If you struggle to get your pet to take a pill, you're probably going to hate me when I tell you how my senior dog Andy takes his medication, morning and night.

I ask him if he wants "pills and cookies," and he trots to the hall closet where I keep the medicines. I ask him to sit, and he does. "Open mouth," I say, tapping his eyetooth, and he does. I drop the pills on his tongue, kiss his nose and he swallows them, to much praise. All three dogs immediately get a little treat, then we're done.

"I knew Andy was perfect," a friend once said after observing this feat, "but I had no idea he was THAT perfect."

I'd love to take credit for this angelic behavior, but I really can't. Andy is the only dog I've ever known who honestly doesn't mind being pilled. Benjamin, on the other hand, is more normal in this regard. He defies my every effort to hide medicine in goodies, keeps the pills in his jowls after swallowing the camouflage and spits them out when he thinks I'm not looking. If I try to pill him without the subterfuge, he wrestles, he cries, and he sulks afterward. Thank heavens Benjamin is rarely in need of anything more than a chewable monthly heartworm pill -- which he likes.

Pilling pets is second only to trimming nails on the list of things pet lovers would rather pass on. While you can ask your veterinarian or groomer to keep nails in shape, at some point in your pet's life you're not going to be able to avoid giving pills. So you'd better learn how.

There are two ways to go about this: straightforward and sneaky. Which way works best depends on you and your pet. It doesn't hurt to experiment a little, as long as you're getting that medication down your pet's throat.

The straightforward approach is a little different for cats and dogs. For cats, take a firm but gentle grip on your pet's head from above, pry open his jaw with the index finger of your other hand, and press the pill far enough back on the tongue to trigger swallowing. For dogs, grip the muzzle from above, pinching inward with index finger and thumb while you open the mouth with the other index finger. From there it's the same: Poke the pill as far back as you can to trigger swallowing. Holding the muzzle skyward and stroking your pet's throat will help.

A variation on this, especially useful for cats, is using a "pill gun." These plastic devices, available in pet-supply stores and catalogs, enable you to put the pill on the tip and then press it to the top of your pet's throat more accurately, quickly and easily than with your finger.

Easier read than done, you say? Here's another tip: Although veterinarians and veterinary-health technicians can make pill-popping look like an easy, one-person job, you're likely to find the task easier at first if you have someone else hold your pet while you pill him.

If that doesn't work, try the sneaky approach. Subterfuge works better on dogs than on cats, because cats are generally much more cautious about what they eat -- you're not fooling them at all by dressing up that pill. For dogs, peanut butter, hot dogs, liverwurst and cheese are probably the most popular pill disguisers, but tastes vary. A reader wrote me once about a dog who'd eat pills hidden in the cavity of a green olive.

A final word: As with anything your pet would rather avoid, be patient, gentle and firm when giving medication, and follow with praise. If you're having trouble medicating your pet, have your veterinarian walk you through it, or discuss alternatives.

Pets on the Web: Some folks think they have faces only a mother could love, but I disagree. The meaty, jowly and occasionally drooling chops of the bulldog and its related breeds are wonderful. If you feel the same way, you must visit Bulldog Dot Org (http://www.bulldog.org), a marvelously clever site with everything for fanciers of these breeds, including a national anthem.

Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies" and "Cats for Dummies," and is the editorial director of the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or e-mail to Giori(at)aol.com.

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600

Cats are among the easiest animals to live with as pets, which in part accounts for their massive and ever-growing appeal. Cats are naturally quiet, clean, affectionate and largely self-sufficient, capable of adapting to any kind of dwelling and any type of family.

But when things go wrong, they go very wrong from the human point of view. Behaviors that are quite natural to a cat can cause us humans to react with dismay and anger.

One of these flash points in feline-human relations is urine spraying.

The application of urine to mark territory, which we call "spraying," is different from the release of urine to eliminate waste from the body. The cat who's marking territory backs up to the object he wants to mark and sprays urine backward, with his tail held high and quivering, alternating his weight on his back feet. Although both male and female cats spray, unneutered males are the biggest offenders, followed by unspayed females in season.

The first rule of dealing with this stinky problem is to make sure that your pet is altered: This procedure takes care of the problem in 90 percent of the cases if done before sexual maturity is attained, at about six months.

For those cats who don't respond to altering, physical or environmental stresses, such an illness or a new person in the house, may be triggering the spraying. Check with your veterinarian to be sure your pet is in good health, and discuss anti-anxiety drugs while you're there -- for your cat, not you -- if you're pretty sure the stress is environmental.

A common reason for cats to start spraying is the introduction of an additional cat. It's always a good idea to introduce cats slowly, by keeping the new cat sequestered in a single room with food, water, cat box, scratching post and toys for a week or more.(Yes, you should visit him often!) If you've just sort of thrown the new one in and now you've got problems, separate them for a while into their own territories, then reintroduce them slowly. It may be temporary, or not: Some cats will eventually be able to share food bowls and cat boxes, but others never will.

Discourage fresh marking by cleaning sprayed areas thoroughly and covering them with foil. (Cats dislike anything involving foil, and the sound of urine hitting it really annoys them.) Putting plastic carpet runners with the point-side up around the marked spot will also discourage revisiting the area. Another deterrent is two-sided tape; cats don't like to walk on sticky surfaces.

Don't hit your cat for spraying, even if you catch him in the act; doing so makes him even more insecure and likely to mark. Clap to distract your cat instead.

No, you don't have to spend the rest of your life with foil on your furniture or plastic on your floor. Nor do you have to keep your cat in a single room for the rest of his life. But these things are key to training your cat to give up a behavior he finds natural. And chances are if you're reasonable and consistent in your approach, you won't be living with that urine smell for long.

If you're just not getting through to your cat, though, or if you're getting angry enough to think about getting rid of your pet, ask your veterinarian for a referral to a behaviorist. Better yet, ask for help in the beginning. A good behavorist will save you time, money and aggravation, and will help you return to loving your cat much sooner.

Pets on the Web: For information on everything from goldfish to the most elaborate saltwater setups, FINS: The Fish Information Service (www.actwin.com/fish/index.cgi) is one of the best resources online. FINS is an exhaustive collection of articles on fish-keeping as well as links to other related Web sites, information about e-mail lists and notes on the best places to secure equipment. It's all neatly and logically organized, too, with a minimum of graphic fuss, except for some lovely bubbles.

Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies" and "Cats for Dummies," and is the editorial director of the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or e-mail to Giori(at)aol.com.

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600

Too often when people ask me to recommend a "good" veterinarian I discover that they are really asking for a "cheap" veterinarian. I always remind them that while cost is important, there are other issues to consider when choosing health care for a pet.

And if that doesn't get through, I ask them if they would choose a pediatrician the same way. Can you imagine price as the only consideration when choosing a doctor for your child? Of course not. Nor should that be your only consideration when it comes to choosing a veterinarian for your pet.

For me, the keys to a healthy relationship with a veterinarian are the same as with a physician -- communication, skill and trust. The last is even more important with a veterinarian than with a physician. Knowing what goes on in a veterinarian's office after you leave your pet behind is impossible. An animal can never comment on treatment, and so an animal lover must rely on trust to be sure a pet has been dealt with humanely.

Before you choose a veterinarian, ask friends, co-workers and neighbors for recommendations. Animal lovers can tell which veterinarians are knowledgeable, compassionate and hard-working. Those veterinarians are always talked up by satisfied clients.

Other factors may help you narrow down your list of possibilities:

-- Is the clinic or hospital a good match with the pets you keep? Not all small-animal veterinarians are well-versed -- or even interested -- in treating birds, reptiles or small mammals such as rabbits or hamsters. You may wish to use a specialty practice, such as a birds- or reptiles-only practice. Cats-only practices are becoming more popular and may be more comfortable for your cat.

-- Is the clinic or hospital conveniently located, with hours you can live with? If you have a 9-to-5 job, a veterinarian with a 9-to-5 clinic won't do your pet much good. Many veterinarians are open late on at least one week night and for at least a half-day on Saturday morning. Some large group practices run 24 hours a day.

-- Does the staff seem knowledgeable and helpful? You want to be sure you're dealing with a practice interested in hiring or training people to recognize an urgent situation when you call. Animal-health technicians are the backbone of any good practice; look for the veterinarian who values them.

-- What kind of emergency care is available, if any? Although emergency veterinary clinics are prepared for any catastrophe, the veterinarians there are not familiar with your pet as an individual. If your veterinary hospital does not offer 24-hour care, does it work with one that does?

-- Does the veterinarian ask for help when needed? The best veterinarians consult with veterinary college staff or independent or in-house specialists. An increasing number subscribe to online services for access to specialists and databases of information and journal articles. A willingness to discuss tough cases with colleagues is the sign of a veterinarian who's putting in effort on your pet's behalf.

-- Does the veterinarian seem willing to refer you to a specialist for treatment? Your veterinarian should be open to a referral when your pet's condition warrants it. Current companion-animal specialties include: anesthesiology, behavior, cardiology, dentistry, dermatology, emergency medicine and critical care, internal medicine, neurology, oncology, ophthalmology, radiology and surgery. Each of these requires additional study and certification over and above that required to achieve a degree in veterinary medicine.

Finally, be sure you feel a rapport with the veterinarian you choose. You should be comfortable asking questions and discussing everything -- including those fees. The final call on whether a veterinarian is right for you comes down to intangibles. If you don't like your veterinarian, you're less likely to call or come in. The lack of productive communication will hurt your pet in the long run.

Pets on the Web: Shame on you if you name your cat "Kitty" or "Fluff" after visiting the Magic Names for Mystic Cats Web site (http://www.k-net.net/(tilde) ingram/magicat.htm).

Dominic Marks has gathered dozens of graceful names from a wide array of cultures -- including African (Kyala, the king-sky god of the Nyakyusa tribe of Tanzania), Finnish (Tuoni, the god of the underworld) and Japanese (Haya-Ji, the god of whirlwinds). My Veterinary Information Network colleague Dr. Becky Lundgren found this site, and she was right when she told me it promised a long period of fascinating reading.

Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies" and "Cats for Dummies," and is the editorial director of the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or e-mail to GSpadafori(at)aol.com.

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600