Question: I have a beautiful one-year-old English chinchilla who is constantly scratching, mainly on my couch (which he is ripping into threads), but also on the carpet. He does have a scratching pole and lots of toys to play with, but he prefers the furniture. I have tried a number of different products on the […]

By Annette Campbell When tiny premature twins Jackson and Samantha Tait were born at only 24 weeks and four days, it was a miracle they even survived. Then, only two days before they were allowed home from hospital — more than three months after their dramatic birth — they were both diagnosed as being profoundly […]

A few years ago, a friend who had to attend a work party asked me if I would mind taking care of her children for the night. I gladly said yes, unaware of what I was getting myself into. Her two children, aged nine and seven, turned out to be real horrors and I had […]

Question: Never know if your cat has swallowed their tablet? Answer: Once the tablet has been given to them, wait until they lick their lips and the tablet is gone – until then, they will spit it out! Leigha, via e-mail.

Question: My Irish setter pup, 12 months, loves eating charcoal. She just eats straight from the cold fireplace as much as she can. Part of her daily diet is eating grass. Can charcoal cause any problems or is this a natural thing for dogs to do? I’ve never seen any other of our dogs do […]

I once was employed as the cleaner of a big holiday home that was near where I lived in the country. It was a pleasure to look after such a nice place. The owners from the city would spend their weekends there. The house had spacious lounge rooms with enormous paintings on the walls, bedrooms […]

Question: I have recently bought a cockatiel and although she was hand raised, when you put your hand down for her to hop up onto, she usually bites you. Is there anything I can do to stop this habit? Nadine, via e-mail. Answer: Nadine, Your little feathered friend may have previously been frightened or handled […]

Question: From an early age, expose your puppy to having their mouths and feet handled. Always use words of encouragement when handling these areas — perhaps even use a common word so they associate the word with the action. Answer: When we want to look at our dog’s teeth we take her by the muzzle […]

Question: I use essential oils in an oil burner in my home but was wondering how else I can use them? Tara, via e-mail. Answer: Essential oils can be a great pick me up. Read the labels of aromatherapy oils to look for “pure essential oil”. Synthetic oils are very strong and instead of soothing, […]

By Annette Campbell Alana Ziebell learned a lot in her last year of high school — and it wasn’t all from textbooks and classes. Her mother Pauline died from breast cancer on September 13 last year, only weeks before Alana was due to sit her final exams. But amazingly, this determined 18-year-old from Melbourne persevered […]