HELOISE Reader's idea spares rod and spoils the cats

Dear Heloise: I stumbled across this idea, which I would like to share with your gazillions of readers, especially those with cats!
We are perpetually daunted by cat toys being batted under the stove. I placed an adjustable-tension-spring-loaded curtain rod just under the drawer of the stove -- voil & aacute;! No more lost toys, and it is able to sustain the bumps and taps of a 6-month-old kitten and a 12-year-old, 15-pound cat.
The white tension rod looks a little odd with the black stove front, but it's way better than standing on my head every morning with the yardstick fetching for the cats! Hope this is helpful to someone. Linda Fish-Brown, via e-mail
As long as it works, that's all that matters. If you can't find a black tension rod, simply spray-paint it black to match the stove front. It should blend in, and you might not notice it. Heloise
Dear Readers: Mary Weier of Sterling, Ill., sent a photo of Petrie, an adorable cockatiel dressed up in a little hat, sitting at a table among little doll gal pals enjoying her afternoon tea and crumpets. Visit my Web site, www.Heloise.com, and click on This Week's Pet to see this cute photo. Send your favorite, unusual pet photo to: Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279. Heloise
Dear Heloise: My dog sheds constantly, even though I brush her daily. Her favorite place to lie down is in a corner of my bedroom on our beige rug. I usually vacuum once a day, but one day I was in a rush and didn't want to drag the vacuum out.
I grabbed an old comb and proceeded to comb up the hair. I was pleasantly surprised to see how much I was able to pick up and throw into a paper bag.
This method is great in a pinch, but naturally there is nothing like a good vacuuming. Holly G., Vashon, Wash.
If you have a pet parakeet and it lost its cage mate, your pet might start plucking its feathers and refuse to eat. They are very social birds, and when they lose a playmate, you might need to introduce another pal into the cage.
Also, parakeets love bird toys. Buy a couple of new toys to keep it amused until you decide if you are going to get it another playmate. Heloise
Dear Heloise: When we give our 50-pound American Eskimo dog a bath, we use the wheelbarrow. He jumps up in a chair, and we help him into the water in the wheelbarrow. When the bath is over, the dog leaps out, and all we have to do is tip over the wheelbarrow, and the job's all done. Mildred Wickson, Menard, Texas
It seems like a convenient way to bathe your dog outdoors, as long as the wheelbarrow is sturdy enough to hold him without the chance of him tipping it over. Heloise
XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can't answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.
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