My five-year-old Persian cross gets very finicky with his food during monsoon. He usually eats fish, but suddenly he switched to eating only boiled chicken and runs away at the sight of fish. Now he detests even chicken and survives on a mix of milk, biscuits and boiled eggs every now and then. Is it possible that he is suffering from some kind of stomach problem?
— Brijesh Sai
Hi Brijesh,
Selective appetite calls for veterinary attention and should not be passed off as a trivial issue. Your cat could be suffering from anything like low iron counts to hair balls or a simple stomach infection. Firstly ensure that he has been de-wormed. Next, a blood/stool test etc. could help identify illnesses if any. Then maybe he may be plain fussing to seek attention from your end or because of the variety of food offered. Try and maintain a nutrition balance in whatever u feed her, Many times pets refuse to eat something just because they don’t like it. But being a pet parent, it’s your responsibility to see to it that your pet gets proper nutrition and a healthy diet.
I have a year old pug. Every time I try to clip her nails, she makes a big ruckus. She runs all over the house, tries hiding below beds and sofa…anything to keep me from clipping her nails. How do I clip her nails without having to run around the whole house trying to get hold of her?
— Salwa Choudhary
Hey Salwa,
Maybe your pug has had a bad experience where a nail cut is concerned as somebody may have accidently cut in too close to the quick (blood vessel). So we first need to help her forget that memory by conditioning her to understand that a nail clip will not hurt her. Also nail clips are best left to professionals such as groomers or vets who are apt at that job. Therefore I recommend filing the nails with a sand paper than clipping them, but if you would still rather clip them then at first begin by just holding her in your arms with the nail cutter close to her nails but not touching them. Also get the nail cutter out every time you are going to feed or play with her.
Yasmin Shaikh, Trainer and behaviourist, [email protected]