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Paws & Claws

Jill Bowen has practiced veterinary medicine in England and Texas. She lives in Blacksburg now, and answers local pet owners' questions every week in The Roanoke Times and roanoke.com.

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• Vaccinating your cat comes with small cancer risk
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• Halloween is not a treat for most pets

Q My cat recently injured his tail and had to have it amputated. I am worried the loss of his tail will affect his balance and he will fall.

A There is good evidence that cats' tails are involved in both balance and in the righting reflex. Slow-motion photography of a cat falling shows that cats first turn the head and chest and then use the tail to rotate the rest of the body. Watch a cat walk along a narrow fence and see the tail move to the opposite side to the head to maintain balance. So the tail acts as a type of balance pole.

However, a tail is not vital. Cats with amputated tails do not lose their sense of balance, nor do cat breeds without a tail, such as the Manx or Japanese Bobtail, seem to lack a sense of balance or the righting reflex.

Having a tail may even be a disadvantage for a hunting cat, as involuntary tail movements, which occur when the cat is excited and stalking its prey, may alert the prey before the cat has a chance to pounce. In those parts of the world where cats are used primarily as rodent hunters these cats may have their tails surgically docked, supposedly to aid in their hunting.

Cats' tails are a good indicator of their mood. The higher the tail is carried the better the mood. Happy cats carry the tail straight up; frightened cats tuck their tail under the belly, and aggressive cats carry the tail rigidly behind the body.

Q We have had a gray parrot for several years and he has always been very healthy. Just recently he started feather picking and now looks very scruffy. He has not been in contact with any other birds, nor has his food changed. The vet said there were no signs of parasitic mites. Any clues?

A Feather picking or mutilation is not a disease in itself, but is an indication of your bird's mental or physical health. This condition is seen almost exclusively in caged birds.

Finding out the cause of the problem can be difficult and also frustrating. Most cases of feather picking are behavioral in origin, although some may have a medical cause such as diet.

For example, foods high in fat, but low in vitamins and protein, can lead to obesity and unhealthy skin. Mites, too, cause skin irritation and lead to excessive preening, followed by feather picking. Retained feathers after a molt are another cause of over preening, leading to feather mutilation.

Parrots are very intelligent birds and do require daily stimulation to prevent boredom. In the wild, parrots are very busy searching for food and are involved in social groups with plenty of interaction.

Being kept in a cage with a readymade and ample supply of food leads to boredom and anxiety and its consequences. The size of the cage is important; all too often they are too small. Parrots are very sociable and do not need to be left alone for long periods.

They also need time out of the cage, which they spend exploring, although they can be quite destructive if left unsupervised. Parrots need sunshine and fresh air, but the cage should not be hung in direct sunlight where the bird has no shade and can become overheated.

New toys from time to time help ward off boredom. Frequent baths in plain water will encourage a parrot to preen and groom its feathers rather than mutilate them.

Any change in routine such as a move or the introduction of a new household pet can cause anxiety and frustration and may cause excessive preening as a displacement activity. Do not let people smoke in the same room as the parrot, because the smoke residue will accumulate on the feathers and may cause excessive attention to the feathers, leading to feather picking.