My mother and I are very close. She’s 40-years-old and I’m 20. We have gone through a lot together, and do fight, but we still remain the best of friends. One day, she splurged on a fantastic top, which she bought from Myer for $150. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. […]

Question: I previously shared a house with one other female and my cat. Everything was going fine and my cat was behaving normally, until my flatmate moved out and I had a male move in. Now my cat follows him around, always wanting to sit on his lap (he never does this with me) and […]

Question: Just one can of sardines a week can make a huge difference to a puppy’s appearance and irritated skin. They’ll shine for longer and be a happy puppy! This also works well as a reward for good behavior. Answer: Daina, via e-mail.

The Korat is one of the oldest known domestic cat breeds in the world and in its homeland of Thailand this beautiful cat has long been treasured as a bearer of good luck. In Thailand the Korat is also known as the SiSawat and they were formerly only given as gifts to people deemed worthy […]

A year ago, I traveled to America to become an au pair, where you live in another’s home and care for their children. I was lucky to be working for a lovely family, who owned a nice house and a car that I was allowed full use of. One day, I was asked to pick […]

Question: Last December my son adopted a three-year-old Staffy-cross. Sam is a very active dog who loves walks and fetching. The problem is his paws are extremely sensitive and Sam quite often gets blisters and cuts. Most of the time we resist his compulsion to fetch, which reduces most of the cuts, but just a […]

Question: When a dog is bitten by a flea it’s very annoying for them and their owner. But I’ve discovered that if you rub a little olive oil with your finger on the affected area, the bite is eased and the dog stops scratching. Answer: Adriana, via e-mail.

By Annette Campbell Murray Corbett appreciates a good steak, perhaps more than most! The 41-year-old recruitment company director and father of three from Newcastle, north of Sydney, has spent about 18 months of his life being unable to swallow properly — a condition called dysphagia. “A few minutes after I’d eat or drink anything, I’d […]

Many of us love summer and look forward to those warm, long days. But spare a thought for your pet who might not enjoy the warmer weather as much as you do. Pet owners have to take special care in summer months that their pets are comfortable in the high temperatures. Your pet needs to […]

Question: Every time I use fake tan, my legs get unbearably itchy. I’ve tried lots of different brands, but all seem to result in the same problem. Anon, via e-mail. Answer: You must have very sensitive skin or are allergic to the chemical cocktail most fake tans contain to activate the melanin in the skin […]