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If you miss your cat when you're out at work or down the shops, Cats Protection have come up with a clever solution - their MyMog app for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.

MyMog allows you to create your own digital cat, with his own colours, style and facial expressions. You can share your cat with friends by uploading him to Twitter and Facebook, equip him with useful things like glasses and a top hat, and even give him a calming stroke by running your fingers across the screen. He'll purr if he likes it, and hiss a warning to you if he doesn't - just like the real thing (but without the claws).

November is Pet Diabetes Month, so it's an ideal time to check for the warning signs of the disease in your pet.

Cats and dogs suffer from diabetes mellitus, or sugar diabetes. This is the result of a shortage of the hormone insulin, which affects the concentration of glucose (a type of sugar) in the bloodstream: a lack of insulin means that the body cannot absorb glucose properly. It affects an estimated one in 200 pets, and those over six years old are most at risk. And with dogs, there are several breeds - such as German Shepherds, Labradors and Terriers - that are more susceptible than others.

Five symptoms that could mean your pet has diabetes

1. It is always thirsty or is drinking a lot of water
2. It is tired, lethargic or less active than normal
3. It has lost weight
4. Its coat is thin, dry and dull
5. It is urinating more than usual or having 'accidents' in the home

If your pet shows any of these symptoms, you should have it checked by a vet as soon as possible. Early diagnosis is vital, as untreated diabetes can result in serious illness or even death.

However, if your pet is diagnosed with diabetes, you needn't worry. While it will need twice-daily insulin injections and will need to eat a low-fat, high-fibre, high-carb diet, there's no reason why it can't continue to enjoy a full and active life.

Do you have anything to add? Just let us know by commenting below.

Last week, Dr Ian Billinghurst told us about his view that dogs should only eat a Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) diet. Now here's the other side of the argument, from vet Brian Faulkner"The BARF diet is based on the assumption that dogs are the same as their ancestors: wolves. But they are a domesticated species with different DNA to wolves; a distinction going back many thousands of years.Furthermore, all dogs are not the same. A Great Dane or a St Bernard may grow more in one week than a Yorkshire Terrier will grow in its whole life. The nutritional requirement of these dogs is significantly different.

The use of Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) - a simple diet of raw meat and bones - is dividing vets worldwide: some swear by it, while others advocate caution. In this first of two posts, BARF-devotee Dr Ian Billinghurst tells us why it works for him. "I believe that the healthiest diet for dogs and cats is a natural one. Raw meat, bones, vegetables and organ meats – anything that mimics the diet of a wild or feral animal is ideal. I call this the Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) diet and it's what our cats and dogs have evolved to eat.My views come from almost 35 years as a practice vet, witnessing the harm that commercially produced food can do to pets. It also comes from seeing at first han

There's no doubt about it, dog mess is an everyday feature of urban life, with a small minority of dog owners making a health hazard of our streets, gutters and children's playgrounds. But how do you solve a problem like this? Over in the USA, one company is pioneering a hi-tech but politically charged solution: compulsory DNA poo-profiling.

While the rest of the family is looking forward to fireworks night, your pet is probably dreading it. Follow our advice to keep your pet calm and relaxed on the big night. From the PetPeople magazine features archiveAround this time of year, anxiety descends on my home and lingers there for several weeks. There are jitters, sudden starts and attempts to hide under the bed - and that's just me! The cause of this seasonal nervousness is, of course, the annual festival of noise: Guy Fawkes Night.

Children love pets - but, unfortunately, it's not always mutual. Here's how to make sure they get along famously. From the PetPeople magazine features archiveWhen you eventually succumb to your child's persistent pleas of wanting a pet, you will discover that it offers many benefits for young ones. As children learn how to care for an animal, they also learn consideration and respect for other living things. Their nurturing helps them to develop responsible behaviour and social skills that will help them later in life. In addition, they will form a special bond of friendship with the pet.

Water is vital to your pet's health, so it's important that you give them plenty of opportunities to keep themselves topped up. It's essential to give them water as and when they need it, because just a small 10 per cent fall in an animal's natural water content has serious effects on its health, while a 15 per cent loss can be life-threatening.

If you're looking for a pet that's blessed with both beauty and brains, then look no further than the elegant Burmese. Here's our 60-second guide to the breedAdorned with striking golden eyes and shiny, silky coats, Burmese cats were first brought to the UK in the 1940s, many by returning servicemen who had fought in the region and found these affectionate cats hard to leave behind. Enthusiastically bred by cat lovers into a wide range of colours, the Burmese became a much sought-after pet in the UK over the coming decades, regularly featuring in the present-day 'top five' most popular cat breeds.

We all love to spoil our pets, but a treat too many can cause the pounds to creep on - and even put their health at risk. Here's vet Alison Logan's advice on what to do. It's often said that owners look like their pets - and this can extend to the waistline, too. Since qualifying as a vet 19 years ago, I've seen an increasing number of overweight pets coming through my consulting room. Indeed, the 2007 Petplan census found that 30 per cent of dogs, cats and rabbits are obese, and it's fast becoming a problem with small furries and pet birds, too. We are told that ˜'we are what we eat', but we're also the result of what we do - and don't do. Our body is like a seesaw: energy input from the food we eat should be balanced by energy output. If we eat more than our body needs, then the excess energy is stored as fat and bodyweight increases.