HELOISE: Mobile groomers ease pet’s stress

Dear Readers: If you have older dogs that may get stressed by car rides going to the vet or groomer, you might want to look into using a mobile dog-grooming service. I use one for Cabbie, our minischnauzer. Wow! What a convenience!

There are many benefits — where to begin? First off, they are on my schedule. They can come out evenings and weekends; I don’t have to make an appointment and drive in.

Cabbie gets a bit anxious when she sees the groomer, but goes along to “the spa,” and she runs right back in the house when she’s done to show us how pretty she looks.

Another plus? No exposure to other animals that may be sick or have parasites.

Most mobile pet groomers offer nail clipping, ears, specific cuts for your breed of dog, even massage service, and some may offer teeth cleaning as well. Check out the mobile pet groomers in your area.

Heloise

Dear Readers: Harold and Lois in Indiana sent a picture of their dog, Ollie Munchkin Jones, decked out in his holiday finest and smiling for the camera. To see Ollie, go to www.Heloise.com and click on “Pets.”

Heloise

Dear Heloise: Here’s how we selected names for our cats: We adopted the first one in the fall and he was orange/tan colored, so we named him Pumpkin. The second one had similar colors, so he was named Gourd. The third one was rescued because his owner kept stepping on him, so even though he was gray, we named him Squash. The last cat we named Turnip because he kept “turning up” on our porch. Thanks for all of your great advice.

Jeann Sargent in Texas

Dear Heloise: I have family all over and drive to see them so that I can take my two dogs, Chloe and Cricket, with me. I got tags made for them with each of my relatives’ phone numbers on them. For example, one of the tags might say “Chloe visiting Breckenridge” and have my sister’s phone number on it. This way, if she does get out, it will be easier for someone to return her.

Jean, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: I recently adopted three kittens when we found them on my grandmother’s roof. One of the kittens was stuck high up in a tree. So, I called the fire department to see if it rescued cats out of trees. To my dismay, I was told it only happened in movies. I finally coaxed him to jump down with some food, and I caught him in my arms.

Heather in San Antonio

We called a local fire department and were told: “Have you ever seen a skeleton of a cat or bird in a tree? No? That’s because they always get down.” Check with your fire department to see if it can help you; it just might.

Heloise

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

King Features Syndicate