Why is my cat Yoda sneezing all the time?

Help and advice for every animal-lover

MY cat Yoda has suddenly started sneezing all the time, but doesn’t seem to be unwell otherwise. Is it just a cold or something more serious? Do

I need to take her to the vet?

Cats can start sneezing for a number of reasons, so we’d definitely advise getting Yoda checked over by your vet as soon as possible.

It’s possible that she has developed a respiratory infection or could have something stuck in her nose – like a grass blade which can be incredibly irritating. Cats are very good at hiding any illness so it’s possible that Yoda may be much more unwell than she seems. Your vet will be able to examine her thoroughly and provide treatment to help relive her symptoms.

MY dog Betsy has severe separation anxiety. Leaving the house for just for an hour will result in her destroying furniture, doors or electrical items. I feel like I can barely leave the house. Any suggestions? Being left alone must be scary for Betsy so this is a serious problem as she risks injuring herself in an attempt to calm her anxiety by chewing your furniture.

It’s important to remember that she’s not trying to be difficult, so try not to punish her this will just make her anxiety worse. Firstly, get her checked by a vet to rule out any underlying medical conditions and they’ll be able to refer you to a local accredited pet behaviourist for guidance. You won’t see results overnight, but with time and patience you should be able to improve everyone’s quality of life.

MY new 10-week-old rabbit, Thumper, keeps hiding under his hutch whenever I let him out to run around the garden. Why is he doing this?

It sounds like Thumper is following his natural instinct to hide whenever he senses a threat. Rabbits need to have lots of accessible hides and bolt holes for a quick escape, otherwise they can feel stressed and nervous. You can use things like large tubes or cardboard boxes to provide Thumper with safe hiding places.

As he gets used to being in the garden he should gain confidence and start to venture out. Rabbits are social animals and can get very depressed and upset if kept alone. Having another rabbit companion can also help to increase Thumpers confidence.

MY cat Yana has started losing fur around her neck recently. A friend said it could be her flea treatment which we’d given about a month before, but we’ve always used the same treatment on all my cats and never had a problem. Should we change the treatment? Your friend is right, sometimes a flea treatment can cause fur loss, however, I think in your cat’s case it’s unlikely if you have always used the same treatment and it was applied a month ago.

There are many other possible causes for fur loss so we’d advise having Yana checked by your vet so they can give a diagnosis and provide appropriate treatment.