From grieving parrot to teaching your cat manners, your pet questions will be answered

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

Sean, head veterinarian at custom pet food company tails.com, has been helping owners with questions for a decade.

4

4

He says, “If your pet is acting strange or sick, or you want to know more about diet or exercise, just ask. I can help keep pets happy and healthy.”

Question: I inherited my late mother Jean's African gray parrot after she passed away.

The pirate clearly appears to be in distress and some feathers have been plucked.

I talk to her a lot, but I think she's grieving.

Is this the case and what can I do for her?

Sarah Smith, Plymouth

Sean says: Absolute.

A parrot that is bonded to its owner for a long period of time will mourn when its human companion dies.

Sorry for your loss.

The fact is that parrots, especially African Grays, are a very social species and are not really designed to live alone or in small social circles.

In the wild they live in groups of hundreds.

When forced to live in captivity, they can develop serious psychological and complex emotional problems, especially when added to the trauma of grief.

My honest advice is: if you don't have the time and capacity to provide a great home for an inherited parrot, then rehoming to an experienced parrot owner or rescue center where Pirate can have the company of other parrots is best for her. the future. long-term.

Your mother would want the best for her and it is not negligence to say that you cannot provide that.

Question: MY cat has taken charge of one of the armchairs in our sitting room and gets very irritated when visitors sit on it.

Marmalade, who is eight, comes up to them and jumps on the arm, virtually intimidating them into moving.

How can I teach and share good manners with him?

Mike Fenton, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria

Sean says: I'm tempted to say that armchair belongs to Marmalade now, but there is one last ditch plan you can try to regain control in these armchair wars.

Cats are very sensitive to the texture and feel of the surfaces they lie on.

So one solution is to try to change how the chair feels to him.

When the chair is not in use, you can place a piece of plastic or aluminum foil over it and remove it when a human visitor needs to sit down.

Cats can't handle aluminum foil, and plastic isn't their favorite either.

Then give Marmalade a more comfortable spot to claim as his own, perhaps one of those hanging cat beds above the radiator?

That way everyone will be happy and peace can be restored.

Q: KEITH, my two-year-old Labrador, is obsessed with balloons and ruins birthday parties, going crazy trying to pop them.

How can we deter him and prevent him from becoming a party pooper?

Frank Davies, Nottingham

Sean says: Do you want the honest answer?

Throw away the balloons or embrace Keith's zest for life!

I don't think you can overcome a two-year-old Labrador's obsessive joy in such an exciting game of balloon popping through training, no matter how hard you try.

Sorry!

Question: HOW can I stop my nine-month-old puppy from trying to eat Oreo small stones?

I tried saying no and talking him out of it.

But he is persistent.

I'm really concerned about it and want to nip this behavior in the bud.

Peter Bryan, Grimsby

Sean says: Puppies discover everything in the world by putting things in their mouths.

Most of the time it's nothing to worry about and it would be strange if Oreo wanted to swallow rocks all the time.

The easiest way to prevent this behavior from becoming ingrained is to prevent access to rocks, or to shift his attention to something much more exciting when it happens.

Star of the week

4

MORD the Norwegian Forest Cat thinks he's a werewolf as he howls at the moon.

Owner Sean Bow, 59, from North Prospect, Devon, revealed his 12-year-old moggy spotted him through his sons flying the nest.

Sean, who is married to librarian Julie, 40, said: “Mord is what you might call a very special cat because he thinks he is a werewolf – and he looks a bit like one too with his two protruding teeth.

'When there is a full moon, he makes a funny sound that is a cross between a scream and a cry. It's fair to say he's a bit eccentric, but we wouldn't have him any other way.”

Valentine's Day is for the love of dogs

THOUSANDS of us would rather spend Valentine's Day with our dog than a partner, Paws and Claw can reveal.

New research has found that while 45 per cent would want to have them both with them, one in ten would leave their human behind to spend the romantic day with their dog.

4

The research from dog treat brand Denzel (denzels.co.uk/) also found that six in 10 pet parents will give a treat and 38 per cent would consider splurging on a present – ​​even though one in four won. don't bother with a gift for their partner.

On February 14, a fifth of the puppies will lick their chops for a delicious dinner of steak and fries.

While 12 percent of owners plan to give special dog-safe carob chocolates.

Figures from Barclays' monthly Consumer Spending Index show that 27 percent of owners will spend an average of £87 on their pets this Valentine's Day.

Our furry friends are even more spoiled than our partners, receiving an average of just £72 worth of romantic gifts and gestures.

Food is the most popular gift for our pets: 57 percent spend money on snacks, followed by toys (44 percent) and clothing or accessories (29 percent).