Pet’s Corner Q&A
My parents are due to go travelling in the summer and, for the first time, there will be no one at home to look after their 15 year old cat Lily. She could stay with me, but I’m worried she won’t know the area. What else can we do?
Choosing the right care for Lily while your parents go travelling is really important, as cats can find change very stressful.
There are a couple of options to consider. As cats can be upset with a change of environment, it may be better to ask a friendly neighbour to pop in and check on Lily twice a day to give her fuss and make sure she has food, water and a changed litter tray.
Alternatively a house sitter that lives in while the family are away could work better, so there’s a constant companion.
Your local vets may have a list of suitable carers.
Our four-year-old dog Barny seems to be scared of children. We don’t have children ourselves, but when we’re out walking we have to put her on her lead if we spot children because she will snap at them if they come too close. What can we do?
There are many different reasons for aggression.
Barny may be anxious or aggressive towards children because he was not socialised with them when he was a puppy, or it could be that a child has spooked him on a previous meeting.
Discuss this with your vet, they may suggest a referral to an accredited pet behaviourist, as well as offering other options and advice.
In the meantime continue to be careful, such as never opening an outside door without your dog being under control on a lead, and keeping him away from children.
My dog Bear has chewed her paw so much it is now very raw. Is there anything I can do to help her stop and ease the pain?
There are several possible reasons Bear is chewing her paw.
She could be in pain, for example caused by arthritis, an infected wound, allergy, or as a result of a bite or sting, which can also be very itchy and can cause licking and chewing.
Some dogs lick persistently because of stress or boredom, so make sure Bear’s getting lots of exercise and has lots of toys to play with.
I recommend a visit to your vet to find out the cause, and the most appropriate treatment.
Your vet may ask for more detail such as when she seems to chew her paw, when it started and any other behaviours out of character so go ready with any extra information too.