Pets

Question: Our golden retriever pup kept chewing everything well past her first birthday. She even destroyed the carpet in the lounge room. We sought the advice of a dog behaviourist and his first response was to check her mouth. Sure enough, she was having a lot of trouble cutting wisdom teeth. Answer: Just like some […]

Question: I live in a small apartment and I travel with work — up to four days a week. Is there a pet suitable for me? Kate Heyman Answer: This is a difficult one because most pets want love and attention which means a commitment to being around. However, they are adaptable and will get […]

Question: Please advise how we can control our cat fighting with the neighbour’s cat. He has been neutered about two months ago but still goes over to the neighbour’s house from time to time to “pick a fight”. We keep him indoors at night and do not want to keep him indoors all the time. […]

Question: My eight-year-old Maltese terrier barely eats a thing when either my Mum or I aren’t at home. He is a very slow eater anyway and won’t eat outdoors, so when Mum is out for the night — especially if she’s away for longer — it worries me that he won’t eat enough. Nicole Answer: […]

Question: Our little Bassett hound is four months old and tends to wake up every morning around 5.30am barking. The only way to stop him barking is to get up and “entertain” him. The neighbours get upset with us when we just let him bark. Is there any quick way we can teach him to […]

If you have a hound like mine, who loves to chew everything and likes chillies and the bitter sprays, try Dencorub or similar — they hate the smell and won’t go near it! It has saved me from replacing the dog door for the third time —and this is a dog who gets every toy/bone/ball […]

I have found the best way to maintain my dog’s coat so that it is healthy and shiny is to give her a couple of eggs with a splash of olive oil once a week. It works really well — even for a 14-year-old corgie. Keryn

Question: My 17-year-old son has bought, with our permission, a Staffy puppy. But boy are we getting some negative comments. She is now 10 weeks old and a fully-fledged part of our family, but why this reaction from people — are there any grounds for it? Karen Answer: Unfortunately Staffies (Staffordshire bull terriers) do suffer […]

Question: Just today I have noticed a build-up on my three-year-old cat’s back teeth. I removed it with minimal ease. How often should cats have their teeth cleaned? Jo Answer: Most pets have some tartar build-up by the time they reach three years. It occurs on all surfaces of all teeth (including under the gum […]

Question: We have two cats, Khloee, two years, and Kahlua, nine weeks. Khloee was recently stolen and dumped far from home and I believe they mistreated her as well. She was terrified of all humans when I got her back. We have recently got another kitten for Khloee to play with but she hasn’t really […]