Parrot apparently sensed reader's distress

Dear Heloise: I had an elderly friend who had a red-lored parrot. I used to help her with housework and took care of the parrot when she happened to be away.
Once I came to attend the parrot in a very low mood, and I wasn't prepared to be snubbed by this bird.
When I opened the parrot's little room, of course it flew at me with beak open (I used to think it blamed me, somehow, when its significant other wasn't home). Usually, I'd just duck, but this time I said, "Don't you start on me, too!" and started to cry.
To my utter astonishment, something imperceptibly light landed on my arm, and the parrot started to nuzzle me and make sweet cooing noises, as it did with my friend. It was trying to comfort me!
We sat for a time, the parrot comforting me while I was stroking it, until I felt better. Once it realized that, it flew back to a perch, and that was it; but it really was sweet to realize that even a bird could feel compassion for an "enemy" who was down. Mary Thomas, San Diego
Many of our animal friends seem to sense when we are down! Your story shows just this. Heloise
Dear Readers: Janie Mitchell of Waterville, Maine, sent in a photo of her cat, Calvin Coolidge, a 9-year-old Maine coon cat, retreating into his little "cat house." Janie says, "Calvin retreats into his house for a break from our dog, which never misses a chance to give chase!" Visit my Web site, www.Heloise.com, to see the photo of Calvin Coolidge. Heloise
Dear Heloise: After cleaning up the litter outside of the cat's litter box one too many times, I thought it would be nice if the litter boxes had taller sides. I purchased a plastic storage bin with 12-inch sides. The cats have no problem getting in and out, and they cannot fling the litter out. It also helps with an older cat that has the problem of getting too close to the edge of the litter box. Marci, Omaha, Neb.
Dear Heloise: As a mother and then a grandmother who had a nursery at my home for my grandchildren, I have a great suggestion for all those crib sheets left over after the crib is put away.
Recently, I moved and came across about six crib sheets that were almost new. My dog's bed is covered in a washable-type cover, but it's hard to get on and off. I tried putting the crib sheet on it, and voil & aacute;, it is beautiful. Just form-fit it with your hands and fold the excess under the sides. Now my Tiffy can have a weekly change of sheets, just like we do. Phyllis Cieri, West Long Branch, N.J.
Dear Heloise: I have several long, plastic-tube bird feeders in my yard. I discovered a long-handled, bendable, bristled brush that is used to clean aquarium filtration tubing, and it was the perfect size to clean them. Kathy in Texas
Send 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