Bird lovers, pay attention to what our feathered friends are eating

Dear Readers: There are lots of bird lovers out there. Did you know certain foods and beverages can be harmful to your pet bird? Here is a partial list of some of the foods and beverages to avoid feeding your bird (my thanks to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals):

UAnything with too much sugar or salt.

UDairy products (birds cannot digest them, although cheese in small amounts is acceptable).

URaw or undercooked eggs.

UAlcoholic beverages.

UChocolate.

UAnything with mold on or in it.

URaw onion or raw potato.

UApple seeds (remove the seeds from apples).

UAvocado.

URaw or uncooked meat, poultry and fish.

USoda, cocoa, coffee and tea can affect the heart muscles.

If you are in doubt, don’t feed it to your feathered friend, or check with your veterinarian first. Heloise

Dear Heloise: I am the owner of two dogs and live where we are required by law to clean up after our pets when out for walks. We reuse either grocery bags or newspaper bags for this purpose. J.W., via e-mail

Dear Readers: Sandra Luker of Homeworth, Ohio, sent a photo of her toy silver poodle, Brodie, floating in a little boat on the pool. Sandra says: “It gets so hot here in the summer, and Brodie just loves to float around in his little boat to cool off. Can’t hardly get him out of it.”

Visit www.Heloise.com to see Brodie on his float. Heloise

Dear Heloise: My niece gave me a very active Pomeranian puppy named Raisin Cain. At 131‚Ñ2 years old, she is still living up to her name! Marcy Severtson, Sioux Falls, S.D.

We just love the funny and unique names our readers have come up with! We thought we would share one. Paula Utz of Keller, Texas, says: “My husband surprised me with a puppy — a mix of Lhasa apso and Shih Tzu. I thought my husband would name him Lucky. Instead, my husband chose Friday, for the day he joined our family was Friday the 13th!” Heloise

Dear Heloise: In the blink of an eye, a pet can escape. I’ve spent time helping a heartbroken dear friend prepare fliers to post in an attempt to locate his missing friend. The dog is microchipped; however, he was not wearing his county rabies ID. If a pet is in the house and unsupervised, removing the collar might be OK. Otherwise, if you love your animal, please don’t remove it. An Animal Lover, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: I feed my cat wet cat food mixed with dry. If you don’t use a whole can of wet and put it in the refrigerator, it gets stiff and hard to mix. Try putting it in the microwave for a few seconds. A Lancaster, Ohio, Reader

X Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate