Got an issue with your feline friend? There’s a good chance you’re part of the problem. Cat behaviourist and author of The Cat Whisperer, Mieshelle Nagelschneider, reveals seven of the most common mistakes cat owners make—and how to fix them. 1. Treating cats as if they’re dogs. It’s hard to imagine a cat playing fetch, or a dog spending its waking hours preening, so why would we expect the same behaviours from our fur babies when it comes to housetraining? According to cat b

It is completely natural for dogs to bark, and it’s one of their most important forms of communication after energy and body language. Dogs will bark as a warning, to protect their pack and territory. They will also bark to express excitement. Those forms of barking are rarely a nuisance and don’t last long. That is why nuisance barking almost always has the same cause and the same solution. When a dog barks excessively, it’s telling you that it is bored and is looking for st

In nature, there are three positions in the dog pack ' front, middle, and back ' and each dog will gravitate to its natural place based on relative dominance, with the pack leaders always in front. Each position has its own function within the pack as they work together to survive. The dogs in front provide direction and protection to the pack. They determine where the entire pack will go, and they fend off any dangers from the front. The dogs in the rear are primarily concer

Hachikō Once upon a time, there lived an Akita named Hachikō, who waited for his owner, Professor Ueno, each day at the Shibuya Station in Tokyo, Japan. After the professor suffered a brain heamorrhage and died on the way home on May 21, 1925, Hachikō continued to go to the station each day at their usual time, seemingly awaiting his return — for almost ten years. The dog’s loyalty earned him a place in Japanese culture, his image since memorialised in art, literature, the 20

How do dogs experience the death of fellow dogs? Corey Kooken, the human companion of Lobo and Wrigley, two border collies adopted from separate rescue shelters, says she’s witnessed this first-hand. “They got to know one another and tolerate each other,” she told us. “I always said Lobo was the brains and Wrigley was the brawn.” Lobo passed away from cancer at the age of twelve, and when Corey and her husband returned from the vet without him, Wrigley searched the house, loo

Has your cat stopped using the litter tray? You may need to retrain your cat but rule out these problems first: 1. Lower Urinary Tract Disease: a painful condition, potentially life threatening. A check over with the vet will rule this out 2. Dirty litter tray: remove faeces daily, completely empty twice weekly 3. Tray too clean: do not use disinfectants, these discourage your cat, clean with mild detergent and warm water 4. Wrong litter: avoid scented litter, try a recycled

Does this sound like your pet? Pets can be allergic to grasses, trees, plant pollen, dust mites and moulds. Fleas, ticks and other biting insects can also set off an attack of the itchies. Itching quickly leads to self-trauma of the skin and this causes secondary skin infections. Unfortunately, treatment becomes more complicated and more costly once infection occurs. If you have an itchy pet, the earlier we intervene the better. For those who own pets where the itch tends to

Over summer, flies can cause as much grief for our pets as they do for us. Dogs are particularly prone to irritation around the ears and nose from the bites of these annoying insects. Flies carry bacteria and bites can lead to a nasty infection causing damage to the skin. Flies love to lay eggs in warm, damp fur and especially in an open wound. It sounds scary but if the wound goes undetected, the eggs can hatch into maggots in less than 24 hours. So how can you prevent flies

StartFragment The UK’s first dog food made from insects goes on sale this week, which its manufacturers say could help reduce the environmental damage caused by the massive volumes of meat routinely fed to dogs and cats. Globally, pets consume about 20% of the world’s meat and fish, a number set to rise with the trend for consumers to feed them human-grade meat. Pet food is also estimated to be responsible for a quarter of the environmental impacts of meat production in terms

You may have already met Ronny as he has been working with us as a locum for a few months. We have recently however secured him on a permanent part time basis and couldn't be happier. StartFragment Ronny graduated in New Zealand with a Bachelor of Veterinary Sciences from Massey University in 2010 . He has spent five years working in New Zealand as a companion animal clinician in both rural and urban practices before setting off abroad and continuing on as a locum in London.