HELOISE: Cats on catnip can be comical

Dear Readers: Have you ever watched a cat playing with catnip? It can be quite comical! Not all cats react to catnip (kittens seldom do), but for those that do, they really have fun!

Related to mint, catnip stimulates the cat’s brain. If your cat is playing with catnip, it’s probably best just to let it play; some can become aggressive. So, learn how your cat reacts.

Catnip is sold loose and in toys. To use it loose, sprinkle a bit on the floor (yes, it will be messy, and keep from children), or put some in a sock, then tie.

To maintain loose catnip’s freshness, store it in the refrigerator or freezer in a sealed, clearly labeled container. Meow!

Heloise

Dear Readers: Dennis L. of San Antonio sent a picture of his 9-year-old Lab mix, Amber (she’s a golden amber color with short hair), mugging for the camera and wishing everyone “Happy New Year,” with a homemade New Year’s hat barely balanced on her head. To see Amber and our other Pet Pals, visit www.Heloise.com and click on “Pets.”

Heloise

Dear Heloise: We recently lost our beloved dog Rocky — such a tremendous loss. So we had a “remembrance” party.

We made homemade ice cream and cake, invited about 20 of our friends and asked each to bring a bag of dry dog/cat food or cat litter. We had a ball. Our neighbors and friends socialized and had a good time, and we raised 144 pounds of dog food, 50 pounds of cat food and 50 pounds of cat litter. We donated this to the local animal shelter in his memory.

We still miss him every day, but a lot of animals benefited from our party.

A. Russell in Woodstock, Va.

I know the pain of losing a beloved pet! How thoughtful, and nice to know other animals will have a supply of food, in Rocky’s memory. If only a few of my readers followed your example, just imagine!

Heloise

Dear Heloise: I have read when someone has used cat litter on a slippery surface. As an EMT, I am speaking from experience: Please do not use cat litter with CLAY, because this makes the situation worse. When the clay gets wet, it’s very slippery. I have seen leg fractures from someone putting cat litter on ice. Regular cat litter is fine as long as it doesn’t have clay in it.

D.M., via e-mail

D.M., thank you for the caution. The original hint was for use to aid in traction on slippery streets. When clay cat litter gets wet, it becomes slick and is unsafe to walk on. Some nonclumping cat litter can be used in a pinch, but not on the sidewalk.

Heloise

Dear Readers: If your dog spends time alone, it could become stressed, especially if there is bad weather. Leaving the TV or radio on is helpful.

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