Dear Heloise: My cat recently scratched his ear. I put ointment on it, then made him a collar from a CHEAP PAPER PLATE. I cut the middle circle out and cut the sides some to fit him. Then I wrapped the collar around his neck so it wasn't too tight or too loose and stapled the collar together. Pretty cheap, huh? And you can change it anytime it needs it. -- Vickie Decker, Canton, Ohio
Vickie, what a smart idea to help keep your pet from scratching and also licking an area that needs to be left alone to heal. Thanks for sharing this homemade alternative! I'd love to hear from other readers who have been inventive about pet care. -- Heloise
PET PAL
Dear Readers: Sarah Smith of Randolph, Maine, sent a photo of a squirrel enjoying a snack in her crab apple tree.
Sarah also enjoys reading the column, and she cuts out her favorite hints and puts them in a scrapbook that her grandchildren can enjoy later.
If your newspaper doesn't print the pet photo, visit www.Heloise.com and click on Pet of the Week -- you'll find this snacking squirrel there! -- Heloise
DOG SCRATCHER
Dear Heloise: As do most dogs, my beagle Coco loves to be scratched. I have a few products that fit on your hand, but they didn't seem to really get down to the skin on his back very well. One day I broke one of my hair clips in two. After removing the metal spring that held the two pieces together, I now use each half as a scratching tool for Coco, and they're slightly concave, which makes it even better. -- Anne Hollinsed, via e-mail
SHOO, BIRDS
Dear Heloise: Last spring when birds were making their nests, we had a family of birds trying to nest in our carport, which caused us to continually have bird waste on our cars. We tried to scare them away -- I even bought hanging plants and hung them close by trying to get them to move. Finally, my husband decided to try rubber snakes. We hung several under the carport, and immediately the birds were scared away to the hanging baskets. -- Jodie Dye, Texarkana, Texas
Fake snakes have been used for years to scare birds away. Good hint! -- Heloise
PET LOVE
Dear Heloise: One evening, I was standing in the doorway to my daughter's bedroom, and my cats were in the hall. My son, in fun, tackled me. He surprised me, and I shouted/screamed as I went down. My cat Maxx came to my rescue and bit my son on the back of his leg. She then placed herself between me and him. She got a lot of praise as we enjoyed a good laugh. -- Dede Boelter, Brooklyn Park, Minn.
EASY CAT TOY
Dear Heloise: We have a new kitten who loves to play. We rolled a piece of aluminum foil into a ball, and he loves to bat it around the house! -- Kate Cho, via e-mail
(c)2008 by King Features Syndicate Inc.
