Hyperthyroidism in cats is a common disease that affects middle-aged and senior cats. Hyperthyroidism refers to excessive levels of thyroid hormone being produced by the thyroid glands located in the neck. This can have significant health implications, because thyroid hormone is involved in the normal regulation of metabolic processes in the body. Therefore, the condition can affect multiple body systems. If you are concerned that your cat might have hyperthyroidism, we’ve created this guide to tell you all you need to know about the condition, from the symptoms to watch out for to the average life expectancy.

Ear mites in cats are more common than you'd expect. These tiny parasites can be extremely itchy and lead to long-term damage if left untreated. Is your feline friend scratching their ears more than usual? One of the most frequent causes for a cat’s ear discomfort are microscopic parasites known as ear mites. Read on to find out how ear mites affect your pet’s health and what mite treatment for cats to use in order to get rid of them.

Most dogs and cats can live together in perfect harmony, but sometimes there can be a little tension. Dogs are social animals who love company, while cats are often loners who prefer independence. And their play styles are very different. Dogs often play with other canines by chasing them, which cats dislike and may perceive as a threat. Stopping this chasing behaviour from the very start is very important, as it can lead to a very stressed and unhappy cat if left unchecked, even if your dog is well-meaning. Moreover, your cat will interpret it as predatory behaviour and will want to hide to feel safe – and may well even consider leaving home. But fear not – this behaviour can usually be controlled. In this article, we’ll explore why dogs chase cats, how to stop dogs from chasing your cats, and what to do if they do not stop.

We know that resisting those big puppy eyes is difficult but discouraging begging behaviour can help keep your puppy healthy (thanks to fewer sneaky table scraps!) and prevent puppy begging from becoming more insistent or demanding as your puppy grows up! Puppy begging can be anything from giving you those cute appealing eyes, to whining, scratching your leg, jumping up and even barking at you. If your dog behaves like this every time, you sit down to have a meal, you can be sure your puppy has learnt how to beg for food or a delicious treat! Dogs are brilliant at devising new and interesting ways to get what they want from their owners at mealtimes – in this case, a sneaky delicious treat. However, this can be difficult for you as an owner, especially if it happens every time you want to eat if the begging becomes more demanding - and especially if you have children or vulnerable adults, or guests who don’t appreciate your dog wanting to share their meal. While you might not mind your dog begging, if they think that your mealtimes are an opportunity to get tasty treats, this could easily become problematic if they do this with others. Fortunately, dog begging for food can be prevented using a few simple steps. Why do dogs and puppies beg for food Dogs beg because it works. Playing on your caring nature, they use their best acting skills and begin the hope of being treated to scraps from the plate. Dogs perfect this method of asking for food because it is so effective, and our dogs evolved as highly effective scavengers. This clever but totally natural canine behaviour means that your dog can often persuade you to give them more food without exerting much effort. It is hard to resist a cute puppy who is trying to convince you that they really need just a small mouthful of your delicious food! Nearly always at some time during your puppy’s early weeks with you someone will give them something from the table - and so very early on your puppy realises that begging is worth doing because sometimes, it works! And you - or whoever gave into those beseeching puppy eyes - have taught them that. As a puppy grows up, they are learning all the time what works and what doesn’t in this strange new life. The things that are ‘rewarded’ will be repeated - and all so often people reward this begging behaviour.

Is your puppy biting or nipping you? There is no doubt that puppy teeth hurt! They are like sharp needles and if they catch your skin while you are playing or interacting with them, it can be really painful!

If you have a cat that won't stop scratching your furniture, you're probably wondering how to convince them to stop it, which is why we've put together this handy guide to help you prevent your cat from shredding your sofa! There’s nothing worse than getting a new sofa and coming home to find that your cat, or kitten has ripped it into ribbons, or finding deep scratches in your freshly painted door frames. Cats scratching furniture can be a real problem, especially if you’re house-proud! Sometimes it may seem that your cat’s out to cause trouble, but it’s important to know that your cat scratching at the carpet and furniture is a deeply ingrained natural instinct and has numerous benefits to both their health and wellbeing. Keep reading to find out how to prevent cats from scratching furniture and to discover why they always seem to target your favourite spots.

It can be extremely distressing to see your cat get into a fight, whether that is with their playmates at home or with other cats outside of the house. But there are ways to stop cats fighting, both in the short term and in the long term. In this article, we’ll explore why cats fight, how to stop cats from fighting and what long-term solutions you can look towards if it keeps happening.

Your dog's sense of smell is one of their most powerful senses and sniffing is one of their very favourite activities, so it only makes sense to start nose training when they're puppies! Learn more about how to begin to scent train your dog with our helpful guide and advice. For owners who really want to take their relationship with their dog to the next level, one of the best ways to do this is to focus on the most underappreciated of our dog’s senses… their incredible nose. That means it’s time for some puppy scent training! It’s probably because we don’t see the world in smell the same way that our dogs do, that we don’t understand how important the sense of smell is to our dogs. For that reason, we miss an entire way to interact with and stimulate them. It’s thought that the part of the dog’s brain that analyses smells is 40 times larger than ours. And if you compare our measly 5 million scent receptors to a Bloodhound’s 300 million, you can see that our noses are pretty pathetic in comparison! The good news is that puppy scent training is easy! Read on to find out how to scent train a dog and some of our favourite puppy scent training games.

Cat anxiety can be a huge problem for pet owners. Read our guide to find out more about cat anxiety and how best to help your pet. Animals can be afraid of many things: loud noises, fireworks, and even a bath! But when it comes to cats, we don’t often hear about anxiety problems. Yet cat anxiety can be a big issue for many owners, even if they aren’t aware it’s happening. Just like in humans, anxiety in cats can manifest in many different ways, and it isn’t always as easy to identify as a straightforward illness – there’s no blood test for anxiety! Read on to find out more about what makes cats anxious and some cat calming methods.

If you have a cat that likes to explore the outside world, it’s likely that they’ll encounter a tick at some point. Find out how to remove a tick from a cat with this guide. If your cat spends a lot of their time outside, it’s likely that they’ll get a tick at least some point in their lives. These tiny creatures latch onto your cat’s body and will feed for several days if not removed, so it’s important that they’re caught as early as possible in order to prevent further pain and discomfort, and to prevent them passing on certain infectious diseases which they can carry. If you’ve spotted a tick on your cat, you may be wondering how to remove it without causing pain or leaving part of the tick behind, which is why we’ve put together a useful guide to tell you how to remove a tick from a cat safely and properly.