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• Castration: Sterilisation or Neutering of the Male Dog

  Castration should be considered if you are keeping a male dog as a pet. It has many advantages and few disadvantages.

• Cat Bite Abscesses

  Over 90% of infected wounds in cats result from cat bites sustained during a cat fight. An abscess is a pocket of pus usually under the skin causing a swelling, fever and discomfort.

• Cat Bites

  All cats have a large number of bacteria, such as Pasteurella multocida, in their mouths which can be transmitted to the bite wound. An infected bite wound can become red, swollen and painful with a risk of spread of infection elsewhere in the body.

• Cat Scratch Disease

  Cat scratch disease, or cat scratch fever, is a disease of humans, not of cats. A cat scratch is often associated with the disease, however this is not believed to be the means by which infection occurs. Recent evidence suggests that the major route of infection is by flea bite. The disease is caused by a bacterium-like organism called Bartonella henselae. Bartonella henselae is sensitive to a number of antibiotics.

• Cat: Behavioural Approach to Obesity

  Losing weight is often a difficult process and animals, like people, often take weeks or months to shed those unwanted pounds.

• Cat: Compulsive Disorders

  There are many reasons, why an animal may do the same thing again and again. It may be a response to something specific which triggers the behaviour.

• Cat: Controlling Undesirable Behaviour the Role of Punishment

  Punishment is the application of a stimulus that decreases the chance that a behaviour will be repeated. It should coincide with the undesirable behaviour, and must be unpleasant enough to deter the cat from repeating that behaviour.

• Cat: Destructive Behaviours - Chewing and Fabric Sucking

  During exploration and play, kittens (and some adult cats), will chew on a variety of objects. Not only can this lead to damage or destruction of the owner's possessions, but some chewing can be dangerous to the cat.

• Cat: Diagnosing and Treating Aggression

  Aggression can be a serious and dangerous behaviour problem for cat owners. There are many different motivations for aggression and making a diagnosis, determining the prognosis (the chances of safe and effective correction) and developing an appropriate treatment plan are usually best handled by a veterinary behaviourist.

• Cat: Excessive Nocturnal Activity

  Some cats are active at night or awake very early in the morning. Since many owners are out at work or school during the day the cat may spend the daytime hours in rest and relaxation, especially if it is the only pet in the household.