He swerves the cat litter PAMPERED PETS

QWe have a problem with our 16-yearold cat. He was happy to use his litter tray until recently, but now is soiling outside the tray. Some of the litter has been clumping between his front paws, which is difficult to remove.

ASoiling indoors is a common problem with multiple possible causes. With the majority of these cases something has gone wrong to account for this sudden change of habit. Finding out what the problem is requires some detective work, often with the help of a qualified feline behaviourist.

Some causes of the problem include the position of the litter tray, type of tray and consistency of the litter.

There are also some illnesses that can cause the issue.

I will mention these first as I always recommend a vet check before detective work for behavioural problems.

There are three broad categories of illness that can lead to soiling indoors.

These are idiopathic cystitis, which is sometimes stress induced, gastro-intestinal upsets, and arthritis due to old age.

A veterinary examination should be able to identify these illnesses. In the case of arthritis and general stiffness, this may be noticed by owners at home – difficulty in jumping up, or accessing the litter tray for example.

Consider litter problems too. It could be important in your cat’s case as the paws are clumping up, perhaps causing litter aversion due to discomfort.

Swapping the litter gradually to non-scented fine grain, with frequent changes, may help. Further detailed information can be found on the International Cat Care site (icatcare.org/advice/ soiling-indoors).

QOur nine-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel had a heart murmur diagnosed at a routine vaccination. He seems fine and our vet recommends regular monitoring for heart failure signs, as treatment may not be necessary. Have you seen this problem?

AThis is a particularly common problem in your breed, but also in many other small breeds, such as poodles and chihuahuas, for example.

The problem is most commonly a diseased mitral valve, which is between the upper and lower chambers on the left side of the heart.

When the valve doesn’t close properly as the heart contracts, the resulting blood turbulence can be heard as a murmur – a whooshing sound.

For a time, a few years in some cases, there are no signs of heart failure and the dog appears normal. And research shows that between 25% to 50% of dogs never show signs of heart failure, and these dogs continue to have a normal life span. It is for this reason that your vet is advising regular checks without treatment for the moment.

If heart failure were to develop, early signs are an increased respiratory rate, and later, shortness of breath, not wanting exercise, coughing and fainting.

Regular monitoring can check for signs of heart enlargement preceding heart failure, ideally using ultrasound carried out by vets with specialist knowledge in this procedure.

It is useful to measure how many breaths your dog takes per minute while sleeping to identify what is normal. Around 15-35 breaths is typical.

If this consistently increases, bring forward the routine checkup.