Q. I found three kittens in a skip in my road. I think they are about four weeks old. Do they still need bottle feeding? And how do I go about this? Rose, via e-mail
A. First, take them to the vet to get the all-clear. Raising orphan kittens is complicated and time-consuming. If you're not sure you can dedicate the time to this, then it would be kinder to give the kittens to an animal charity. As they are four weeks old they should have their eyes open already and be walking around shakily. To start with, you'll need some replacement formula milk and special bottles. Your vet will be able to give you instructions on how to get hold of and administer the formula. You will still need to feed the kittens about four or five times a day. In addition to this they will soon need to start eating solid food. Mix canned kitten food with the formula and give it to them. At first, they will make a mess and lick it off each other, but this is all part of the learning process. Make sure they are kept warm, as kittens are prone to hypothermia. Keep a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel in their bed but make sure there is enough space so if they feel too hot they can move away from it. They should be weaned by six weeks.
Q. My parrot keeps swearing! I don't know where he learnt bad language from – how can I stop him? Anne, via e-mail
A. It must have been a great shock to have heard your feathered friend using such colourful language! It may seem funny to outsiders, but can you imagine how embarrassing it would be if your parrot insulted an elderly relative or neighbour? First, you need to discover the source of the saucy language; your bird must have learnt it from somewhere. Birds are very intelligent creatures and learn by repetition and praise. If you have teenagers, they might be the culprits; or he could just be copying what he hears on the TV. Be careful about what you watch when he's in the room. When he does use bad language, simply walk out of the room and ignore him. After that, you need to re-train him. Teach him another word that sounds similar to the swear word, give him lots of praise and eventually he will pick up the right habits. Good luck!
Q. I've seen some great-looking puppies on various sites on the internet such as Gumtree and Loot. I'm thinking of buying one, but would like to know whether this is a reliable method of buying a pet. Are they checked? Tom, via e-mail
A. You have to be very cautious whenever you are thinking of buying a dog. The internet has made it far too easy to buy pets. There are so many cases of puppies being purchased online – unseen – and then delivered to your door. This is the wrong way to buy a pooch. You need to see the mother, the father and you also need to witness the environment they've been brought up in. You can learn so much from the way puppies interact with their fellow siblings; you can tell if they are the bossy one or the quiet one. Do as much background checking as you can about the owners. And check out your local sanctuary; maybe they've got a suitable puppy. Or you could do a really worthwhile thing and take on an older dog. The internet is great, but it is producing a surplus number of puppies, especially when there are so many in shelters needing loving homes.
drive from www.independent.co.uk