My chunky cat needs to lose some weight
Help and advice for every animal-lover
My cat, Arya, is quite lazy and loves sleeping, however she’s gained quite a lot of weight over the last few weeks. Is there a special diet, or exercise regime you can recommend to get her weight back to normal?
It’s great you’re wanting to get Arya back to her ideal weight. It’s a good idea to weigh her, set a weight goal and keep track of her progress over the next few weeks. Weight loss in cats should be done gradually, as losing weight too quickly can be dangerous for them. Your vet can provide more advice about this, so give them a call. Cut out extra treats, and check the food packet guidelines; weigh it out to make sure you aren’t giving Arya too much. You can also encourage her to be more active and burn calories by playing with toys that encourage chasing and pouncing – fishing rod-type toys are ideal.
I’ve been thinking about getting a dog as companionship for my daughter, as she’s missing her friends and family. We have plenty of time for training at the moment due to being off work and school, but is there anything else to consider?
Being at home unable to see friends and family is really difficult. Pets can be great company, but remember that they’ll still need you when you go back to school and work. It’s important to consider whether it is just lockdown making you want a pet, or are you really ready, prepared and committed to giving a pet a new home for the rest of their life? There are many considerations; owning a dog can cost over £10,000 during their lifetime, they need daily or even twice-daily walks and should not be left alone for long periods of time in the day. For more advice visit www.pdsa.org.uk/ pawsfirst.
I’ve recently started a veg patch in my garden, but it’s attracting lots of slugs. I’ve heard slug pellets can be dangerous to pets though, and I wondered if there are any pet-safe pellets?
The most common types of slug bait are blue or green pellets, usually containing metaldehyde. This can be fatal to pets and wildlife such as hedgehogs, even in small amounts. There are pet-safe baits available but even with these you should make sure you securely fence the patch off to keep pets away from the treated area. Other alternatives are beer traps (although these can also be dangerous to pets) or copper tape. Perhaps the best way of controlling slugs in the garden is to encourage hedgehogs, which eat them; make a log pile for hedgehogs to shelter in, and leave a patch of your garden a bit untidy. You can find lots of useful tips on attracting hedgehogs at www. hedgehogstreet.org.
We’ve had our hamster, Rocky, for six months but he’s still very nervous and sometimes bites. What can I do to stop this?
I’m sorry to hear Rocky sometimes bites, in most cases hamsters bite because they are scared. Daily handling from a young age makes hamsters less scared of being held; Rocky might just need more time to get used to being picked up. Always approach him slowly and quietly, without sudden movement or noise. Start by placing small pieces of his favourite food in front of you, for him to take. When he starts taking the food confidently, begin offering it from your fingers. Next, offer it from your outstretched palm so that Rocky needs to climb on to your palm to take it. Build up with small steps, and ensure he is comfortable with each step before progressing to the next, which may take several days. The whole process may take weeks.
Send your questions to askthevet@pdsa.org.uk. To find out if your pet is eligible for free PDSA treatment, call 0800 7312502. Glasgow PDSA PetAid Hospitals: 1 Shamrock Street (0141 332 6944), Muiryfauld Drive, Tollcross(0141 763 0800).