HELOISE: Offer to be a dog walker

Dear Heloise: Here’s a great way to get out, get more exercise and help out some four-legged friends who need it. Head to your local animal shelter and offer to be a dog walker. Even the very best shelters have to keep their dogs in kennels, and the staff and volunteers are often so busy that sometimes a brief bathroom break is all they can manage.

Walking shelter dogs not only gives them fresh air and exercise, it also helps them learn leash manners, which can make them more adoptable. You may have to take an orientation class, but it will be worth it in the end.

Go to the shelter or get friends together and form a dog-walking club. The dogs will be happy, you’ll get healthy, and who knows — you just might find a friend!

S.C. in Rapid City, S.D.

“Woof, woof!” Our furry (and some not-so-furry) friends say, “Come on over for a fun and helpful stroll with a four-footed friend!”

Heloise

Dear Readers: Gary and Carole Olson sent in a photo of Willie, their miniature schnauzer, lying on the lower open shelf of the breakfast counter. Carole says, “Willie is 6 months old, and he normally lies on my foot. This night he climbed up on the counter, which is only about 5 inches above the kitchen floor in our multilevel home. I couldn’t believe my eyes when he got up on the counter and curled up. Guess that is a good spot to keep an eye on me.”

To see Willie on the shelf, visit www.Heloise.com.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: My sister has been struggling to get her geriatric cat to eat her prescription cat food. One does not need to be a cat to know that it isn’t very tasty. A recent visit to a vet brought a solution -- baby food! No preservatives, no added salts and 100 percent meat. The cat loves her food now that chicken or turkey baby food is mixed in. She has put on much-needed weight and appears more vibrant than her 20 years. But please remember that cats are carnivores. It must be an all-meat variety. I hope this helps any struggling pet owner whose animal is on a prescription diet.

L. Geske, Denton, Texas

Cats can be finicky, and an old cat even more so! Always check with the vet before adding anything to your pet’s diet.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: My cat loves to dig in freshly turned dirt, which makes him a menace to seeds and seedlings. After I plant, I set broken wire tomato cages on top of the soil and around the plants. I leave them in place until the plants are growing well and the soil has settled. They let air and water in and don’t hamper the plants.

Jackie in California

Dear Heloise: When I am baking, I use my nonstick baking mat under the plastic board with the dough on it. The board never moves while I am rolling out the dough. This is great, because it always slid all over the counter before.

Suzanne M. Lutz, via e-mail

King Features Syndicate