Here’S Help Winning Cat’S Affection

Tue., July 21, 1998

By Rick Bonino boninobeer@comcast.net

For most cat owners, getting your pet to simply accept you is an accomplishment. Adore you? Yeah, right.

But Ingrid Newkirk, co-founder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, dares to suggest that it’s possible in her new book “250 Things You Can Do to Make Your Cat Adore You” (Fireside, $11).

The premise is simple: seeing things through a cat’s eyes, from furniture to food to bringing a second feline into the household (which Newkirk highly recommends).

There are useful suggestions about everything from finding lost cats, to helping cats travel, to holistic health care for cats.

And there’s a larger philosophy of people/pet partnerships. Writes Newkirk: “Sure, this book is mainly about how to create unbridled happiness in your cat, but I’ll have missed my mark if it does not also make you think about your relationship with all animals. This book will show you how to treat them, not as things, but as individuals.”

Look for it at bookstores.

Woman’s best friend: Congratulations to Cheryl Kubart of Sagle, Idaho, whose rare Chinook sled dog Bubba was one of 50 semifinalists nationwide in the recent Purina Dog Chow Search For The Great American Dog.

While the $10,000 grand prize went to a German shepherd from Texas named Keisha, Kubart and Bubba received a bag of dog food and a $100 savings bond.

Wrote Kubart in her contest entry: “My dog is incredible because of the unending love and friendship he brings. He is the best friend that was by my side on adventures hiking up Mount Rainier, rafting down the Salmon River, biking through the canyons, and then into motherhood.

“This love and patience now spills over to my daughter. With inherent gentleness, he lays near her hoping she will reach out to him, hoping she will include him on her adventures. Bubba enriches our lives and warms our hearts with love and happiness.”

Right Guard dogs: Got a pug that sweats like a pig? A boxer with B.O.?

While dogs don’t actually sweat, skin oils and bacteria can build up on their bodies, unleashing an unpleasant aroma that becomes even more pungent in hot weather. Odor Disposers Deodorant Spray is designed to fight the fumes without using perfumes or alcohol, which can dry out canine skin. It costs $4.29 for an 8-ounce spray bottle; for more information, call 1-800-423-8211.

Really hung up: According to a survey by the American Animal Hospital Association, 38 percent of pet owners phone home during vacations so their critters can hear their voices over the answering machine.

Local journalism is essential.

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