Take care decorating pets
Dear Readers: HALLOWEEN is just about here, and there have already been some darling Halloween pet costume contests here in San Antonio. Hint: If you put your pet in a costume, please be sure the dog or cat is OK with it! They will tell you! Be sure they can see out the eyeholes and that nothing is too tight.
Trick-or-treaters can scare pets! If yours are skittish, please put them in a room or make sure they can’t scoot out the door when it’s open to hand out candy.
Speaking of candy, most is very bad for dogs and cats. Anything that is sugar-free can be very harmful to dogs.
Chocolate is loaded with fat and caffeine. The health effects of chocolate on dogs? It depends on the size of the dog (a Great Dane or a 3-pound Chihuahua) and the type of chocolate. Dark chocolate is most harmful. — Heloise
PET PAL
Dear Readers: Julie in San Antonio sent a picture of her adorable senior dachshund, Miles, drifting off to sleep on the pillow in Julie’s bed. Visit www.Heloise.com and click on “Pet of the Week”! — Heloise
SAFETY ALERT
Dear Readers: To alert firefighters to the presence of children and pets:
n Let neighbors know about children and pets in your house.
n Tell 911 operators who and how many are in the home.
n Window clings and decals are available.
— Heloise
WASTE NOT
Dear Heloise: We just bought a new washing machine that uses only high-efficiency detergent. What can we use our leftover liquid and powder regular detergent on? – Eleanor in West Virginia
You can use both, especially liquid, as a pretreater for stains! It can tackle grease, oil and protein stains. The powdered can be used to hand-wash delicate clothes or to scrub a sink.
Stains just happen. That’s why I put my best helpful stain hints in a handy pamphlet. It tells you how to banish all sorts of pesky stains. Please send a stamped (70 cents), self-addressed, business-size envelope and $5 to: Heloise’s Stain Guide, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Or order on www.Heloise.com. Do you know the difference between chlorine and powdered nonchlorine bleach? Which one is not bleach? — Heloise
GRILLED PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICH
Dear Heloise: You wrote about grilled cheese sandwiches. Have you ever tried grilled peanut butter? They’re made just like grilled cheese. Great for Sunday night supper with a chilled tomato juice. — Lee W., Englewood, Fla.
Oh my! I’m making one (with grated green apple) right now! — Heloise