From a cat attacking the Christmas tree to territorial dog — 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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HOW can I stop my seven-year-old cat Boom attacking and climbing the Christmas tree?

He is obsessed with it.

One year he knocked it over as he was swinging from its branches

Sam Riley, Ipswich

Q) Maybe you can’t. So never allow Boom access to it when un- attended, especially when the tree lights are on.

Also, secure the tree to something else so he can’t topple it.

You may have to close the doors to that room when you are out.

And try to redirect his attention to a shiny new thing, perhaps a new climbing frame he is allowed to explore.

Other tips are using citrus peelings or citronella around the tree, or placing obstacles like sticky tape — sticky side up — or tin foil sheets around the base which cats hate to step on.

Q)MY eight-year-old corn snake Lady isn’t eating well.

I give her defrosted mice, and her environment is as close to the wild as I can make it.

But I’m concerned.

Kim Pearce, Exeter

A) Is her enclosure temperature controlled by a thermostat, or at the mercy of your central heating being on and off at this time of year?

Also, does she have timed lighting in her enclosure? And is it full- spectrum UV lighting?

What I’m getting at with these questions is whether Lady is picking up on external environmental cues, like the darker evenings and the drop in temperature this time of year.

If so, her appetite may decrease.

Manipulating her lighting and heating can prevent this but it’s healthier for reptiles to follow natural seasonal patterns.

If she refuses all food, despite conditions being good, get her a vet check.

Q) MY seven-year-old boxer Suzie barked her head off to say “Go away!” when someone walked past our house while she was in the front garden.

She didn’t try to bite but she wasn’t happy.

Can dogs suddenly become territorial?

She also goes nuts when the doorbell rings.

The rest of the time she’s super-calm. Any advice?

Emma Rimmer, Wakefield

A) Interesting if this was a one-off, all of a sudden at age seven.

Perhaps Suzie just got spooked not noticing this person passing until the last minute.

She’s maybe then learned barking can make other “intruders” leave, like the postman.

Boxers — lovely dogs, but not the brightest, eh?

Q) DO rabbits really breed that quickly?

We’ve got two one-year-old girls, Mica and Michelle, and two boys of the same age, Mikey and Mark, and we keep them separate.

But how careful do we have to be?

They are in completely separate hutches.

But should I consider spaying the girls as a precaution?

Lexi Kelly, Lancaster

A) Yes, they really do! One breeding pair of rabbits could, in theory, give rise to nearly four million rabbits in the space of four years if they all went un-neutered or spayed

And there is going to be a lot of frustration in your rabbits with living close to one another but not having access to each other.

Their sense of smell is great, let’s remember.

Not to mention un-spayed female rabbits invariably develop a cancer of the womb called uterine adenocarcinoma.

So spaying I definitely recommend for the girls.

I’d also be inclined to castrate the boys, then all your rabbits can get along just fine — no fighting, no frustration, just great social interaction and behavioural enrichment.

Star of the week

MOLLY the Maltese has supported her owner through treatment for a life-threatening pancreatic illness – bringing happiness.

The four-year-old pooch sits with Sue Thomas, 75, when she feels ill – and enjoys comforting cuddles.

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The retired senior nurse, of Sevenoaks, Kent, said: “I’ve recently had problems with my pancreas that can leave me feeling really unwell.

“Molly is a character. She never ceases to cheer me up by sitting on my knee or giving me a comforting lick.

“Without Molly to cuddle I don’t know what I’d have done. She saved me from a dark place.”

Wouf guide helps talk to hols pets

MORE and more of us are booking home-exchange holidays, which include looking after pets.

Over the past year, home-swap company Home Exchange has seen a 25 per cent increase in pet-friendly listings for holidaymakers to swap with.

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It has led them to reveal the top phrases that people want to use during pet-friendly house swaps and create a free guide, translating them into French, German, Spanish and Italian.

“Being able to speak the basics to pets abroad can avoid confusion and create more meaningful bonding,” says Jessica Poillucci from HomeExchange.

The book, called Woof Wuff Wouf Bau Guau, reveals the most requested sentences that people want to translate, so they can talk to the pets at the house where they are staying.

They include: Would you like a tummy rub?, Let’s go walkies, Hey, stop chewing my passport, Who’s a good boy/girl then? and It’s time for din-dins.

Jessica added: “By launching the book we aim to address the challenge of dealing with language barriers when caring for pets in foreign countries.”

Download the book free at homeexchange.com/blog/phrasebook-for-dogs.