HELOISE Bleach can be mixed with water and used to clean litterbox

Dear Heloise: I once read warnings about not mixing bleach and ammonia together, that it can cause toxic fumes. I want to warn others not to use bleach to clean out the cat litter box.
I almost did myself in one day by pouring bleach into the box after pouring out the litter. Luckily, I escaped the ensuing fumes because I was outside at the time. Linda Best, Via E-mail
Hmmm. This is interesting, so I contacted my veterinarian and friend, Dr. Tom Vice. He said that it really isn't dangerous to use bleach if it is diluted, mixing 1 tablespoon of bleach with 1 pint of water. Do not pour the bleach directly into the litter box -- or anything else, really.
After removing the litter from the box, first rinse it with water before adding the bleach and water. Scrub well -- you can use a commode brush (marked just for that purpose). Rinse well and put it outside in the sun to dry. Heloise
Dear Readers: Avalon Ingram of Grapeland, Texas, has a pet chicken named Chicken Nugget who comes to the kitchen door and sings when she wants in. One day, she began laying eggs in a basket. Then she sat for three weeks and hatched two baby chicks. The photo Avalon sent in shows her great-grandson, 3-year-old Braeden Thompson, sitting with Chicken Nugget in his arms.
Visit my Web site, www.Heloise.com, and click on This Week's Pet to see Chicken Nugget. Send your favorite, unusual pet photo to: Heloise/Pet Photo, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279. Heloise
FYI: Traveling with your pet by car? Take along a pet first-aid kit with everything needed for your pet. Ask your vet what the kit should contain. Also, you can buy books on how to administer first aid to your pet.
Don't keep the kit locked away in the car -- take it in the house after your trip. You never know when you will need it. Heloise
Dear Heloise: When my husband brought home a little puppy, we didn't know the first thing about house-training her. I thought of my son's old playpen.
I put it next to our bed at night with some soft blankets in it. It worked wonderfully. Buffy never had an accident in it. She knew it was her bed area and waited until I picked her up first thing in the morning, then she ran to her favorite spot outside.
I use it sometimes in the daytime when I have to leave the house for a couple of hours. After she relieves herself, I put her in the playpen. She stays and happily plays and sleeps till I get home. Katie L., Via E-mail
Dear Heloise: I have two parakeets and found a "cheap" way to line the bottom of their cage. I don't like newspaper, and the liners can be quite expensive, so I use brown-paper grocery bags.
I cut them to fit the bottom tray. One large paper bag can make a couple of liners, so this is a great way to reuse those bags. Terry Elia, Pine Bush, N.Y.
XSend a great hint to: Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, Fax: (210) HELOISE or E-mail: Heloise@Heloise.com.
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