Readers, send in your favorite pet names

Dear Readers: A little more than a year ago, we featured several columns with unique pet names that our readers had sent in. You, my readers, enjoyed this so much, it's time once again to ask for unique pet names. We will choose five favorites that are different, funny, silly, etc., and these people and pets will receive a Heloise hug basket. So, send in your unique pet names for a chance to win. You can e-mail your pet name to Heloise@Heloise.com (please put "pet name" in subject line); fax to 210-435-6473; or mail to Heloise/Pet Names, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000.

Here at Heloise Central, we have had miniature schnauzers named Sauvignon, Cabernet and Zinfandel, a Chihuahua named Peso (my mother's were Tequila and Juarez) and Rottweilers named after peppers: Cayenne, Serrano and Hally (Jalapeno).

We look forward to hearing from you. — Heloise

Dear Heloise: Julie, my younger black Lab, is still a chewer when we are away. I guess it is separation anxiety. She has treated our Christmas tree as a toy and has destroyed some dear keepsakes.

I was trying to think of something to use as a protective screen. I took six of the casement screens, stored for the winter, and made discreet "hinges" with duct tape. It is neat, see-through, folds down accordion-style and goes behind the couch when not in use. Just enough of a deterrent! — Ann in Iowa

Dear Readers: Mrs. Max Parker of Clover, S.C., sent in a photo of her cat Angel all snuggled in an angel statue. She says: "She is so sweet and gets into everything. My great-grandson named her Angel because she would sleep at the back of my angel statue on the table." — Heloise

Dear Heloise: Cat hair is no problem as long as it remains firmly attached to the cat. But that isn't part of nature's plan. Daily grooming with a brush helps, but there is always some loose fuzz remaining. Enter the lint-pickup roller designed for clothing. This is a small roller wrapped with masking tape, sticky side out. My two cats love it. We have a daily routine following a brush grooming. They lie on my lap, happily purring as I roll the device on their fur, giving them a sticky rubdown with my lint brush. The cats like it, and the house is neater. — Donald MacDaniel, from Indiana

Dear Heloise: To give my dog a pill, I put the pill in the palm of my hand or on a saucer and then use a table knife to smear a small amount of peanut butter on and around the pill, and the dog licks it up without knowing it is there. Another way is to cut a hot dog into small pieces and make a slit in the middle of a piece to insert the pill. It is amazing how quickly that will vanish. — John Widener, via e-mail

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