i need your help

If you've got problems, we've got answers. Along with the fabulous PetSugar Community, I'll be offering solutions to all your pet peeves and other animal-related dilemmas.

We've already tackled a bunch of tricky situations together:

So what do I need from you? Why, the pressing issues, of course. To get in on the conversation, pose your questions to the Pet Peeves group, and I'll select ones to feature on the site as they come in! Problems solved.

Source: Flickr User blmurch

Oh no! Read this problem submitted by PetSugar reader Bany19 in the Pet Peeves group:

Hello all,

I wanted to get some advice from the cat owners of the group . . . I have a cat who is almost one year old. He is perfectly healthy, and has a wonderful personality. I am planning on traveling to my hometown to see my family for Thanksgiving which is 5.5 hours away. Since there will no one in town to look after my cat while I am gone, I thought that I would bring him home with me. However, I am concerned that I am going to traumatize him and that he will not do well on the trip.

My family has outside cats (he should have no interaction with them), and two small dogs. In the past, my cat has done well with dogs but I am afraid that he might act differently this time since he will be in their territory. Also, I am concerned about the length of the drive . . . my vet said that I could give him some Benadryl to keep him calm but I'm not sure if I want to do that to him.

Basically, I really really don't want to cause any unnecessary trauma to my cat and I want to do everything that I can to make sure that he is comfortable on our trip. Does anyone have any advice or experience in regards to traveling with a cat? Any dos or don'ts? Please help!

Find my tips and share your own when you read more

Oh no! Read this problem submitted by PetSugar reader tamisuger in the Cat Palace group:

Hi, my name is Tami, I'm worried about my cat. When I'm laying in bed and when he's laying in his at the end of my bed, I can hear him breathing. At first I thought it was something else because it sounded like someone else was in the room. Could he just be snoring? He's my first indoor cat I've ever had. When I was holding him today I could him breathing. I don't smoke, I keep my house cool, I clean his litter box everyday, I don't know if that would have anything to do with it. Is it normal for a cat to do that? Should I take him to a vet?

First and foremost, some types of cats are more prone to loud breathing and snoring, especially those with smushed faces. If he seems to be struggling to breathe, gasping for air, or if there is any sort of visible discharge, that would be a cause for concern and a visit to the vet. Find out the scientific name for noisy breathing in cats, and some possible causes, when you read more

This question was posed anonymously in our Pet Peeves group:

I recently moved into a new apartment and the tenant below me has complained that she can hear my dog walking around. His nails have been cut and he weighs 14 pounds. She had also complained that she can hear me walking in the past (although I don't wear shoes indoors) and I'm worried that this will be grounds for eviction. We have hardwood floors of which 80% are covered with rugs or furniture per our lease agreement. I can't figure out how to make this situation better so she leaves me alone. I'd understand if my dog was barking or something like that but it isn't the case. He is crated during the day so this complaint only comes from when I am home. Do you think I could get kicked out over this? Can anyone help me please?!

Lend a hand to this frustrated pet owner! Share your tips in comments, then submit your own burning pet questions in the forum or vent about problems in the Pet Peeves group, too.

This post comes from member gunrock in the Pet Peeves group — can you help?

Our dog Riley is about a year old. We got him when he was around 3 months old. Here are the issues we are having with him and continue to have with him even though he has been through training:

• He was getting food aggression — he would growl when anyone came near him while he was eating. We fixed that by hand feeding him and this seems to have helped. We do not allow him around our food at all and kennel him up when we eat because he won't leave the food alone.
• Toy possession — he gets in these moods when he finds a toy he likes he won't give it up and has a death grip on it and will try biting it back if you take it away. He can't have this Kong toy (toy you put treats in) because of this or he growls if anyone comes near him. We have also worked on this but probably should work on it a lot more than we have.
• Whenever anyone comes near him to get something from him be a kid's toy, shoes, etc. he tries biting to get it back (play biting) hasn't really ever left marks only a few times when the person tries snatching their hand away and they get scraped from his teeth. We were told to give him something before you take the thing away so he doesn't try getting the toy back which we usually do.

Learn the rest and offer your suggestions when you read more

Curtains can look like miles of fun fabric to eat to little kitty eyes. However, that's not the case for the human purchaser. One of CasaSugar's community members is looking for a kitten-resistant window treatment so share your product suggestions with her, but now I wanna use your problem solving skills, too.

If you combatted a cat's upcoming climb or distracted her from a slasher mission, share your best techniques with me in the comments below!

Source: Flickr User las - initially

Here's a little something to ponder this Friday to help out one of our PetSugar Q and A community members:

I live in a 2-bedroom, 800-sq. ft. condo (I own) and am interested in getting a dog. I've looked online, but all I can find for breed recommendations are pups that yap or are bad with other animals. I have two cats. Any suggestions?

Think about all your dog breed expertise and come up with types that are not super active or needing room to roam, typically pretty quiet, and good with cats to boot. Share your tips in comments, then submit your own burning pet questions in the forum, too.

Rainy days go away! Not only does the wet stuff totally annoy some pets, it can be harmful, too. Check out this message about a three-year-old blue American Pitbull:

We rescued Diva at seven months old, and she had already had her ears clipped. It was a chop job to say the least — the problem now is that she is getting gunk in her ears when we walk, especially in the rain. I am looking for something to protect her ears and not block her hearing.

To see my advice, and offer your own, read more

It's important to bring pets to the doctor if they seem sick but what happens when it comes time to pay? Savvy consumers likely do some cost comparison and, while it's not a good idea to scrimp on a quality vet, what about two drastically different prices for the same medications? The following question was recently posed to me:

My kitty has had this persistent cough and I've taken her to the vet twice just this month, which is fine — I'll pay whatever fees to get her better. But here's the thing. My vet charged me 30 bucks for 15ml of Clavamox drops, and 22 dollars for 62.5mg pills when I came back the second time. On 1-800-petmeds, both medications are at least ten dollars cheaper!

Get the rest of the story when you read more

I've received several messages lately about dealing with deaths of a furry loved one. Since I haven't experienced this since I was a young child, I wanted to put the question out to all of you in the hopes that your suggestions can help others feel better and cope with a loss.