We've embraced the urban chicken and the micro pig... now it's time to consider the domestic sheep. OK, so it's probably not suited to a one-bed city flat, but, with sheep numbers having halved in the UK in the past 20 years – due in part to us using less wool – it's about time we gave them some attention.

If you're not a pet owner, it's easy to dismiss the idea of dog psychology as a symptom of a 21st-century obsession with psychobabble. But, as most vets will tell you, understanding the way the canine mind works is the key to preventing the sort of anti-social behaviour that leads to a dog being labelled aggressive.

Q. I have a three-month-old kitten who keeps chewing on electric cables. I don't know how to stop him and I am becoming really worried. Could he actually get electrocuted? Sue, Berkshire

Q. Finally, I'm in a position to own my first dog. I've been doing lots of research on the internet and I was thinking about buying one online. But is this a safe thing to? Do I have to do any checks on the breeders? Joanne, Dartford

Hello – this looks like something out of a Thelwell cartoon ...

Q. I read one of your columns about a dog being fearful about going to the vet. My problem is slightly different but along the same lines. I can't get my cat into the carrier, which makes it impossible for us to go to the vet. Can you help?

Who could this possibly be? The Tibetan terrier, a wise and friendly companion dog. For centuries he has been bred in the Himalayas as a general all-round utility hound for herdsmen and monks alike. Don't be fooled by the name – he is not a terrier at all. Rather, think of him as more of an Old English Sheepdog in stature.

Q. I have been longing for a dog for a long time, so we went to our local rescue centre and found a gorgeous puppy! We couldn't wait to get her home, but then the centre rang and said there was something wrong with one of her legs and that it would have to be amputated. I don't know if I can cope with a three-legged dog…

Pampered pets are silly creatures who wear tiaras, sleep on waterbeds and eat salmon mousse. They're the last word in Western decadence, the height of cutesy anthropomorphism. Some of them live swankier lives than we do, for heaven's sake. There's even a dog from the Upper East Side who has a butler and won't fly economy. The butler follows him round carrying a plate of fennel strips. It's enough to make you sick. And what more demeaning sight can there be, I ask you, than a pug in the park wearing sun visor and bikini?