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.
He says: “If your pet is acting funny or is under the weather, or you want to know about nutrition or exercise, just ask. I can help keep pets happy and healthy.”
Q) MY six-month-old cat Filo is an avid climber and I’m worried he will climb our Christmas tree.
Are there any simple cat-friendly deterrents you can recommend?
AMY WILLIS, Exeter, Devon
Sean says: Filo might ignore the tree, but my money’s on mischief.
A fake fir will probably be safer than a real one if your cat is a nibbler. Put it in a sturdy stand and tie or weigh it down so it won’t fall over.
Protect wires on the floor from chewing with cardboard tubes. Never leave lights plugged in when your cat is unsupervised.
Avoid tinsel, ribbons or any string-like decorations as these are irresistible to cats and if ingested, can lead to dangerous “linear foreign bodies” requiring surgical removal.
Avoid glass baubles, dangling decorations, fake snow and other sprays or chemicals. Bah humbug, eh?
Q) I HAVE seen people on Instagram like actress Jennifer Garner spinning around while holding their cats and videoing it.
What do you think of that? Won’t their pet get dizzy?
PETE RUSSELL, Leeds, West Yorks
Sean says: I’ve just looked that up, and while her cat doesn’t look to have strong opinions either way, I’m sure there are many cats that would really not like to take part in yet another social media trend that puts laughs first and pets second.
Saying that, my friends’ cat Brian loved being picked up under the “armpits” and swung back and forth.
So they are all individuals.
The blanket advice on any of this is to avoid doing something your pet dislikes or tries to get away from.
A couple of rotations probably won’t do any harm but there are probably better ways to post and get social media engagement from your cat, if that’s what you’re after.
Q) HOW much enrichment do pet rats need?
I’ve seen online boxes of enrichment that get delivered monthly to change their habitat. Do you recommend swapping things up every few weeks to keep them happy?
TOM PETTIT, Middlesbrough
Sean says: Novelty provides a lot of mental stimulation and enjoyment.
The main aim of enrichment is to offer an outlet for exploring, investigating, engaging the brain and senses.
An animal can have all the toys in the world, but if they are all provided at once and constantly available, then they too can become boring. So while you don’t need to subscribe to a new monthly box, you should rotate toys and cage furnishings regularly to keep things interesting.
This doesn’t have to be an expensive habit. Many items like cardboard boxes and tubes, are free and just as appealing.
Q) WHY does my Labrador Marley lick his paws?
At times they are red and sore. I have tried creams and “no grain” food and wiping his paws.
Could you recommend anything else please? He is free of fleas and has treatment from the vet.
DAVID WOODHOUSE, Poole, Dorset
Sean says: There are lots of potential reasons, ranging from contact or food allergies to things like detergents, chemicals or dust mites in the home, to environmental allergens like flea bites, pollens and fungal spores.
The only real way to find out is by testing blood for environmental allergens, and a strict elimination diet for food allergies. Blood tests for food allergies do not work.
Work with your vet to rule things out in sensible order.
Certain triggers cannot be avoided and anti-itch medication might be the only option to help Marley.
Star of the week
OZZY the pooch is celebrating this Christmas as he’s got a new Guinness World Record licked.
The four-year-old French mastiff and Bullmastiff mix has just been recognised as having the longest tongue on a living dog – at 7.83in (19.89cm).
Ozzy’s owner, Angela Pick from Oklahoma in the US, said: “He doesn’t give kisses – he gets in your face and kind of loves and rubs noses, but doesn’t really lick!”
She said Ozzy’s record-breaking tongue puts an “automatic smile on people’s faces”, and added it’s “super-duper exciting” for her pup to be an official GWR title holder.
Find more record-breaking furry friends in the newest edition of the book, Guinness World Records 2026.
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DOES SANTA PAWS ENJOY HIS COSTUME?
NEARLY 20 per cent of pet owners like to dress their four-legged friends in festive costumes – but cat oners are urged to make sure their feline enjoys it too.
We’ll spend £1.1BILLION on our pets this Christmas.
Some Instagram posts for dog Christmas outfits have gained more than 150million views, while some cat ones have been viewed more than 8.5million times.
In a survey by the Pet Education Partnership, 18 per cent of children said they enjoyed putting outfits on their animals.
Cats Protection’s spokesperson Shelley Brown said every cat is different and some may be happier with a new Christmas collar or toys instead.
She warned that tight- fitting Christmas outfits may restrict movement and also hamper the subtle ways felines communicate.
Shelley said: “While we understand that dressing up animals is usually intended as light-hearted fun, we are concerned that it can have unintended negative impacts on animal welfare.
“Tight outfits can restrict movement, cause overheating and interfere with a cat’s ability to communicate through body language.
“Helping children understand that pets aren’t toys is key.”
