From anti social cats to lively Labradors — 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) OUR six-year-old cat Blue is not sociable at all.

If we are on the sofa he sits on the other one.

When we go to bed, he sleeps at the top of the stairs.

Should he deign to sit on my lap, I scratch and speak nicely to him, but it lasts for all of five minutes.

I can even sense when he is about to get off.

He is our only cat, and there are no young children or other animals in the house. Any advice please?

Lucy Setford, Sidcup, SE London

A) This is just cats, Lucy.

Sometimes you win the cat lotto and get a real “puppy-dog” puss that relishes cuddles, affection and play.

Other times you get one that really loves their own company and, dare I say, sees your home as a place to sleep and get free food.

It can be the luck of the draw, and the independence of their pet is what many cat owners enjoy about them.

The last thing to do is to force Blue into uncomfortable interactions, cuddle sessions and love when he’s not keen.

That can be stressful for them. You may just have to accept yours is not a cuddle monster.

Q) MY son wants a snake.

Is there any way of avoiding feeding them frozen mice?

Is there a food mix for snakes like there is for cats or dogs?

Martin Ross, Cleethorpes, Lincs

A) There are some processed products made by US brands that are effectively sausages for snakes, but I’m not sure if they are available in the UK, or whether they are healthy in the long term.

It’s always best with pet reptiles to mimic what they require in the wild.

But not all snakes eat rodents.

Garter snakes, for example, largely eat fish and earthworms, so that could be an option if you are squeamish about feeding mice.

It’s important to research carefully the types of fish you can feed, and use fresh strips of fish as well as frozen and defrosted.

If you are not careful they can develop thiamine or Vitamin B1 deficiencies, due to the presence of the enzyme thiaminase in certain fish which destroys vitamin B1 in the diet.

A varied diet is always better than relying on single food items.

Q) HUCKY, my ten-year-old black Labrador, still charges around like a loon.

He jumps up and down and loves it.

But the next day he limps around and is a bit slow.

Sometimes it seems like it’s his back legs, other times the front.

I’ve been told labs like to please. Is he running around in pain to keep everyone happy?

Or is it arthritis and he doesn’t actually feel any pain until the next day?

Clare Axworthy, Wembury, Devon

A) Labradors age faster in the body than in the mind, for sure, so while Hucky still thinks he’s an agile young pup and displays all the same enthusiasm for life, the fact is he is now approaching his “older gent” era.

There’s plenty of life left in him, but his joints are likely letting him down and getting stiff.

The day after vigorous exercise is usually the worst and, yes, if you notice him visibly stiff or hobbling a bit, that is pain.

The issue is dogs, and especially labs, are stoic.

They don’t associate that pain or discomfort with what they did yesterday, so unfortunately they don’t tend to self-regulate the following day by reining in their enthusiasm.

Labs as a breed are prone to arthritis, so I’m assuming it’s this but it might be worth having your vet do a full physical exam just in case there’s something easier to remedy.

There are so many ways to help alleviate pain in arthritic dogs.

We’ve written a few blogs on the topic at tails.com/blog.

Star of the week

SUITCASE stowaway Lucky the Gecko survived a 5,000-mile journey from Zanzibar to Wakefield, leading the RSPCA to urge holiday-makers to check their bags before flying home.

The tiny lizard is the latest exotic reptile to accidentally emigrate to the UK post-pandemic.

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Animal rescue officer David Holgate said: “It is a big surprise the gecko survived a long-haul journey in a suitcase.”

A spokesman from Reptilia Exotic Animal Rescue in Ossett, West Yorks, which is now caring for him, said: “Accidentally imported geckos are seen in most reptile rescues up and down the country.”

Fears over dogs in nappies trend

DOG owners have been warned not to use nappies as a toilet training aid – after the hashtag “dogs in nappies” racked up more than 221 million views online.

TV presenter Alan Carr, 46, opened up a debate about the pet aids after revealing his Irish Setter Joyce wears pads due to incontinence.

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Saturdays star Frankie Bridge also recently posted a photo of her Cavapoochon puppy Leia wearing a nappy indoors because she was in season.

Dog psychologist Judy Comer-Calder said nappies can be invaluable if pups have a medical condition or to assist indoors if a female dog is in heat, but urged owners not to use them as toilet training aids.

Judy of thedevondoglady. co.uk said: “For any owner whose dog has a medical issue of incontinence, dog nappies can be brilliant.

“However, there is an online trend of treating some dogs like babies.

“I do not recommend using a nappy if a dog hasn’t been toilet trained as it will help them to believe they can go anywhere and that will be counter-productive.”

Judy said toileting issues are never too late to solve.

She added: “Do not tell your dog off. Phone a professional to get things on track.”

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk