What makes a happy hammy?
QWe have inherited a friendly one-year-old male hamster. My 10-year-old daughter is going to look after him. She wants to know how she can tell her hamster is healthy and what to look for if he becomes unwell.
AI assume this is a golden (Syrian) hamster. When looked after well they are surprisingly hardy, and hopefully your daughter’s hamster will live another year and a half or two.
Good quality hamster food, a warm draught-free cage with suitable regularly cleaned bedding, and fresh water at all times are vital for a healthy hamster.
As you have just acquired him, I would suggest a veterinary health check soon. This will give you the opportunity to establish there are no problems such as dental disease, which is quite common at this age, and for general advice.
Having got a clean bill of health, encourage your daughter to spend time observing her hamster’s normal behaviour, how active he is, how much he eats, and what normal pellets look like.
Knowing what is normal in health makes detecting signs of ill health much easier. He should, for example, have a glossy coat, be active and inquisitive, eat well and be bright eyed.
Some signs of ill health include weight loss (weigh him regularly), reduced exercise, poor appetite, lethargy, loss of fur, drooling, a hunched posture and diarrhoea.
Sick hamsters can deteriorate very rapidly so any abnormal signs should be investigated by your vet as soon as possible.
QMy 12-year-old male neutered cat seems to have undergone a personality change. He was a loving friendly cat but now refuses to sit on my lap. He growls whenever I go near him and lashed out recently when I picked him up. Can you help?
AFeline aggression has two basic causes – medical problems and behavioural problems. I suspect your cat may have a medical problem that would explain his sudden change in temperament.
This doesn’t rule out that he could have been upset by a recent stressful condition, and if that is the case then it is best investigated by a cat behaviourist. However, I recommend a veterinary examination first.
There are some common diseases that cause a change in behaviour in cats.
An overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) is common in older cats and can make them anxious, fearful and aggressive.
These cats usually eat a lot yet lose weight, and a blood test is required in order to make a diagnosis.
Alternatively, your cat may be in pain and only shows this when you pick him up or stroke him. Osteoarthritis is a very common cause of pain in older cats, but a cat that is already grumpy because of undiagnosed pain tends to be even worse on the examination table, making locating the pain more difficult.
This is where videos of the cat moving about at home are helpful for the vet to identify possible painful areas that require further investigation.
Dental disease is another very common painful condition.
All the conditions mentioned will usually respond well to treatment, restoring calmness to previously anxious cats.