Wandering cats and dirty doggy ears: Pete the Vet answers your pet questions

Pete Wedderburn advises on some common pet-ownership quandaries

Pic: iStock

Q: My cat hasn’t been to the vet in years and seems perfectly healthy. A friend thinks it’s neglectful of me and says he needs regular vaccinations to stay well but I can’t see any good reason to take him for a check-up. Am I right?

A: No, you are mistaken. 

There are two good reasons for your cat to visit the vet regularly. 

First, for vaccinations, and second, for a health check. 

Evidence-based guidelines on the need for vaccination are issued by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association. 

Vaccines are needed to protect the individual cat, and also to provide “herd immunity” so that serious disease outbreaks affecting the whole population are less likely. 

In the past, annual boosters for all cats were recommended; now the advice is individualised, depending on a cat’s risk of exposure to infection. 

Social cats living in multi-cat neighbourhoods are more at risk than solo cats who are kept indoors. 

Typically, a booster vaccine should be given at least every three years. 

Your unvaccinated cat may get away without falling ill, but it’s a risk.

The second reason to visit your vet is for a health check: cats can suffer from hidden illnesses, including high blood pressure, painful teeth, and heart disease. 

An annual health check, with a thorough physical examination, including recording body weight and discussing issues like parasite control, will ensure that your cat is more likely to have a longer, healthier life.

Q: We’ve 2 cats and 1 dog. The dog, an Alsatian named Holly, is used to the cats and doesn’t pay them much attention, bar occasionally chasing them for fun. 

However, the arrival of a new kitten has made us nervous. We often find Holly with the kitten’s head in her mouth, gently holding her there after a chase. 

While this seems to be playful, we wonder if there’s a chance she could go too far one day? Is there a way we can modify her behaviour or should we just try to keep them apart?

A: I agree that this is a borderline situation, and yes, there is a significant risk of the kitten being badly hurt by Holly. 

Animal instincts (e.g. killing prey) can sometimes override domesticated dog behaviour. 

It would be safest to keep them apart unless you are in the same room, and if she does this when you are there, discourage her. 

Teach her the “Leave It” command. 

Once she has learned this command, if she gets too engaged with the kitten, tell her to “Leave It”, and she should immediately let go of, and move away from, the kitten. 

If you are consistent about enforcing this, the frequency of this behaviour should reduce. As the kitten grows older, bigger, and stronger, you can be more relaxed about their interactions.

Q: Our groomer suggested we pay closer attention to our Miniature Schnauzer’s ears, which were quite clogged up. 

She recommended cleaning them to avoid the chance of infection. But we’ve no idea how to do this and are afraid of damaging her hearing. 

Do you recommend we do this job ourselves or is it something we should ask our vet to do?

A: This type of breed of dog often has such hairy ears that the opening of the ear can become completely obstructed with long matted fur mixed with wax, and this can lead to painful ear infections. 

Careful maintenance makes sense: gentle trimming of the longer hairs using blunt-ended scissors to stop matted fur gathering, combined with twice weekly cleaning with a vet-recommended ear cleaner to remove any build-up of wax. 

As long as you don’t poke anything down the ear canal, you are unlikely to damage her hearing. 

Watch this short video to learn how to clean her ears safely and effectively.

Q: My three-year-old male neutered microchipped indoor/outdoor cat has a regular routine, coming in for sleeps and just to hang as he does, then going outdoors for hunting. 

He always sleeps indoors overnight. However after breakfast two days ago, he left, and we haven't seen him since. It is not his character to do this. 

Can you give me some cat knowledge to help us find him? We live in the country.

A: Two days is too long, and you should definitely be proactive in trying to find him. There are many possible reasons for his absence. 

He could be physically confined in some way e.g. shut inside a shed or outhouse. He could have had an accident or fallen ill. He could have hopped into a vehicle (such as a delivery van) and travelled to somewhere beyond his home range. 

Tips to find him include: 

• Contact the microchip database that he is registered with, and ask them to tag his microchip as “missing”, in case someone finds him and contacts the database. 
• Post his photo and your details widely on social media, including any local open forums and dedicated lost and found pet pages (e.g. Lost and Found Cats Ireland) 
• Print some posters with his photo, and place them in locations such as shops, bus stops, and vets in your area. 
• Physically search for him: most cats do not go further than 1km from their home, and missing cats are often found in their usual favourite outdoor spots. 

Don’t give up: it’s great that he is microchipped, and there are stories of cats turning up months or years after they have gone missing. Remain positive and I hope he returns soon.