As much as I hate foxtails, I have to admit that their design is nothing short of amazing. And besides, admiring them is much better than swearing when I'm gripping a comb and easing dozens of them out of the silky leg feathers of my three resident dogs.

Don't expect me to rhapsodize about fleas, though. My charitable nature goes only so far.

Dried to a tawny gold by a long, hot summer, foxtails are everywhere these days, their long, slender stems holding sticky seed carriers high, ready to catch a ride on a pant leg or a pet. The carrier itself is designed like a spike, with tiny hairs placed to keep the nettle burrowing forward through whatever material is in the way.

There's no problem when the spike falls to the ground, of course, where breezes help it to vibrate deep into the soil. But when a foxtail lands on an animal, all too often that burrowing trick is through flesh, and that can cause some severe problems. Foxtails dig deeply into every possible opening. Once in, they keep moving, sometimes causing significant damage. They can end up anywhere, and if left alone, may need surgical attention in time. Dogs may sneeze at them, but you shouldn't; they can put your pet in danger.

This is the time of year when the grasses are dry and foxtails rule the day. Be aware of these problem sites:

-- Feet. Limping and licking are signs a foxtail has found a home, probably between an animal's toes.

-- Ears. Because of the burrowing nature of foxtails, every head shake drives the pest farther down into the ear. A pet with a foxtail in its ear may develop a chronic, foreign-body reaction and infection.

-- Nose. Because dogs like to sniff, foxtails often lodge in their noses. The signs are obvious: sneezing, sometimes violently, sometimes accompanied by bleeding or discharge. A foxtail in the nose will cause an infection and can even work its way into the lungs or spinal column.

The best way to deal with foxtails is through prevention. Steer clear of areas dense with foxtails, if you can. Keep the fur between your pet's toes trimmed, and go over your pet after every outing from head to toe, catching the foxtails before they get a chance to dig in.

Be aware that once a foxtail is imbedded, it isn't going away. If you suspect a foxtail is in your pet's ear or nose, consult your veterinarian. Your veterinarian may still be able to grab the nettle before it can cause too much more trouble.

PETS ON THE WEB

Let's start with what you really need to know if you're going to go in-line skating with your dog. "This is not recommended if you are not 100 percent comfortable on your skates!" notes Caryn Shalita, dog-lover, skating fan and Web page keeper. Born with two left feet and a pretty pathetic sense of balance, I won't be taking any of my dogs skating soon. But if you want to try it, Shalita's "How to In-Line Skate With Your Dog" Web site (www.caryn.com/francis-blade.html) is the place to learn how.

Rule No. 1: Safety gear, for everything including your tailbone. For your dog, a long leash that restrains from under the armpits instead of the neck. The site includes instructions on training your dog as well as letters from other dog-loving skaters on what worked best for them. There are lots of links to sites about skating and dog activities, along with a few off-topic but interesting areas, including a tribute to Princess Diana, and Shalita's resume, acting credits and efforts to get herself cast on a number of top shows. She and her dog, Francis, did get a part in a film called "The Dog People" as -- and isn't this perfect -- in-line skaters.

PET TIP

Thinking about keeping your cat inside? Good for you. While the easiest time to make the conversion is when you and your cat move to a new home, you can make the change anytime, if you resolve to be firm.

Cats are highly territorial, and the day you reduce your cat's territory by cutting off the outdoor part is the day you're going to start hearing about it -- lots. Don't give in. If you allow the meows and stares to wear you down to the point of opening the door, you've taught your cat a lesson you'd rather he didn't know: "All I need to do is put up a fuss, and I get what I want." If you try to keep him inside again, he's going to be even more obnoxious.

Be patient but firm. Dissuade him from the door with a shot of water from a spray bottle and keep him occupied with toys, play sessions and lots of love. Within a couple weeks, your cat will settle in to his new routine, and you no longer need worry about the dangers he faces outdoors.

QUESTIONS FROM THE PACK

Q: We're going crazy with our puppy, a 4-month-old Labrador. He chews everything! How can we stop this destructive behavior? -- C.S., via the Internet

A: All puppies chew. So would you, if your gums drove you as crazy as theirs do, especially when adult teeth are coming in around 4 months of age. The trick is to redirect the behavior by keeping things you don't want your puppy to chew on out of reach. Don't allow your puppy the unsupervised run of the house, give him approved chews and praise him for using them.

Some objects, such as table legs, are not capable of being picked up and put away. Discourage chewing on these by applying Bitter Apple (available in pet-supply stores) to favorite spots. The taste is so horrible your puppy won't put a tongue on it again. Tabasco sauce is another safe pup-stopper.

When you catch your puppy chewing on something he shouldn't, don't make a big deal out of it. Clap your hands to distract him, give him an approved toy and cue him by giving him a word to associate, like "chewbone." Then praise your pup for chewing the right item.

Avoid toys that resemble things you'd rather have left alone. Rope toys resemble rug fringes, and old shoes are too much like new ones. Choose sturdy rubber toys in a variety of shapes, sizes and textures, but make sure one of your pup's toys is the indestructible Kong dog toy, truly a pet toy Hall of Famer. The Kong comes in a variety of sizes, is great for playing and chewing, and can even be stuffed with a little peanut butter to add to its appeal.

Be fair: Never leave your puppy in a position to make his own decisions on what is or isn't acceptable to chew. If you cannot observe your puppy, put him in a safe area -- a crate, ideally, but also a small area like a laundry porch with a baby gate across the door. Make sure you leave some of those approved chew toys behind to keep him busy.

The worst chewing will be over when your puppy's adult teeth are in, but dogs need and like to chew. You can't stop it, nor should you try. Teaching your puppy now what chewing behavior is acceptable - remember, they're not born with this information - will set up a long, happy relationship.

Q: I saw a beautiful cat at the veterinarian's office. The owner said it was a "sumally." Could you tell me more about this breed and where to get one? - G.H, via the Internet.

A. The Somali is indeed a lovely cat! The breed is a long-haired version of the pantherish Abyssinian, and shares many of the personality traits of its more-popular relative. Abyssinians and Somalis are both active, intelligent and playful, more interested in keeping tabs on what you're doing than spending the day napping in the sun.

The best way to find a Somali is to visit a cat show and talk to breeders. You'll find listings of upcoming events in magazines such as Cat Fancy.

The Abyssinian isn't the only popular breed with a different-coated relation, by the way. The Balinese has many of the characteristics of the Siamese, but with a longer coat. And for those who fancy the Persian's distinctive short face and heavy body type but don't want to deal with all that fur, there's the Exotic/Exotic Shorthair (same cat, different names depending on the governing body).

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 Write2Gina(at)aol.com.

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

No matter how much you may enjoy company, there's something wonderful about having your house for your own family again. That's true even when the guests are animals. Much as I enjoy having a "guest dog" (or two, or three), I really enjoy seeing their owners take them home.

Of course, sometimes you can't predict when the homecoming will happen, such as when you find a stray. I'm always finding strays, and the recent holiday weekend was no exception. The dog was standing in the center of a busy intersection with little concern for the cars honking at him. I stopped and whistled. He came right over. I opened the door. He jumped right in. This is the story of my life.

No tag, no collar, no microchip. And no way to place an ad until the weekend was over. The dog was sweet and good-natured, with perfect manners. Surely someone was missing him horribly.

She was. The call came early on the day my ad appeared, from a loving owner clearly relieved to have her dog back. But why should the dog have had to be separated from his family for three days? If he'd just had ID, he could have been home in an hour.

"No ID" is one of my pet peeves -- and one of the most senseless ways to put your dog at risk. Here are some others to consider and to avoid:

-- Letting him off the leash. The sight of joggers with unleashed dogs along busy byways fills me with a sense of dread, for I've heard from too many people who've lost dogs this way. It only takes a second for your dog to be hit by a car. And you can never, ever get that second or your dog back. Leash 'em up!

-- Giving him inappropriate toys and chews. Most everyone knows that some chews, like cooked poultry bones, must be off-limits to every dog, but one of the potentially most dangerous chews is something few people ever recognize as a threat: a tennis ball.

There's no harm in throwing a tennis ball to your dog. The problem is in LEAVING a tennis ball with your dog, especially if he's a strong chewer. That's because many dogs like to hold the ball in their mouth and compress them. Occasionally such a ball will pop into the dog's throat, where it can be almost impossible to dislodge. With no way to breathe, a dog can die this way in short order.

Instead of letting your pet chew on tennis balls, choose toys made for heavy-duty gnawing, such as Kongs and Nylabones.

-- Leaving him in a car on a warm day. Even balmy weather can be deadly to a dog in a car. On an 80-degree day, the temperature in a car, even if the windows are open a crack, can easily reach 120 degrees within minutes. That can kill a dog in minutes.

It's never a good idea to leave a dog in a car. If the heat doesn't get him, there's always a chance a thief might.

-- Using poisons carelessly. Slug and snail bait kill a lot of pets every year, and each death was preventable. Do NOT put out such poisons in areas where your pet or other animals can get to them. Use all household chemicals properly and carefully, and clean up any spills promptly.

-- Leaving on a "choke collar." The moving ring on a choke collar can catch on many things, such as a gap in a chain-link fence or even the tooth of another dog. Once the collar is caught, the dog will pull away, a move that only makes the situation worse. Should you be lucky enough to be there to help, you may end up badly scratched and bitten -- and still have a dead dog. Never leave a choke collar on a dog as his regular collar; use buckle or quick-connects only, please.

If you put an ID on your pet and avoid the rest of these mistakes, you've cut the risk of losing your dog by a considerable degree.

PETS ON THE WEB

More people than ever before are dedicated to keeping others informed about animals, judging from the rapid growth of two trade groups: the decades-old Dog Writers Association of America and its upstart counterpart, the Cat Writers' Association.

Both groups offer support to hundreds of people engaged in some form of communication regarding animals, from writing to photography to Web-page design, and both offer an annual competition to reward the best efforts in dozens of categories.

For the first time, however, the two groups, which share a high percentage of common members, are joining forces to offer a writers' conference, Nov. 20-22 in Kansas City, Mo. Details are available on the CWA's spiffy new Web site (www.catwriters.org), and should be on the DWAA's site soon (www.dwaa.org).

Information on the contests and membership are also available on the sites, along with some links to Web sites of the groups' respective members. (Information on the conference is also available by "snail mail." Send a self-addressed, business-sized envelope to CWA President Amy D. Shojai, P.O. Box 1904, Sherman, Texas 75091-1904.)

PET TIP

While most people nowadays have more sense and compassion than to say "it's just a pet" to someone who has just lost one, the time after an animal's death is still a difficult time for many people.

Fortunately, in recent years services have been established to help, and the majority of them are free except for the cost of a phone call. Many veterinary schools offer pet-loss support hot lines staffed by student volunteers. The programs are good for the people on both ends of the phone line. They give people who need it another animal-lover to talk to, and they offer veterinarians-to-be the chance to learn how best to deal with distraught clients.

Contact your closest school or college of veterinary medicine, or ask your veterinarian about these marvelous programs.

QUESTIONS FROM THE PACK

Q: Our dog Molly is always eating. She eats her food and then the cat's food. We put the cat's food up high on a desk outside, hoping to keep Molly from eating it. No luck; she gets up on the desk. Can dogs have an eating disorder? She's not skinny, nor is she active. What can I do to help her? -- F.H., via the Internet.

A: She does have an eating disorder. It's called obesity. Fortunately, you can help her with it. Have your veterinarian check her out to make sure she's otherwise healthy, and to suggest changes in diet and exercise that will help her. "Light" foods offer more bulk with fewer calories and can help animals feel "full," and may be a better option than cutting back rations.

Cat food isn't good for dogs, and you're on the right track in your efforts to keep her out of it. Try feeding the cat on the other side of a baby gate, or a cat door if Molly is too big to fit through one. The baby-gate/cat-door strategy is also a good one to use for dogs who like to cruise litter boxes for "snacks," by the way, a common and thoroughly disgusting habit many dogs enjoy wholeheartedly.

Q: We haven't had a cat for years, but we were recently adopted by a one we think belonged to someone in the neighborhood, but she likes us better. We had her spayed and vaccinated, and the vet pushed a rabies shot. Is that necessary? -- H.M., via the Internet

A: Congratulations on being adopted. Cats seem to know where they're needed most, and it's obvious your heart was ready for feline companionship again. Kudos, too, for seeing to your pet's health needs, and ensuring you won't have more pets than you can handle by getting her spayed.

As for your question: Yes, it's necessary. Your veterinarian isn't trying to push anything except proper preventive care for you and your new pet. Vaccination is so important for your cat that in many areas it's required by law.

The risk of contracting rabies from your cat, or any pet, is small, but it does exist. Because outdoor cats constantly cross paths with wild animals, the most common carriers of rabies, they're at higher risk for being bitten and subsequently passing along the disease to you.

And that's why vaccination is so important. Although it can be treated if caught early, rabies is a fatal disease once established in the body, and a handful of people die of it every year. Rabies is one disease where animals are vaccinated as much for the protection of humans as for the animal itself.

The risk to you and your new pet is too great to take on just to save the cost of a simple vaccine.

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 Write2Gina(at)aol.com.

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

What would happen to your pets if something happened to you? For your pet's sake, it's a question you ought to be asking now.

Katherine L. Babson Jr. is in the business of helping people think about a lot of things they'd probably rather not. She is now well-versed in planning for pets, but even from the start, animals have been a part of the estate-planning attorney's career. When she was a new associate, one of her earliest tasks involved handling a deceased client's dog.

"One of our clients, a professor in Massachusetts, had left her dog to a friend in Missouri, but had made no provisions for how that was to be done," she said. Her firm filled in the gap, and Babson was dispatched to collect the dog, make flight arrangements and put the Westie on the plane.

At least the dog's owner had given some thought to her pet. Too often that's not the case, says Babson, now an adviser to a Boston-based financial services firm. But even those who do make some arrangements often handle the situation in ways that aren't legal or don't work well, such as leaving money to a pet (you can't), or making an inheritance conditional on the death of a pet (which too often speeds up the process, sometimes by years).

"I have always told clients they need to think about and plan for their pets," she said, noting the she believes more people are. The reasons? More disposable income, she says, and our increasing belief in pets as "family."

So what works? Babson believes every pet owner should have some form of "durable power of attorney" ready, designating someone to make immediate decisions for your pet should you die or become incapacitated by illness or accident. The second part of the equation is a long-term placement in the case of your death.

A small but growing number of states allow pet trusts, where the pet is given to a person and funds for the animal's care are held by a trustee. Similar arrangements can be worked out in other states, says Babson, who recommends the residual of any such fund be left to charity to remove any financial temptation from the arrangement.

Some veterinary schools offer lifetime care for a pet left to them in exchange for a one-time payment of $25,000. That makes the San Francisco SPCA's Sido Service seem like a bargain. It's free to members, and it guarantees placement of a healthy pet in a new home as well as regular medical care in the society's animal hospital.

If you don't have $25,000 or don't live in the San Francisco area, your pet's life needn't be endangered if something happens to you. Your best bet is to talk about this subject beforehand with friends and family, make arrangements in advance and keep them current. Never assume your family will take your pet. Make sure you have found a willing adopter and that the details you've arranged are known. Also, talk to your attorney about how to structure any money you leave for care.

Nobody likes to think about these issues, as Babson admits. But if you don't look out for your pet, chances are no one will.

PETS ON THE WEB

What do you think of the $2.5 million donation to Texas A&M to fund an effort to clone a wealthy couple's collie? Do you think it's the first dangerous step down a slippery slope toward human cloning, or do you wish you could afford it for your own pet? Whatever your view, you'll want to check out the Web site of what has been dubbed the "Missyplicity Project" (www.missyplicity.com). You'll find a picture of Missy as soon as you get to this well-designed site, which also discusses the goals and ethics of the project.

The project team has thought long and hard about the benefits (almost too hard), which they say potentially may include the ability to clone service dogs and other animals helpful to humankind, as well as help to preserve endangered species. The site also offers a place for comments, which are answered by the project coordinator.

Another opportunity for comment is in the Veterinary Information Network's weekly poll (www.vin.com/poll/pub.html). The poll changes every Sunday, and the "Missyplicity Project" will be the topic the week of Sept. 14.

PET TIP

Guinea pigs are rare among mammals in that they cannot manufacturer their own vitamin C; they rely on outside sources to provide it. This is why although the animals are fairly closely related, a guinea pig will not thrive on rabbit pellets. High-quality commercial pellets manufactured expressly for guinea pigs are formulated to provide them with the extra vitamin C they need.

Even with proper storage in a cool, dry place, however, commercial diets lose vitamin C content rapidly. Keep no more than a month's supply on hand and be sure the food is fresh when you buy it. To ensure that enough ascorbic acid is in the diet, add it to your pig's water: 100 soluble milligrams to a cup of drinking water, made fresh daily.

Fresh kale and cabbage are also high in vitamin C, and small amounts of them make great additions to the diet. To make sure your pet's diet remains well-balanced, though, fresh pellets should always make up the bulk of its rations.

QUESTIONS FROM THE PACK

Q: We got our puppy in May of '98 from the pound, and she is a mix. She is such a joy for our family. We want her to have one litter of puppies and then get her spayed. Is that a good idea or not? How can I tell when she comes in heat, and when is a good time to breed her? Also, how long are dogs pregnant for? Please let me know! -- D.F, via the Internet

A: With no shortage of surplus pets in this country and a situation where even "valuable" purebreds die for the lack of a home, considering such a casual breeding is irresponsible at best. What will you do with the puppies? Keep them all? Drop them at the shelter? Finding homes for a mixed-breed litter is difficult. Are you prepared to deal with the reality that some or even all of the babies you will watch come into the world will be die as unwanted?

Have you considered the expenses and the difficulties of raising a litter properly? Under normal circumstances, raising a litter is a lot of work. Sometimes it can be heartbreaking. A friend of mine recently went through a breeder's nightmare. In a litter of 12 puppies, four were stillborn, and all but two died one-by-one in their first week of life. They could not be saved, and she was absolutely overwhelmed and saddened by the experience. I just saw the two remaining puppies (cleverly named Sur and Viver) and marveled at the effort it took just to keep two puppies clean and socialized.

The health benefits of spaying your dog are also well worth considering. If your pet has not come into her first heat, you can protect her from mammary cancer by spaying her now. Even after her first heat, spaying eliminates the possibility of other reproductive system cancers. The behavior benefits of altering are more pronounced in males, but spaying your female will spare you the drippy mess of her twice-yearly heat as well as the company of persistent suitors.

You'll be able to tell when your dog is coming into season mostly because of an increase in her licking herself in an attempt to keep clean. As the heat progresses, you'll see bleeding (and will likely want to put special britches on her to catch the drips). She'll reject suitors -- sometimes violently -- until she's ready to breed (usually five or six days after bleeding is noticed), and then will flip her tail over if touched near her rump, indicating interest. Pregnancy in dogs runs an average of 63 to 65 days.

Talk to your veterinarian about your plans, or, even better, about scheduling a spay for your dog. If you want another dog, revisit the shelter. Otherwise, please don't add to the problems of overpopulation by breeding your pet.

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 Write2Gina(at)aol.com.

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