How do we stop our pup’s biting?
QOur 11-week-old male cockapoo has settled in very well. He is affectionate and already house trained. However, he has a habit of hand biting, which can be slightly painful, and he pulls at sleeves. Is this just a phase or do we need to worry?
AMouthing and biting is normal behaviour in puppies, and is a way that they explore their environment. It can be considered a phase that they often grow out of by around five months of age.
Playing with a puppy with your fingers is fun for them, but if the play biting persists it can become very painful later as they grow up, even drawing blood, so you do not want to encourage this game.
It is important not to punish the puppy in any form – yelling, tapping on the nose, or telling him off – because this will just add to his excitement and not achieve anything positive.
It is better to distract him as soon as he shows signs of mouthing, with a chew toy, for example, or a tug-of-war toy, which you can keep handy.
Reward him with treats for good (not mouthing) behaviour, and combine this with the “sit” command when he approaches you.
This will further encourage good behaviour. If the problem persists, using a time out procedure may help.
This involves walking away from the puppy into another room for 30 seconds when he play bites.
It’s recommended that you get a behaviourist involved if the problem continues beyond six months of age.
For further information, see How Do I Stop My Puppy Mouthing on The Kennel Club website (thekennelclub. org.uk).
QWe have been adopted by a tomcat, who has settled in well and put on weight. But when we had him neutered he tested positive for immunodeficiency virus. Is this common and what does it mean for him?
AFeline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is common in unneutered tomcats. At the RSPCA Harmsworth hospital, just under 20% of all stray cats regularly tested positive.
Although in the same family as human deficiency virus, it only infects cats, and transmission to people does not occur. Cats infected with FIV can live for years without showing signs of disease. How long depends on the amount of virus in the body, the immune system response, and whether the cat is being well looked after. Regular veterinary check-ups, good food and parasite control measures are all important.
A FIV-positive cat can develop any number of non-specific feline diseases, and prompt investigation and treatment is essential. Disease occurs when the immune system is sufficiently weakened by the virus, and an unwell cat may take longer than usual to get better.
Transmission of the virus from cat to cat is via saliva, especially in bite wounds, which is why unneutered males are infected twice as often compared to females. Neutering your cat will have greatly diminished any fighting, but he may still be territorial.
The risk of infecting other cats means vets will usually advise keeping FIV positive cats indoors, but if a garden can be made cat-proof then letting them out under supervision is an option too.