Pets Q&A

Q My cat recently scratched my three-year-old daughter. Now she's terrified of him and he's lashing out. I don't want to get rid of him, what can I do?

A A cat could inflict a nasty injury on your daughter so this situation needs to be managed carefully. Young children can be very scary to pets. Toddlers move quickly and unpredictably and make sounds pets find strange.

If the pet finds itself in a situation from which it can't easily escape, it may use aggression in order to protect itself. The key will be to teach your daughter to avoid and ignore the cat so it can feel safe and undisturbed. Also, give your cat resting places that are high up, where they feel safest. Don't leave a cat and child unsupervised as this could result in an accident.

Q Is it normal for dogs to chase their tail?

A If a dog occasionally chases his tail this could be viewed as a game or a bit of fun. But if he is doing it a lot, it is more likely to be a sign of a problem.

One possibility is that the tail, or his back end, is painful or uncomfortable. Perhaps the tail is injured or his anal glands have become full. Another possibility is that the dog has developed compulsive behaviour. This is often seen in nervous or anxious dogs and compulsive tail-chasing or spinning affects certain breeds more than others (including German Shepherds, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and English Bull Terriers).

Treatment involves having very set routines to reduce the dog's anxiety and sometimes medication can be useful.

Dogs should never be punished, as this will increase their anxiety.

A tail-chasing dog should be taken to the vet who will be able to offer advice and treatment whether the cause is medical or behavioural.