve noticed in recent months that calls to our contact centre to give a cat up have increased while those wanting to adopt have gone down.\u201d<\/p>\n

The charity has an online hub on its website with information on how to look after a cat on a budget.<\/p>\n

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It also runs schemes to help people on limited incomes with the cost of microchipping and neutering their cats<\/p>\n

See cats.org.uk for more information and advice.<\/p>\n

Source: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

HE is on a mission to help our pets\u2009 .\u2009.\u2009.\u2009and is here to answer YOUR questions. 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