Hints from Heloise

Dear Heloise: When you are out looking for a lost pet, talk to the kids in the neighborhood and describe your pet. Tell them where you live, and offer a reward. Once, my beloved house cat got out and couldn’t find his way home, so every child in the neighborhood was looking for “the cat that was worth a $50 reward.” Soon he was back where he belonged. – Mary Patterson in Illinois

Good advice! Also, try to carry a photo with you, or print copies on your computer to hand out. – Heloise

Dear Heloise: We have a guinea pig, and he has a water bottle hanging on the side of his cage. When the bottle needs to be cleaned, I empty the water, then put about 2 tablespoons of kosher salt in it and add a little bit of water if needed to get it to swish around. The salt scrubs the inside clean. Then I thoroughly rinse it out, and it’s clean! – Lori Linder, Alexandria, Minn.