HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR READERS: Cats are sometimes solitary creatures, so it can be hard to tell if they are not feeling well. Here are some hint:

Water consumption up? It could be a kidney/thyroid problem or diabetes.

Grooming gone down? Your cat could be overweight, or have teeth problems or arthritis.

Meowing more? Cats can’t tell you they are sick, but they can meow.

Breath quality down? It could be dental problems, or possible heart issues. Crankiness up? Perhaps it’s general pain or old age.

Use of the litter box down? Stress or an infection.

These are general guidelines; always get a professional opinion.

DEAR HELOISE: When our children were young. I kept a small “restaurant bag” packed in the car: bibs, wipes, snacks (to keep them satisfied if the food was delayed), flexible straws, a spillproof cup and crayons. Items can be adjusted depending on the child’s age.

I’m not a fan of teaching children to use electronics at the table, so quiet activities were my choice. Children need to learn to sit at a restaurant (not run around).

We avoided taking our little ones into a busy restaurant when the kids were tired. We often chose to eat out in the late afternoon when it was less busy.

— Susan, via email

DEAR READERS: Gold is beautiful, but do you know all there is to know about it? Twenty-four-karat gold has no alloys — it is pure gold, soft and easily malleable. But it also can scratch, so it is not suitable for use by itself for most applications.

Eighteen-karat gold is 75 percent pure gold, and 14-karat gold is 58.3 percent. What makes up the difference? Mixtures of nickel, zinc, silver and copper are added to the gold to strengthen it.

Ten-karat gold, by the way, is 41.6 percent gold.

DEAR HELOISE: I hollow out red, yellow and green bell peppers, and use them to hold dips and sauces. Makes for a colorful table!

— Helen M. in Ohio

DEAR HELOISE: I like to grow small salad tomatoes, and I noticed that when they ripened, they’d just disappear! I wondered who was taking my little tomatoes until I saw it was two young squirrels.

— June W., Florida