HELOISE; Take special care of gerbils

Dear Readers: Before getting a hamster or gerbil as a pet, keep in mind that they like to run on their exercise wheels at night, which can make a lot of noise! Since exercise is very important, an exercise wheel is vital. You may have to place the cage in a hallway at night so that it doesn’t disturb your children while they are sleeping. Hamsters and gerbils like to chew, so buy a metal wheel.

They are very smart and can find ways to escape from their cage, so be sure the closure mechanism is locked securely. The cage can stink, so you need to remove soiled bedding and uneaten food daily. It must be cleaned a minimum of once a week, if not more. So, be sure this chore gets accomplished.

Heloise

Dear Readers: Kim in Texas sent us a picture of her Shih Tzu, Chloe, lying on the ground with her cat, Emma. They look as though they play together quite well. Check out their picture, as well as other Pet Pals, on my website, www.Heloise.com.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: I just got two adorable zebra finches. I put a small container of water in the cage so they can take a bath when they want. Well, they will not get in it, no matter what. Any ideas why not?

Franklin, via e-mail

One of my assistants had this exact issue. An avian specialist said to drop a couple of marbles or pebbles into the water dish. This allows the birds to gauge the depth of the water. Once she added a few marbles, her finches were in and out of the water all the time. You also may want to do this with the birdbath in your yard.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: I went to the vet with my cat because I noticed he was having some trouble using the litter box. While I was there, the vet told me we should have a litter box for each cat that we have in the house. Who knew?

Kerrie in Austin, Texas

Dear Heloise: It was difficult to get to the bird feeder after our snowstorm. I scattered birdseed on the concrete on the covered back porch and had many species of birds dining all day.

Ferdia House, Texarkana, Ark.

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