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My Pet World: Achoo! Should I be worried about my cat’s sneezes?

Cathy M. Rosenthal, Tribune Content Agency on

Our cat, Ms. Annie, usually sleeps at our feet each night. But sometimes in the wee early hours, she will crawl up, get right in our face, and then shake her head and sneeze, which sprays us. Is this normal? It's almost (but not quite) akin to getting a Papal blessing.

– John, Ivins, Utah

Dear John,

Normal? No. Normal for Ms. Annie? Perhaps. If she is just sneezing once in the morning and then doesn’t sneeze again throughout the day, it may be related to allergies in some way. If the sneezing is more frequent, however, it could be a sign of worsening allergies or an upper respiratory infection. Sneezing also may be linked to conditions like feline herpes, feline immunodeficiency virus, and sometimes even dental problems. If Ms. Annie is sneezing more frequently or you are concerned about these morning sneezes, take her to the vet to rule out any major health issues.

As for the “Papal blessing” you receive each morning, the only way to avoid it is to remove her from the bed as soon as you feel her walking up the bed towards your head.

Dear Cathy,

 

We have a one-and-a-half-year-old Maltese. He’s very affectionate and cute but does not like to go for walks. If you try to put the leash on him in the house, he either runs away and hides or will bare his teeth and snap. If we can get him in the car, which he likes, we can then get him to walk when he comes out of the car.

Secondly, he barks incessantly at people and dogs when we let him out in the gated courtyard. If I try to get him to come into the house by corralling him, he will snap at me and try to bite at my shoes.

Last but not least, he will “mark” his territory and pee on the tile floor once or twice a week, always in the same spot and not on the carpet. We have had three different trainers in the last year or so, without much success. We would really appreciate your advice. He is a very sweet dog who always sleeps with us at night, stays on the couch with us in the evening, and sits on the floor next to us at mealtimes.

– Steve and Caroline, Las Vegas, Nevada

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