Vet Pete Wedderburn

Has the answers

Our son’s 10-month-old teckel beagle bitch is very excitable and when she arrives at our house there is often a puddle on the floor, as if she is overcome by being there! Is there anything they can do to train her out of this, or will she grow out of it?

ML, BECKHAMPTON,

This sounds like submissive urination, a common problem in young, nervous dogs. To help this, do not greet her at the door immediately, do not use very high-pitched excited voices, and ignore her at first. Only pay attention to her once she is calm, going down to her level and just talking, not petting her. Let her approach you, rather than being proactive about physical contact. Most dogs do grow out of this as they become more confident, with familiarity and maturity.

I currently have 11 cats, and more keep coming. How do cats know to come to my house when they need a home? Is there a sign in cat language outside our house? None have collars or tags, and I check them with my own microchip reader, and have never found a microchip on any cat that’s turned up here. I think they are farm cats.

LJ, SOMERSET

Cats may seem to have a type of sixth sense when it comes to choosing a home, but in reality, they are simply creatures with strong likes and dislikes, and they have the independence to be able to stay somewhere that they like, moving on if it doesn’t suit them. You must have managed to create a cat-friendly environment that appeals to them, with the right layout of food and water bowls, furniture, litter trays and social structure. Please remember that not all pet cats have IDs or microchips: be sure to double check on local lost and found websites whenever a new cat turns up in case it’s someone’s much-loved pet.

AUTUMN VISITORS IN OUR GARDENS

Wildlife charity the People’s Trust for Endangered Species is running its first “Living with Mammals” autumn survey, from Mon Aug 31 until Sun Nov 29. This follows a successful spring survey earlier this year. People are asked to record the presence of mammals in their gardens or local green spaces online. Visit ptes.org/ lwm to take part.

RESCUE PET Five-year-old cat Olek loves to play and is very affectionate. He’d be best suited to a home with older children but no other pets. Contact Cats Protection’s Gildersome Homing Centre on 03000 121 505 or visit cats.org.uk.

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