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.
Sean McCormack, head vet at tails.com, promises he can ‘help keep pets happy and healthy’
GettyBruno, thinks he’s a Chihuahua – which is not good when he acts like a lap dog[/caption]
Q) MY Great Dane, Bruno, thinks he’s a Chihuahua. How can I teach him he’s not?
He believes he’s a lapdog which is hilarious but he clearly has no concept of how big he is.
SARAH SMITH, Guildford, Surrey
Sean says: My best advice is to enlist the help of a qualified animal behaviourist to come and observe you and Bruno’s interactions in the home.
I can give you all the hints and tricks I’ve accumulated but you will get much better results from an expert who can point out the subtle ways you and your Chihuahua- wannabe communicate.
It’s often just as much the owner as it is the dog when it comes to unwanted behaviours.
There are three great organisations — APBC (Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors), ABTC (Animal Behaviour and Training Council) and CCAB (Certified Clinical Animal Behaviour) — who list accredited animal behaviourists in your area. Have a look at their sites.
Q) I AM thinking of stopping my cat Elsa from roaming free as she’s a terrible mouser.
I’m considering a catio. How big do you recommend?
Or, as she has been used to going out for three years, would she be happier to still have her freedom?
SAM KNIGHT, Bradford, West Yorks
Sean says: Catios are a great way to provide the enrichment and outdoor access your cat loves, while protecting not only wildlife but also your cat’s safety and health.
There is no maximum size for one (within planning regulations). Give her as much room as you can.
Lots of vertical space, platforms, and walkways are great. The other option is to cat-proof garden fences or walls with nets hanging inward that keep Elsa in the garden.
There are a few companies that fit these. It may not prevent the odd mouse or bird getting caught though.
Q) HOW easy will it be to house train my three-month-old rabbits Ariel and Aurora?
They have an outdoor run but I bring them in at night. How would I introduce a litter tray etc? Or have I left it too late?
Currently they pee outside, but in winter they will become full house rabbits so I want to crack this now.
SARAH CARTER, Leicester
Sean says: It’s usually pretty easy. Place a tray in a quiet location with easy access for them, with some of their own soiled bedding inside on newspaper. Then, top tip, hang a hay rack with good quality feeding hay next to, or overhanging, the tray.
They should hop inside to feed, recognising their own scent, and do a few poos as they merrily eat. And that’s it. Once they develop a favourite toileting spot it usually becomes second nature to them.
You need to clean up any other spots where accidents have happened to eliminate the scent asap.
Q) WHENEVER I come home from work, my daughter’s dog Moose grabs one of my shoes and runs around with it.
How can I discourage this annoying shoe fetish?
ANDY WOOD, East Grinstead, West Sussex
Sean says: Moose is just happy to see you. By any chance, is he a retrieving breed? This is their love language, and what better toy to play with than a shoe that smells of you?
You can place your footwear higher up in a shoe rack or out of reach, and replace what’s available to Moose using a selection of more suitable toys that he’s allowed to chew and slobber all over.
Star of the week
Once dubbed the saddest rescue cat, 22-year-old Carrot is now up for a national award after helping her owners through tough timesSupplied
CARROT was once the “saddest” cat in a rescue centre – now she’s up for a national award.
Owners Charlotte, 32, and Rob Warren, 42, a car sales manager, rescued the 22-year-old, who has just three teeth, after asking for a puss no one else wanted.
She repaid them by keeping their spirits up when they had to live in a caravan for seven months while waiting to move home.
Charlotte, of Hereford, said: “We thought we would only be in it for a couple of weeks.
“It was really tough because it was tiny, but Carrot stuck with us through the entire thing.
“We’d come home and find her happy little face greeting us.”
Carrot is now the oldest nominee for this year’s Cats Protection National Cat Awards.
Win: Gtech vacuum worth £399.99
GTECH is offering one lucky reader a Gtech AirRam 3 cordless vacuum worth £399.99.
It’s great for pet hair.
To enter, send an email headed GTECH to [email protected] by August 17. T&Cs apply.
Gtech’s Power Through Everything campaign brings a Pink AirRam 3, with 20 per cent of proceeds going to help beat cancer.
OK, WHO’S GOT AN EILISH WOLFHOUND?
SuppliedHave you named your dog after a star? You’re not alone[/caption]
PEOPLE love naming pets after their favourite stars, with the top choice now Billie, after Billie Eilish.
New data from Pets At Home has also revealed that Coldplay’s Chris Martin and Oasis’s Gallagher brothers are in the naming top ten.
The TikTok hashtag “pet names dedicated to Billie Eilish” has a staggering 58.4MILLION posts.
Noel and Liam are at numbers nine and ten of dog names, with Chris pipping them to eighth. But only Noel makes it into the feline top ten, at number eight.
Ed Sheeran, US singing sensation Benson Boone and Lewis Capaldi are also popular, along with Sabrina Carpenter. A Pets At Home spokesman said: “While cats are the most common recipients of the names, dogs aren’t far behind.”
Pets At Home has even launched a £4 bucket hat, like those worn by Billie Eilish and Liam Gallagher, that your pet can wear in homage to their namesake.
Top celeb dog names: 1. Benson (Boone); 2. Billie; 3. Robbie (Williams); 4. Lewis (Capaldi); 5. Ed (Sheeran); 6. Drake; 7. Olivia (Rodrigo); 8. Chris (Martin); 9. Noel (Gallagher), 10. Liam (Gallagher).
Top celeb cat names: 1. Billie; 2. Ed; 3. Sabrina (Carpenter); 4. Olivia (Rodrigo); 5. Lewis; 6. Robbie (Williams); 7. Benson; 8. Noel; 9. Chris; 10. Drake.
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