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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.
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Q) MY dog Billy insists on sleeping between me and my boyfriend.
My boyfriend doesn’t mind but it makes for a crowd in the bedroom.
What can I do about this?
Amy Wood, Sheffield
Sean says: I don’t mean to be too blunt but you are actually the one in charge.
I also know how hard it is to resist Billy’s snuggles — but if you want him out of the bed, or your bedroom, that is reasonable.
It can be achieved cold turkey by using a stair gate or closing the bedroom door and placing his bed in another room. But be prepared he will probably shout the house down.
It’s probably best to do it gradually, and place his bed on the floor of your bedroom — then outside the door, then gradually farther away.
Don’t cave in to his pleas. If you do give in just once, he will try doubly hard the next time.
Q) WHEN I started treatment for breast cancer, my dog Pepper wouldn’t come near me.
He’s now OK and thankfully I’m in remission, but what caused this?
Nicky Brown, Sevenoaks, Kent
Sean says: Congratulations on reaching remission, Nicky.
These things can affect our furry family members, too.
With dogs, the difference is having such an acute sense of smell.
If you were on chemotherapy for example, that can cause a change in your personal scent that we can’t detect, but may have put Pepper off.
There is even fascinating research showing dogs can pick up the scent of tumours themselves, and this has been harnessed to train dogs to diagnose cancer before it would ever appear on a routine scan.
Whatever Pepper’s concern, I’m glad all is back to normal.
Q) OUR cat Steedy is 16 years old and constantly miaows.
He appears healthy and eats quite well, although he is a little thin now. The vet can find nothing wrong.
Could he have dementia?
Alan McNaught, Clacton, Essex
Sean says: Yes, or feline cognitive dysfunction syndrome (FCDS), which is similar to Alzheimer’s disease.
Unexplained and incessant vocalisation is one common symptom in older cats.
Others include confusion, appearing to get trapped in tight spaces, lack of grooming, sleeping more, becoming extra-affectionate or withdrawing from human interaction.
It’s distressing to witness our pets undergoing these changes, but rest assured they are rarely in pain or suffering due to this condition alone.
If Steedy is still eating well, then just monitor him for now.
If he becomes more agitated, discuss with your vet when it may be kindest to let him go with dignity. Often, this point comes when a pet loses control of toileting.
Give Steedy a chin stroke from me.
Q) SOX, my neighbour’s cat, messes up my flower beds.
If I see him I clap my hands and he runs off — but when the coast is clear, he’s back. What can I do?
Dave Dixon, Manchester
A) Sean says: This is annoying to encounter when gardening, for example, and there can also be health and hygiene issues.
There are cat-deterrent sprays and ultrasonic sound emitters that cats find annoying.
Some may recommend spraying the cat with a water mister, but I’m not a fan of aversive techniques from humans as it can make cats wary or aggressive.
The only real way to stop it happening is to prevent access to your garden.
There are net attachments for wall tops and fences, to keep your cat in and others out. Try these.
Star of the week
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WASHINGTON, the kitten, has mended the broken heart of his housemate Percy, the cat, whose best friend had passed away.
The six-month-old long-haired ginger puss is now inseparable from ten-year-old Percy.
Percy had lived with 15-year-old ginger tomcat Dibble for ten years but, sadly, Dibble died on Christmas Day.
Owner Caroline Read, 59, of Braintree, Essex, said: “Washington has mended Percy’s broken heart.
“He was so sad at losing his best friend. Now he’s purring again and the two of them run around the house doing zoomies together.”
WIN: £100 Vamoosh pet-hair bundle
VAMOOSH, the game-changing laundry brand for people with busy homes and furry companions, is offering three readers a bundle of products worth £100.
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For a chance to win, send an email with VAMOOSH in the title to: sundaypets@the-sun.co.uk by August 24.
Vamossh products are available from vamooshcleans.com, Amazon, Ocado and B&M. T&Cs apply.
How a pet reveals your personality
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THEY say people look like their dogs – but their personalities match, too, new research has revealed.
Canine “mini-me’s” are about more than just looks, as 72 per cent of owners say they their dog’s personality is similar to their own.
The website pets4homes. co.uk revealed the findings in data from more than 7.5million animals taken between January 2019 and June 2025.
Pet expert Axel Lagercrantz said: “Dogs are no longer simply pets, they’ve become mirrors of the people who raise them.
“Many owners living with animals feel they’re psychological extensions of themselves. It hints at something deeper than preference in breed or temperament.”
A staggering 88 per cent of owners referred to their dog as their closest family member or friend.
“These are people whose sense of self now includes a four-legged companion.
“We also see alignment in the breeds people choose. Border collies, with their appetite for adventure, are owned by people who are 93 per cent more adventurous than the average dog owner.
Lagercrantz added: “Dachshunds, hugely popular on social media, attract Gen Z and Millennial owners, who post online 123 per cent more than average owners.”
