From fatal bacteria in drinking bowls to a dog with nightmares

HE is on a mission to help our pets  . . . and is here to answer YOUR questions.

Sean, who is the head vet at tailored pet food firm tails.com, has helped with owners’ queries for ten years.

Q: DO parrots and cockatoos like rock music?

I’ve seen some TikTok videos of dancing birds and my mum has a cockatoo called Eric.

But I don’t want to try it if it might cause distress.

Billy Clarke, Maidstone, Kent

Sean says: Great question. Just like people, every parrot is different and will have their own personal preferences and tastes in music.

Of course a lot of this will have to do with their upbringing, and what music they’ve been exposed to.

Kids often inherit their parents’ taste in music — same for parrots.

I wouldn’t recommend blasting out heavy metal straight away. Introduce music gently and on low volume.

But then have fun — cockatoos are a bit bonkers at the best of times so you may have a rock ’n’ roller on your hands.

Q: THERE are Facebook claims that fatal bacteria can develop in cats’ water bowls, even if changed daily.

I’ve also seen a claim that plastic bowls can harbour bacteria in the micro dimples.

My cat Ben, three, eats cat food in gravy but doesn’t drink a lot of water. Should I be concerned about these issues?

Debbie Betteridge, Ratby, Leics

Sean says: Considering most cats prefer to drink from puddles and dubious water sources outdoors rather than fresh tap water, I think you may be over-worrying.

As long as you practice normal hygiene methods with your pet bowls, (I recommend washing them separately to the family dishes), there’s not much risk of bacterial illness.

I reckon this is a ‘social media scaremongering strikes again’ type scenario.

For any cat that doesn’t seem to drink much from a bowl, I recommend a cat drinking fountain. Often the moving water tempts them.

Metal bowls can put them off and plastic isn’t great for the environment, so I recommend ceramic.

Q: MY dog Charlie whimpers and woofs when he sleeps.
Is he having a nightmare? Should I wake him up?

Emma Jones, Doncaster

Sean says: No, you don’t need to wake Charlie up as this is totally normal dreaming behaviour.

People are often surprised to see it and it can look quite dramatic at times. Some people even mistake it for seizures.

The truth is most animals are likely to dream. We are not the special ones, we’re just mammals too.

Whimpers and woofs could mean exciting things are happening in Charlie’s dream.

Q: HOW can I stop my dog from table and worktop surfing?

If I turn my back he will nick items. He’s a labrador called Bob. He’s two, well-fed and active, but really cheeky.

I have toddlers and he doesn’t try to take their snacks, but obviously with young kids there’s always food around. Any advice?

Amy Black, Sudbury, Suffolk

Sean says: He’s a labrador, no surprise there. Did you know that many labradors lack a gene that controls hunger and feeling full?

So the breed is sometimes genetically hard-wired more than others to be extremely food motivated.

That’s small comfort but could work to your advantage in training Bob what’s allowed and what’s not.

The first, obvious thing to consider is just avoiding leaving anything he can snaffle out on the counters.

Easier said than done with kids around — I feel for you.

On second thoughts, maybe this is a kid training issue, rather than a labrador one . . . 

Star of the week

BRAVE Lilly the blind cocker spaniel puppy has a happy ending after being handed in to pet charity Blue Cross.

Leanne Fadden, Rehabilitation and Behaviour Advisor at the centre in Burford, Oxon, used special mats, verbal cues and plenty of love to give her the confidence to be rehomed.

Leanne said: “Everything was put on a verbal cue. For example, when I pick her up, I’ll say, ‘Lilly, ready – up!’ so she knows what’s happening.”

Lilly was taught to find her way around using different textured mats
Leanne said: “After a couple of weeks, you wouldn’t have even known she was blind.”

Now Lily has been rehomed.

Leanne added: “She’s an amazing little dog.”

1,800 cats urgently need new homes

PET charities are warning of an “unprecedented cat rehoming crisis” in the UK.

The number of cats in the RSPCA’s care waiting for homes has more than doubled to 1,700, from 800 in 2020.

Cats are also waiting longer to find a new home – 40 days on average, a rise from 32.5 days in September last year.

Many have been rescued from hoarding or neglect.

One of them, Sven, is desperately looking for a loving family after being rescued by RSPCA Leeds from filthy living conditions earlier this year, along with 42 other cats.

RSPCA cat specialist Alice Potter said: “We’re experiencing an unprecedented rehoming crisis, with centres so full they are unable to accept any more – so most of the incoming animals are having to be placed in private catteries until spaces become free. By finding them loving homes as quickly as possible we can also free up space for other cats.”

Charity Cats Protection is calling for cat lovers to offer new homes.

A spokesman said: “More cats are being purchased rather than adopted.

“In the last 12 months, 3.8 million were bought, while 2.3 million were adopted.”

See rspca.org.uk/findapet and cats.org.uk