Cat concerns
Dear Readers: Cats are sometimes solitary creatures, so it can be hard to tell if they are NOT FEELING WELL. Here are some hints to look for:
■ 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, most likely, or an infection.
These are general guidelines; always get a professional opinion from your veterinarian. — Heloise
Pet pal
Dear Readers: Cora
S. in Kansas City, Mo., shared a hilarious picture of her sweet yellow Lab, Lola, who is looking longingly at the face of a sitting skeleton, which is part of Cora’s Halloween vignette!
To see Lola and our other Pet Pals, visit www. Heloise.com and click on “Pet of the Week.”
Do you have a humorous holiday helper? We’re now looking for holiday “fur babies.”
Email a picture along with age, breed and name to Heloise(at)Heloise.com. — Heloise
Restaurant bag
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.
Also, 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. Love your column! — Susan, via email
The gold standard
Dear Readers: Gold is beautiful, but do you know all there is to know about it? Twenty-fourkarat 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. — Heloise
Red, green and yellow
Household Hints
Dear Heloise: I hollow out red, yellow and green bell peppers, and use them to hold dips and sauces. Makes for a fun conversation starter, and a colorful table! — Helen M. in Ohio
Letter of laughter
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 the culprits — two young squirrels! — June W., Gainesville, Fla. Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, 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.