Pet subjects: where do I find a guinea pig groomer?

Q: I have two long-haired guinea pigs, and I worry about them overheating this summer if it’s a warm one. I’d like to get their fur cut short. Is there such a person as a “guinea pig groomer”, or should I just get a pair of scissors and do it myself?

NJ, Ipswich

A: I’ve never heard of a professional guinea pig beautician, but perhaps your local dog groomer might help you. If not, it’s simple enough to do it yourself, but you must use blunt-ended scissors: it’s surprisingly easy to nick the fine skin of small wriggly creatures. Special grooming scissors called “Scaredy Cut” (you can find them on Amazon) have a built-in comb guide, which further reduces the risk of cutting the skin. More importantly than worrying about their coat, make sure that they have a cool, comfortable place for their hutch in warm weather: this could be in a sheltered part of the garden, or perhaps a shady room in your house. And don’t forget to keep their drinkers full of fresh water at all times.

Q: Honey, our 16-month-old unspayed female Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever, has recently started to take an unhealthy interest in jumping on my wife’s leg and we wonder why she is doing this. She came into season six months ago and we are expecting her to do so again soon. Might this have anything to do with her odd behaviour and how can we stop her?

JLM, Somerset

A: “Humping” in dogs is often misunderstood by humans. It’s often a social behaviour, rather than a hormonally driven or reproductive activity. Dogs often do it as a way of dominating, influencing or just playing with other dogs or people. Whatever the cause, it’s often socially unacceptable in human company, so you may wish to train her to stop doing it.

Until now, you may have been accidentally encouraging the behaviour by giving her attention when she does it, so you need to try a new approach. The “Leave it” command could work well: teach her that when you say “Leave it”, if she stops doing what she’s doing and does something else, she gets a tasty treat and praise. A good local dog trainer (APDT) will help you solve this issue more rapidly.

Q: Our eight-year-old black cat (who has been with us since kittenhood) is becoming increasingly vicious. When we are petting her, for no reason at all that we can fathom, she turns on us, biting, scratching and hissing. She is still very affectionate and wants to sit on our laps, but we are increasingly nervous around her. Why is she doing this?

HM, West Sussex

A: It’s worth having her checked by your vet for any unnoticed painful focus, such as sore teeth or gums. Once this has been ruled out, it may be that this is just a complex cat behaviour issue, which can be tricky to solve.

Cats often are happy having their head and shoulders petted, but many of them hate it when anyone touches them elsewhere. In general, it’s best to treat her on her terms, looking out for early signs of agitation such as flattening ears or a twitching tail, and disengaging from her as soon as this happens.

See icatcare for more information about living with a grumpy cat.

Q: My terrier can only drink a tiny amount of water – around 50ml. If she takes any more than this, it’s regurgitated within seconds. Is this a type of reflux and is there anything I can do other than restrict the amount in her bowl?

IB, London

A: Regurgitation like this – of water or food – is not normal. There are many possible causes, including congenital abnormalities with the way her oesophagus has formed and partial obstructions or acquired strictures of the oesophagus following accidents or illness. You should take a video of this happening, then take her to your vet for a full examination.

In the short term, it may help to insist that she drinks water from a height, either by putting her water bowl on a stool, or using a special bowl that’s held in a raised stand rather than placed on the ground (Canine Concepts).

Chinese bear bile farm to become a sanctuary

The extraction of bile from farmed bears for traditional Chinese medicine is a cruel practice. In the world’s biggest ever bear rescue operation, animal welfare organisation Animals Asia will convert a bear bile farm in Nanning, China, into a sanctuary, rescuing and caring for its 130 bears. This is a major step towards the charity’s ultimate aim of ending bear bile farming in China. To support this work, visit Peace by Piece.

Rescue pet of the week

Buddy has a skin condition that requires ongoing treatment. Contact Wood Green, The Animals Charity on 0844 248 8181 or visit Wood Green. To find out the outcomes of the rescued pets featured in this column, see Pete the Vet.

*Send pet problems to pete.wedderburn@telegraph.co.uk. All sick animals should, of course, be taken to a vet