HELOISE Graph compares ages of cats to humans

Dear Heloise: I clipped out the article from your column on a dog's age. I have a toy poodle that is nearly 15 years old and going strong. I was wondering if there is a similar chart for cats. I have a cat that is 20 years old and also going strong. Iris Miller, Kerrville, Texas
Meow! I was curious, too, since we have printed dogs vs. human ages a few times in this column. Now, for all those cat lovers out there, we have a graph our veterinarian sent with approximate ages of cats vs. humans.
Human Years Cat Years
1 15
3 28
5 36
7 44
10 56
15 76
It seems cats live longer lives than even small breeds of dogs. One of my assistant's cats is almost 20, and the cat still acts like a kitten.
We'd love to hear from readers who have cats older than 18. Send a photo with the age of your cat, and we'll send a pet pamphlet to 10 readers with the oldest cats. Also, if you have a funny, unusual story about your cat, attach that with the photo, and it might appear on my Web site. Send the photo to: Heloise/Cats, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, Texas 78279. Heloise
Dear Readers: Ginny Long of Gastonia, N.C., is the owner of Sugar, who is part-Shih Tzu and part-poodle. The photo she sent shows Sugar at 16 years of age, out for an afternoon ride on her tricycle.
Visit my Web site, www.Hel-oise.com, and click on This Week's Pet to see cute little Sugar on her tricycle. Heloise
Dear Readers: Do you have a parakeet that loves toys? Before buying any toys, make sure they are nontoxic. Since parakeets chew on all their toys, they have to be safe.
Check for any small, loose parts that can accidentally be swallowed. Don't buy toys made for large birds -- they might frighten your little parakeet. Also, keep away from little toys that are not made especially for birds -- they might have parts that can harm birds.
Most parakeets need some type of stimulation, and toys do just that for them. They are very intelligent and get bored easily. Heloise
Dear Readers: To attract different wild birds to your backyard feeders, try adding sliced fruit to their menu. They'll sing their "thank yous" loud and clear. Heloise
Dear Heloise: We have a 55-gallon fish tank and have found that if we keep the aquarium light on for long periods of time, we have more problems with algae growing in the tank. Now, we just use the light occasionally, especially on cloudy days or when we have company to show off the beautiful, algae-free aquarium. R.S., via e-mail
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