HELOISE: Dove flew into their lives, stayed

Dear Heloise: On my daughter’s 12th birthday, a white dove flew into our upstairs window and was injured. After nursing the dove back to health, I contacted the Fort Worth (Texas) Nature Center to inquire if it would be OK to release the bird back into the wild. I was told that the dove could not survive in the wild and that it probably was released at a wedding. They are not wild creatures. It would be like releasing a canary!

The dove, Snow White, became a part of our family and, per my daughter, her 12th birthday present from God. Well, that daughter is now 29, and Snow White is still going strong at 17 years that we know of! Owning a pet bird is a commitment of your love and time for many years.

Susan D., Fort Worth, Texas

A beautiful story with a happy ending! I would love to hear more.

Heloise

Dear Readers: Cathy Hardiek of Dixon, Ill., sent a photo of her gray-and-white cat, Toby, sitting in a baby swing. Cathy says: “Toby was an older pet when we adopted him. He brought much joy and laughter to our home and was so full of love. His favorite pastime was sitting in the baby swing, swinging and playing with his toys.”

We called Cathy to see how Toby was doing, since she said he was an older pet when adopted. We were sorry to learn that he has gone to kitty heaven. But Cathy said she would be so pleased to see Toby featured as the Pet of the Week. She also mentioned that Toby could actually swing the baby swing himself and would just swing and swing.

To see Toby in “his” swing, visit www.Heloise.com.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: My cat has claws and tends to shred litter-box liners, even heavy-duty ones, in short order. I have found that the heavy-duty contractor’s trash bags, found at home-improvement stores, work much better. After cutting the top off the trash bag, it fits just right into an extra-large litter box and lasts a lot longer than a cat-box liner.

Bea in Texas

We checked prices and found that the contractor bags are a bit pricey compared with regular trash bags. But if this works well for you, then that’s what’s important.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: I live in the South and have a central air-conditioning unit. I placed a large plastic bowl under the drain where the condensation drips out from the AC unit. The bowl fills up, and the water is always cool for our wild animal friends. Every so often, I do have to dump the bowl to get the grass and leaves out, but there is always a fresh supply of water for the cats, raccoons and possums that live in the neighborhood.

Mary R., via e-mail

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