VETS Q&A

OUR one-year-old cat, Dolly, has suddenly started to wee in odd places in the house, despite using the litter tray fine previously. Why is this happening?

You should take Dolly to your vet to be checked over. It’s possible she could have painful cystitis (inflammation of the bladder). This can make cats go in unusual places, as well as causing other signs such as weeing little and often, straining to go, crying while weeing or having spots of blood in the urine. If it is cystitis, your vet will check for a cause such as bladder stones, but cystitis is most often linked to stress in cats. Any changes big or small can trigger it; from a new baby in the house, new pet or building works to re-arranging the furniture or having lots of guests over. Your vet can advise on ways to reduce Dolly’s stress by taking actions to help her feel more secure.

I HAVE a one-year-old guinea pig called Binx. He has bright pink eyes and I’m worried. Shouldn’t only white animals have pink eyes?

It can be normal for a guinea pig’s eyes to be quite pink, even if their coat is not white. However, a sign of a sore eye is that the skin around the edges of the eye becomes reddened and inflamed. If your piggy’s eyes turned pink recently (rather than always being like that), then it might be conjunctivitis. This can be caused by an infection, irritation from soiled bedding, stress or a vitamin deficiency. You should take Binx to be checked by your vet. If there is a bacterial infection, this can often be treated with medication, and other causes can be addressed too.