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: HOW can I help my Norwegian Forest Cat to enjoy brushing?
Moana gets hairballs and I brush her every day. Are there any products to help with hairballs?
Joe Black, Brighton, East Sussex
SEAN SAYS: I bet she does, with all that amazing fur.
Find her favourite treat, and only give it to her during grooming sessions.
Take it nice and slowly, bit by bit, and have patience. In time she’ll learn grooming is a positive thing, with rewards if she cooperates.
Various products help prevent hairballs, acting almost like a laxative or lubricant to allow passage through the stomach.
Chat with your veterinary clinic about which they recommend. I have heard some pet shop products don’t really work.
Q: WE are wondering whether to get a puppy or a rescue dog.
I have two sons Billy and Mike, who are ten and 12, so I need a child-friendly, bulletproof dog. Which would be the best bet for us?
Sarah Smith, Manchester
SEAN SAYS: It depends on the individual or family circumstances, what you want from a dog, why you want one, your experience with dogs, how much time and energy you have . . .
Puppies are hard work — many busy people who take one on end up regretting their decision at times.
But the pay-off later is great as you do shape that puppy to your lifestyle from that start.
Saying that, I’m a massive fan of rehoming/adoption as it gives perfectly great dogs a second chance.
And it’s a matchmaking service of sorts, good rehoming centres will find a dog that suits you, it just sometimes needs a bit of patience.
Q: WHAT is a good starter pet for an eight-year-old girl?
I was thinking about rabbits but I see that nowadays people warn their needs are more complex than many owners understand. I want to teach her about caring for animals as she wants to be a vet. But I also want to set her up for success.
Ben Reid, Carlisle
SEAN SAYS: I agree rabbits are not a great starter pet for younger children. They also can live a long time so are a serious commitment.
If it’s small furries she’s keen on, then guinea pigs make a great option as they are friendly, robust and not as skittish as smaller rodents.
And rats are one of the best small furry pets you can get.
They are super-intelligent, interactive, you can teach them tricks and they’re playful, unlike guinea pigs.
Both species do need company of their own kind, so are best in pairs.
Q: DO you think the latest TikTok challenges are good for pets?
There is one where you go to stroke your pet but then stop with your hand over their head. While another gets you to hold your pet and hold them towards a wall to see if they stop themselves bumping into it.
I worry this is cruel. What do you think?
Sarah Evans Barnstaple, Devon
SEAN SAYS: These social media trends are more about entertainment than the animals’ needs and welfare.
Confusing your pet that a head pat is coming and then it doesn’t is probably not too harmful. I’m not familiar with the wall stunt, but that sounds like it could cause the pet distress.
So I’d just ask that people whether the animal is having a good time, or perhaps is confused because their apparently ‘loving owner’ is confusing them or causing them distress just for a cheap laugh.
Let’s do better by our pets and play with them in ways they enjoy and can express their natural behaviours.
Star of the week
BROTHERS Daemon the black cat and Blue, a tuxedo, have made Rhea Kataria’s new house a home.
The 18-month-old kitties were adopted by accountant Rhea, 24, after she saw an appeal online saying they needed a home immediately.
Rhea, from Sidcup, South London, said: “I messaged them over Instagram and within three days, they were delivered to my doorstep all the way from Manchester.
“Initially I was only going to get Blue but when I was sent a picture of the two of them together I knew they were inseparable.
“Daemon is very naughty while Blue is calm, like the colour. Despite the 3am calls for food and crazy zoomies, they are my world.”
WIN: A copy of top training book, Dog Parenting
NEED expert advice on training your pup?
We’ve joined up with Summersdale Publishing to offer 26 readers the chance to win a copy of the Dog Parenting book.
It lifts the lid on how your dog sees the world and contains training tips.
Enter by December 14 by sending an email titled SUMMERSDALE to sundaypets@the-sun. co.uk.
T&Cs apply.
See summersdale.com.
Join Mitch and dogs’ high adventure
VETERAN Mitch Hutchcraft and his dogs Buddy and Teddy are setting off on an epic adventure in a few days time, to help other pups.
On Wednesday, the adventurer and Instagram star will start a 700km run from his hometown Ramsey, Cambridgeshire (the UK’s lowest point) to the summit of Scotland’s Ben Nevis (the highest) for the Great British Dog Walking Challenge.
It is to raise money and awareness around illegal puppy farms and the growing overcrowding crisis in rescue centres in the run up to Christmas.
The former Royal Marine’s rescue cocker spaniel Teddy, four, spent nearly four years in a concrete cage on an Irish puppy farm, had never had a walk and didn’t even have a name, while Buddy, also four, is a former therapy dog.
Dog lovers are invited to join him for a walk and several guests will pop by, including ex England goalkeeper Joe Hart and SAS Who Dares Wins stars.
Mitch said: “We are undertaking a mission to help the tens of thousands of dogs in the UK without a home, to find a new family.
“The more momentum we gather, the more amazing animals we can rehome.”
Follow Mitch on Instagram @_mitchhutch.
