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Take pet’s familiar items along when traveling

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Dear Heloise: This is in regard to traveling with pets. I place our Yorkie’s favorite blanket and a few of her toys in her crate to make her feel familiar on a long trip. I also keep a plastic bottle of water and her food in a plastic container — that’s for stops or overnight stays. It’s also good to make sure that your pup gets to stretch its legs.

I have a tote bag with her medical records, meds, important papers (vaccination, etc.) and the names and numbers of our vet and children in case of an emergency.

This helps to make our trip more pleasant. It could be very dangerous with small pets in the front seat if an air bag should release. Don’t let your dog hang out the window because of a possible eye injury. Sis in New York

Very good suggestions! When Cabbie, our miniature schnauzer, travels with us, she has her own bright-pink bag that holds all of her items. Heloise

Dear Heloise: When I change the dog’s and cat’s water, I pour the old water into hanging plants on the patio, then fill their bowls with clean, fresh water. Paula in California

And you are saving water. Every drop counts, especially if you live in an area like I do in San Antonio, where we are in extreme drought conditions with water restrictions. Heloise

Dear Readers: Vicki Schmaeman of Oxnard, Calif., sent a photo of her rabbit, Honey-Bunny, looking, smelling and then eating some flowers. Vicki puts it this way: “Lovely — if they look this good, they must smell good, too. If they smell this good, they must taste good, too. Delicious!”

To see Honey-Bunny having a flower snack, visit www.Heloise.com. Heloise

Dear Heloise: Our trash is picked up two times per week. I scoop the contents of my cat’s litter box into a plastic grocery bag, tie it and place it in the trash can (kept in the garage) in another trash bag. No matter how tight the bag was tied, the smell was still bad when I took the lid off the trash can. I now tape a toilet-bowl crystallized sanitizer to the inside of my large trash can, and I no longer have an offensive order when removing the lid. Sue Boyd, Midland, Texas

Dear Readers: If you are looking for a pet that will be with you for a long time, think about a parrot, since parrots can have a long life span! To make sure “Polly” is healthy, feed your parrot a variety of foods. Do some research, as parrots have specific food needs. Heloise

Dear Heloise: Since some human medications are often fatal if swallowed by a pet, be sure to keep all meds out of reach. You might even get a plastic container or an attractive candy tin with a tight-fitting lid to keep meds in. Rebecca F., via e-mail

SBlt 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