Vet Pete Wedderburn has the answers
One of our three Russian Blue male neutered cats, a fouryearold called Troy, has started over-grooming and now has a bald patch on his belly. He is quite nervous, but has ample room with a large fenced-in garden, with roped climbing items to use. How can we help him?
TW, LONDON
Over-grooming can be due to itchy skin, for instance, that can be caused by parasites and allergies, so it’s worth getting Troy checked by your vet. When physical causes have been ruled out, overgrooming caused by stress needs to be considered. Multi-cat households can be challenging to manage: intercat stress is a common feature. A review of your home set-up with an expert is worthwhile: cat-astrophes.com offers lengthy Skype consultations, with a follow-up written report. This would allow you to be sure that you are doing all you can to keep your cat community happy together.
Since puppyhood, our twoyear-old terrier, Sally, has woken us up twice during the night ( for example, once at 2am and again at 5am) to go outside. If we don’t get up, she wees on a puppy pad that we leave out. Her littermate never wakes us up like this. Do we just need to put up with this forever?
RH, SURREY
First of all, get your vet to check Sally to make sure that she does not have an internal disorder that might be causing her to need to go to the toilet more than normal. If all is well, this suggests a behavioural issue: she may have simply developed a habit of night-time activity. It’s hard changing established habits, but it can be done: you may need professional support from your vet as well as from an experienced behavioural counsellor (you can find one here: apbc.org.uk).
DONKEYS DRESSED IN HUMAN CLOTHES
Swarms of locusts are making headlines in parts of Africa and Asia, and there has also been a surge reported in biting flies in Kenya. Local donkey owners often try to protect their valuable livestock from injuries by putting clothes on them, but the charity Brooke has a more effective approach, solving the problem with drugs and pesticides. To find out more, visit thebrooke.org
RESCUE PET
Waffle (above) is a magnificent three-year-old oriental cross. He is an intelligent, assertive and resourceful cat. Call The Celia Hammond Animal Trust on 0207 474 8811 or visit celiahammond.org for more information.
To view outcomes of rescued pets, see petethevet.com/ rescues
Send queries to petsubjects@telegraph.co.uk or tweet @ PeteTheVet. All sick animals should be taken to a vet