Applesauce habit not dangerous for dog

Dear Heloise: My dog loves cinnamon applesauce. Is it OK to give him a taste? — Karen in Utah Karen, while a steady diet of cinnamon applesauce is not recommended, cinnamon is not poisonous to dogs. So, a small bite should be OK. Always check with your veterinarian about giving your dog people food. — Heloise

Pet Pal

Dear Readers: Meet Mr. Kitty, Becky in San Antonio’s long-haired, orange tabby, having a snooze on the bright white bed in the summer sun.

To see Mr. Kitty and our other Pet Pals, visit Heloise. com, and click on “Pet of the Week.” Do you have a funny and furry friend? Send a picture and description to: Heloise@ Heloise.com. — Heloise

How Does Your Garden

Grow?

Dear Readers: We’re home more these days, so let’s tend to our gardens! Shrubs that bloom in the springtime should be ready to be pruned back.

Freshen any hanging baskets by pulling off dead blooms and leaves, then water thoroughly.

In the vegetable garden, lettuce, radishes and potatoes should be ready to harvest. Make sure tomatoes are staked, and remove the “side shoots.”

Finally, pour yourself a glass of iced tea, put your feet up in the hammock and enjoy being outside. Unplug for a little bit; listen to the birds and feel the breeze. — Heloise

It’s In The Bag

Dear Heloise: I discovered that my kids’ beanbag chairs are a great place to store stuffed animals and soft things like clothes, etc. There’s lots of room in there, and it makes for a firmer chair when it’s used as storage! — Nancy in Ohio

Cats Vs. Screen Door

Dear Heloise: Our cats figured out how to open our sliding screen door with their claws, which put holes and tears in the screen. On the damaged screen, I cut a hole the size of a cat pet door. I bought a piece of new screen, cut it the same size as the opening, and using rubber adhesive, I attached the top of the new screen piece about 3/4 inch higher than the opening.

I let it dry, then I folded duct tape on the cut edge of the new piece to close the 3/4 inch gap at the bottom. It’s a cheap pet door. Now the cats can come and go as they please without damaging the screen. — Joe M. in Towanda, Penn.

Baby Bottle Brush

Dear Heloise: I don’t have a dishwasher, so I have to handwash everything. I found that a baby bottle brush works great for cleaning glasses, vases and any long-neck glassware. — Carol in New Mexico

Register That Chip

Dear Readers: When you have your pet microchipped (microchips are as small as a grain of rice and are inserted just beneath the skin between the shoulder blades), don’t forget to follow through and register it. It can be very frustrating for a worker at a shelter to scan your pet only to find there is no information to help return your pet to you. — Heloise

Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.