HELOISE Introduce new pets to each other carefully

Dear Readers: If you have pets in your household and are planning to introduce a new cat, there are a couple of things you can do to make the process as easy as possible.
Keep your new pet in a different room for a while. Feed it separately, and be sure that your other pets have access to the door. Their scents will penetrate under the door, and they slowly will become accustomed to one another. Once they seem used to each other, open the door a crack, stand by and let them look at and smell each other.
After a couple of days, you can put the new cat in a cat carrier and let the other pets in the room, but stand by to make sure they don't frighten the newcomer. Before you know it, all of the household pets should become friends. Heloise
Dear Readers: Carol Keiser of Bellville sent a photo of her beautiful schnauzer, Inky, dressed in a patriotic outfit. She actually won a prize for this unique handmade outfit of red, white and blue, complete with white "bloomers" with red trim.
Visit my Web site, www.Heloise.com, and click on This Week's Pet to see Inky all dressed in her American finery. Send your favorite, unusual pet photo to: Heloise/Pet Photo, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279. Heloise
FYI: Have you ever found a bird lying on the ground after it flew into a window? Usually it is just stunned and will tend to lie there until its head clears and it regains its strength. To keep it safe from predators until it is strong enough to fly away, cover the bird with a large strainer.
Check the bird every 10 minutes or so. When the bird recovers, let it fly away. Heloise
Dear Heloise: My little white dog has a problem with the fur around her eyes turning a brownish-yellow. I just wonder what I could do to keep her white fur white -- it's really unsightly.
I'm afraid to use just anything for fear of it getting into her eyes and burning. Please help! Carol G., Via E-mail
This is a common problem, and one that you can take care of easily. Baby shampoo is harmless and won't burn the eyes. Mix 1 part shampoo to 10 parts water. You might have to wipe the area several times before it lightens the fur back to white. Prevent the buildup by cleaning the area every day using a cotton ball dampened with clear, warm water. This should do the trick.
If you notice that it doesn't clear up and is more of a discharge and not due to normal tearing, take your dog to the vet to get checked. It could be something that simple cleaning won't help. Heloise
XSend a great hint to: Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, Fax: (210) HELOISE or E-mail: Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate