From a hamster that bites to a rabbit’s eating habits – your pet queries answered

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 , or you want to know about nutrition or exercise, just ask. I can help keep happy and healthy.”;

Q) WHY exactly does my hamster Fluffy bite the cage?

He has four levels in there, a running wheel, lots of treats and tubes to climb through.

I also handle Fluffy every day and let him out.

What’s causing it and what’s the cure?

Michael Pound, Birmingham

A) The honest answer you probably won’t enjoy hearing is that Fluffy wants out.

It’s an escape-related behaviour, showing he feels too confined and is searching desperately for a weak point to chew his way out.

It’s very common in caged hamsters, as they can see, smell, and hear what’s on the other side of those bars.

It’s also important to remember that hamsters in the wild roam over very large distances each night, travelling in search of food and mates during the breeding season.

Most commercially available hamster cages are nowhere near big enough.

You could consider an upgrade in size — to an old aquarium with solid sides perhaps and an enriched environment with lots to explore.

Letting him out regularly to roam in a safe, escape-free room under supervision is also advised.

Q) MY 11-year-old collie Olly has a foot problem. His nails grow, twist and split then fall off.

He recently had a bad foot and after X-rays, the vet found that the end of his toe was badly infected, so they amputated it.

After the biopsy came back they said he had osteomyelitis and onycholysis with a ruptured keratin cyst.

Now that he is missing a toe when he walks, he puts his pad down at an angle and by the side of his pad he has an open wound, which will not heal properly.

When we take him for a walk I put a dressing over it then put a boot on it, but when we get back his wound has bled.

We (and the vet) don’t know what to put on his wound to dry it up so it heals. Do you have any advice?

David Wright, Abercynon, Glam

A) This sounds like a really tricky case and so frustrating for all involved, not least poor Olly who must be finding the whole ordeal quite distressing.

Without seeing the wound itself it’s hard for me to advise on specific treatments but I would suggest going back to strict rest for at least two weeks with only lead walks at a gentle pace out to toilet and back inside.

Even crate rest when indoors will at least keep Olly confined to one room at a time. Not easy with an energetic collie I’m sure, but it may make all the difference by giving the wound time to dry up and heal.

Q) CAN I feed my pet rabbits Pete and Pepper fruit?

I give unlimited hay and veggies as well as some rabbit pellets, but I’d like to offer something else if their diet allows, as a treat.

What would you suggest?

Emma Brown, Scunthorpe, Lincs

A) You can, but it’s not advised.

The staple diet for healthy, happy buns should be high-quality hay for feeding, not bedding, and a small quantity of complete rabbit pellets along with fresh herbs, grass and “weeds”;, aka wildflowers from the garden, making sure they are not sprayed with chemicals.

An occasional tiny bit of fruit as a treat I could let slip, but I’m talking half a grape, a tiny pinch of banana, or a thin slice of apple once or twice a week if you absolutely insist.

Not large quantities and not often as fruit is too high in sugar, which can cause dental disease, upset stomachs and lead to obesity.

Rabbits in the wild are grazing constantly on fairly low-energy, high-fibre foods. A chewing rabbit is a happy rabbit.

Star of the week

FIGARO the wanderer is home after picking the perfect crash pad.

The black and white cat had gone missing from Gateside, Fife, last August only to reappear five months later and 15 miles away at the Kirkcaldy animal care retailer Pets At Home.

Shop worker Ronan Henderson, 27, spotted Figaro outside but the one-year-old shied away.

So Ronan launched a Facebook search and found owner Emma Cain, who came running.

Ronan says: “It was a lovely moment when Figaro was reunited with his owners.”;

Emma, 43, adds: “I’m forever thankful to Ronan. We were devastated when Figaro didn’t come home. We raced to Pets At Home and as soon as I called him, he appeared and headbutted my hand.”;

BUNNIES ARE FOR LIFE, NOT JUST EASTER

BUNNIES are complex pets that shouldn’t be given to kids for , experts say.

The Rabbit Welfare Association And Fund has revealed that over 100,000 need rehoming yearly.

But as upkeep costs may hit £15,000 over the pet’s lifetime, and children can lose interest easily, they are not appropriate presents.

Rae Walters, CEO of RWAF, said: “In the Easter run-up, ads are promoting hutches and rabbits as ideal children’s pets. One of the biggest reasons they end up in rescue is because kids have lost interest.”;

Rae added that anyone considering a bunny should adopt, not buy.

She advised that rabbits must be kept in well-matched, neutered pairs in order to thrive and require plenty of space.

Owners are responsible for providing essential care and dealing with any health issues. Rae said of a boom in the bunny population: “During Covid, everyone seemed to acquire new pets, and figures suggest the rabbit population went from 1million to 1.5million due to more breeding and selling.

“Now we have a cost-of- living crisis, people can’t afford their pets and are trying to rehome them.”;

See rabbitwelfare.co.ukfor more information.