HELOISE Office staff shares favorite hints on care of pets

Dear Readers: Do you have a favorite pet hint? All of the women in my office have pets: birds, dogs, cats, fish and even an iguana. We thought it would be fun to share our favorite hints from time to time. Here are a few hints that work, and one from my veterinarian, Dr. Tom Vice.
UKelly is one of our dog "experts" and loves this one: She keeps a plastic kiddie pool in her yard during the summer for her dogs to cool off in. It's also an easy way for her to bathe them. Set it up outside, and when finished with the bath, just dump the water out. No mess to deal with. Dr. Vice adds: While bathing them, put a cotton ball in each ear to keep water out, and put a drop of mineral oil in each eye to prevent burning.
UJoyce is the "cat lady" and loves these hints: Don't buy expensive toys for your kitty. Simple things you have around the house will keep them amused. They love pingpong balls, tennis balls, bathroom-tissue cardboard rolls, and a favorite is a sponge hair roller. Anything they can swat around will keep them amused.
UJane, the "iguana lady," owns a female (we think?) iguana named SOL (Silly Old Lizard). SOL loves peanut butter and gets it as a reward after her bath. When SOL was small, Jane would put some peanut butter on her finger. Now that SOL is much larger, Jane doesn't want her finger to be part of the treat, so she puts it on a wooden spoon.
If you trim your pet's hair or yours, don't throw it away. If the pieces are short enough, it makes great nesting material for birds. After Jane cut her dog Aggie's hair, she put a pile of it in her "bird garden," and within a day every last piece was gone.
U Ruth shared this hint for feeding fish when away from home: If you're going to be gone for a week and rely on someone to feed your fish. Use a weekly pill holder and fill each compartment with the exact amount of food for each day.
UWhen taking your pet to a boarding kennel or the veterinarian for an overnight stay, take along a T-shirt, sweater -- anything with your scent. It will make your pet feel comfortable and close to you while you're away. Heloise
King Features Syndicate