HELOISE Formula was solution to skunk odor

Dear Heloise: I have a problem with skunks. One recently sprayed my poor little dog. I remember reading about a formula you had that did the job of removing the odor. I tried bathing Buttons with tomato juice, and it worked. Since the skunks just love our yard, I'm sure it will happen again. Marie, via e-mail
Your poor dog and you! Here is a formula that works in removing that terrible skunk odor. All you need is a quart of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide (not a stronger solution), 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1 teaspoon (clear or white, mild liquid) dishwashing detergent (no ammonia, no bleach).
Mix together, pour it over your dog, rub it in and rinse. Bathe again using a mild pet shampoo.
P.S. Put a cotton ball in each of your dog's ears and one drop of mineral oil in each eye to keep the "skunk shampoo" out of these areas. Heloise
Dear Readers: Suzy Mendoza of Layton, Utah, sent a photo of nine darling malamute puppies in a dome-shaped doghouse, with all of them posing as a group! The cute thing is that Suzy says it came naturally to them -- no one posed them to all sit in a row.
Visit my Web site, www.Heloise.com, to see these adorable puppies. Send your favorite, unusual pet photo to: Heloise/Pet Photo, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279. Heloise
Dear Readers: We received another good hint to prevent litter from being tracked all over the floor. Flo Ostergaard says she puts a cheap plastic tablecloth on the floor under the litter boxes. When the tablecloth is a bit dirty, she throws it in the washer. When it wears out, she uses a new one.
Another inexpensive thing you can use is a plastic dropcloth. It can be cut to any size, so you can get a few sheets out of one cloth. Heloise
Dear Heloise: A beautiful red cardinal took a fancy to my car bumper. I park my car at work in the same spot every day under a tree. One day, I spotted a cardinal jumping up and down looking at his reflection in the bumper. That's what gave me the idea of hanging a large mirror with a plastic frame on a branch near my house.
Some birds would hit our kitchen window when they saw their reflection. Now that the mirror is there, they gather around and fly to the mirror, then sit on branches nearby looking at themselves. Carol L., via e-mail
Dear Heloise: My screen door doesn't have any glass -- it is just one long screen from top to bottom. I have a couple of cats that were just tearing up the bottom half. I couldn't buy a new door, but I thought of something that would stop them from climbing up.
I bought a piece of plastic and had it cut to fit the bottom half of the screen. I screwed it onto the sides of the door. The cats gave up trying to climb up, and the top half of the screen was enough to let the fresh air in. Cat's Meow, via fax
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