My friend Jan has a soft spot for weird kitties. Her cats are so skittish, I'm not sure she has as many as she says she does. For years I haven't seen anything more than the flash of a tail heading down the hallway.

The exception is Noodles, who is odd in a wholly different and mostly gregarious way. At the advanced age of 15-plus, he remains one of my all-time favorite cats. This, despite the fact that I wince remembering the numerous times he has sunk teeth or claws into my hand while I was petting him. But maybe I have a soft spot for weird kitties, too.

As if the permanent residents weren't crazy enough, Jan once had temporary custody of two cats -- both of which came to her after exhibiting a distaste for even the most clean and well-placed of litter boxes. After a few months at Jan's house, the cats were cured of their various mental and physical problems and then returned to their original owner.

I don't think Jan herself is crazy, by the way, but I'm willing to admit I may not be the best judge of such things. After all, the number of animals who have come through my own little foster-care system over the years has probably numbered more than 50, and not a few of those pets were what you might generously call "challenged" in one way or another.

Now, though, I wonder a little if she's in over her head. She has wild kitties in her back bedroom. She trapped them outside her workplace and had them neutered and vaccinated. Now she's enduring all-out kitty warfare between the resident cats and the fosters, as she works to tame the latter. And she's struggling to find permanent homes for these formerly ferals, cats who will require the most patient and understanding of owners at a time of year when cozy kittens are starting to become plentiful.

Jan's foster cats don't stand up too well against kittenish competition. Still, she has placed two of them so far, and knows -- just KNOWS -- that she'll find the right people for the rest of her foster cats.

I hope she's right, and I think she will be. Those of us who love animals know we couldn't get by without hope, and Jan is as true an animal lover as I've ever met.

Although their situation seems precarious now, Jan's foster cats are on the right road at last. Their luck changed for the better when someone with a soft spot for weird kitties decided to take them home.

PETS ON THE WEB

If you like to look at cats, you'll love the Cat Delight Web site (www.dell.homestead.com/cat/home.html). Every month, several dozen photos are selected by a panel of judges to be featured as the best. Judging from the pictures for January and February, this will be a great year to keep an eye on this site. And who knows -- maybe your cat can be one of those featured!

THE SCOOP

Springtime is when we all think of gardening. If you're putting in some new plants, don't forget to include a few your pets will enjoy. Carrots are favored by many dogs, and make a great substitute for commercial treats for overweight pups. Catnip is a natural for cats, but also consider valerian, another herb that makes kitties dance with joy. Rabbits, guinea pigs, rats and other rodents will enjoy any leafy vegetable you plant. And as for parrots, what's good for you is great for your bird. The fresher the better!

QUESTIONS FROM THE PACK

Q: I have changed my four golden retrievers over to the BARF diet. They love it, and I make sure it is balanced. Their coats and teeth look wonderful. I will never buy dog food again! Just interested in what you think of this. -- T.B., via e-mail

A: A great many dog lovers have embraced the raw-food diet known as BARF with a near-religious fervor, while a great many veterinarians shake their heads in disbelief and even horror at what they see as a dangerous fad. (BARF stands for Bones and Raw Food, or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.)

Australian veterinarian Dr. Ian Billinghurst is the creator of the BARF diet, but raw-food diets have been around for years, primarily promoted by American holistic veterinarian Dr. Richard Pitcairn. Earlier raw diets included carbohydrates from grains, while later incarnations are made up almost exclusively of raw, meaty bones and vegetables. The idea is that the diet is most like what a dog would eat in the wild: raw flesh and bones, along with vegetable matter from the bellies of their prey.

A BARF diet requires a leap of faith for many pet lovers: The first time you hand a whole chicken wing or turkey neck to your dog, you're certain that you're killing him. After all, how many times have we heard that poultry bones can kill? (Which is very true, by the way, of cooked ones, which shatter easily and take on the properties of an ice pick once inside a pet.)

Worries or not, an ever-growing number of dogs are getting raw provisions every day. Advocates argue that a diet of cooked meats and grains, which is what goes into commercial foods, is both unnatural and responsible for many health problems. And they also question the quality of the meat, which generally ends up as pet food because it's deemed not fit for human consumption.

On the other side of the issue, many veterinarians aren't satisfied with the data to support the claims of the BARFers, and point to feeding trials conducted by commercial pet-food manufacturers that show generations of healthy pets. They also worry that most pet lovers aren't capable of preparing a proper pet diet on their own. (The convenience of a commercial diet, after all, is a pretty strong selling point, considering how busy our lives are.) Finally, veterinarians worry about food contamination such as salmonella.

Raw-food advocates, not surprisingly, have answers for every one of these concerns. One thing is certain: The debate will rage for years.

As for what I think: I'm sitting on the fence on this one. I respect my veterinarian friends who want to see the results of feed trials and other controlled studies, but I also respect my intelligent dog-loving friends whose pets are indeed doing well on a raw diet.

Anyone who is considering a raw-food diet absolutely must do his or her homework first. Required reading: "Give Your Dog a Bone," by Dr. Ian Billinghurst (self-published, $27.95), and "Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats" (Rodale, $16.95). "Give Your Dog a Bone" is available from DogWise at www.dogwise.com, or by calling 1-800-776-2665.

Also, my friend Christie Keith has been raising what she jokingly calls "organically grown Scottish deerhounds" since 1986, and her Web site (www.caberfeidh.com) has a great collection of articles and links on raw-food diets.

Q: A few weeks ago we got a female cockapoo. She was 10 weeks old when we got her, and she is really a sweetheart.

I just lost a beloved Westie in November and another one two years before that. They were wonderful dogs and were very affectionate. They would snuggle with us on the sofa in the evening and loved to be held and cuddled.

Our cockapoo, Addi, is good if you hold her when you are standing or on a chair in the kitchen. However, when you want to hold her on the chair in the family room or on the sofa, she constantly needs to be chewing a toy. When she does not have a chew toy, she will not stay near you or relax. I am in a panic because we want a dog that will snuggle, and she does not seem to want to. My husband and son are upset with her.

Will she ever be calm and a snuggler? I realize she is just a puppy and that her teeth must be bothering her; however, I don't think my Westies were like that at this age. -- H.D., via e-mail

A: I think you're probably forgetting what balls of fire your Westies were as pups. And that's what this girl is -- never forget -- a puppy.

Will she settle down? Certainly! How much, though, is anyone's guess. The fact that you describe her as a "sweetheart" and say she likes to snuggle sometimes leads me to believe she's on the right track. No one can say for sure, but chances are if you give her love, guidance and training, she'll turn out to be wonderfully snuggly companion.

Until then, be patient and try to enjoy her puppyhood. It doesn't last forever.

Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies," "Cats for Dummies" and "Birds for Dummies." She is also affiliated with the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or send e-mail to writetogina(at)spadafori.com.

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

You'd think that if you discovered the hands-down, bar-none best way for dealing with a pet who has been skunked, you'd be able to sell your formula for a tidy sum and be set for life, right?

Wrong. At least, that's not the way it worked for chemist Paul Krebaum, who found just such a magic formula a few years ago -- and hasn't gained anything but the gratitude of pet lovers for his troubles.

First the formula, then the story.

Take 1 quart of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide (available from any drugstore), 1/4 cup of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate for you science types) and 1 teaspoon of liquid soap, such as Ivory. Mix and immediately apply to the stinky pet. Rinse thoroughly with tap water.

The result is astonishing.

Unfortunately, so will be the explosion if you made up the solution and then tried to bottle it. The merging of the hydrogen peroxide and baking soda creates lots of oxygen in a big hurry. This chemical reaction is key to how the solution works, but it's also fierce enough to explode in a closed container.

Which is why Paul Krebaum hasn't capitalized on his discovery. There's just no way to sell something you can't put in a bottle.

And it's a shame, too, because the man deserves some kind of reward. The stuff really works. Not like tomato juice, which dampens the odor a little and leaves you with a slightly less-stinky pink dog. Commercial preparations seem to fare a little better, but even with them it's the passing of time that seems to finally do the trick.

But the hydrogen peroxide mix? Skunk be gone!

The trick is the oxygen, which grabs the molecules that go into that horrid smell. Once snagged, the smell is neutralized. Simple chemistry, really.

Since Krebaum published his findings in a trade journal in 1993, his magic formula has spread far and wide, offered up by agriculture officials and hunting magazines, and touted by folks on the Internet. The Chicago Tribune gave him a good write-up in 1994 that got picked up by newspapers all over the country. In it, he called his mix a "free-gift-to-humanity type deal."

I first heard about this formula a couple of years ago and read reports from many who raved about it. I made up the solution to see what it was like, but never got lucky enough to try it on one of my dogs. They just don't seem all that interested in skunks when we're walking in the wooded area near our home.

Finally, a friend called to tell me her setter had been skunked and to ask my advice. At last! The chance to try out the mix.

I must admit she didn't share my enthusiasm, at least not at first. She had already bathed the dog in soap and water. She had poured eight quarts of tomato juice over him. And still he smelled. So I told her about Paul Krebaum's miracle skunk cure.

A couple of hours later, Krebaum had another believer. The dog slept on the bed that night.

I suppose it's not very practical to suggest that everyone who's grateful to Paul Krebaum send him a few bits to make up for some of the money he'll never make on his miracle skunk cure. So maybe it would be nice if you save this article for when you'll need it, and when you do, say a few silent words of thanks to the man who'll get you out of one stinky fix.

PETS ON THE WEB

Macaws are among the most popular of pet birds, known for their stunning good looks and outgoing personalities. Most people are familiar with the blue-and-gold macaw, but several other macaw species are available as pets, from the small mini-macaws to the largest of all pet birds, the hyacinth. One Web site that can help you sort it all out is Those Magnificent Macaws (www.exoticbird.com). Jam-packed with information and well-organized as well, the site offers a good overview of species, health care and nutrition, and other available resources. Lots of good pictures, too. My only complaint would be that the blue-on-black type is hard to read. But it's a small quibble about an otherwise fine Internet resource.

THE SCOOP

Puppies have 28 baby (or deciduous) teeth that give way to 42 permanent ones by the time a dog's about 4 months old. Pet owners are generally glad to see those needle-teeth go, but you do need to make sure the transition is a complete one. Sometimes baby teeth are retained, a situation that can cause misalignment of the permanent teeth, incorrect development of the jaw and infections. Check your puppy's mouth frequently, watching for "double rows" that indicate retained teeth. Talk to your veterinarian about any abnormal developments -- some stubborn baby teeth need to be permanently removed.

QUESTIONS FROM THE PACK

Q: I have two house rabbits, both neutered. They have free run of our apartment, which has been as bunny-proofed as it can be. We provide them with lots of alfalfa, chew sticks, dried pine cones, pellets and treats. We even built a "tree house" for them similar to a multilevel cat house, but with lots of untreated exposed wood to nibble and scratch. They love it and spend most of their time curled up together inside the little house at the top.

Even with all this, they still seem as if they don't have enough to entertain them. We spend as much time as possible lying on the floor when we watch TV because they enjoy climbing all over us.

I just would love some easy-to-find (or make) toy ideas to keep my little guys busy and avoid the boredom that usually leads to mischief. Any suggestions? -- M.B., via e-mail

A: What lucky buns! And your instincts are right on the money: Your guys need more toys. The wonderful House Rabbit Society offers quite a few tried-and-true suggestions, most of them costing little or nothing at all.

Cardboard in all forms can be great fun. Try boxes for chewing on or hiding in. The cores of toilet paper or paper towel rolls are likewise great for chewing on as well as batting around. For variety, fill the boxes full of shredded paper, junk mail (at last, a use for it), old magazines or straw.

Old phone directories are great for shredding, as are untreated wicker baskets (again, filled with chewables). Untreated grass doormats are fun, too.

Toys made for other pets will work well for rabbits. Parrot toys, especially, are designed to be gleefully destroyed and can be hung on the side of cages to make your bunnies work to get them. Hard-rubber Kong toys sized for small dogs are great for pushing around, as are plastic balls meant for cats. The hard-plastic tops of laundry detergent and softener bottles (clean well beforehand) are perfect for batting around, and you can't beat the price.

The House Rabbit Society is the most incredible resource imaginable for people who love these affectionate and playful pets. Membership ($18 annually) supports the nonprofit group's effort to rescue and place unwanted rabbits, and comes with a quarterly newsletter that offers great ideas for taking the best care possible of the ever-growing number of indoor rabbits. For more information, write to the HRS at P.O. Box 1201, Alameda, CA 94501; or visit the Web site at www.rabbit.org.

Q: I've been seeing ads in magazines for heartworm pills for cats. I give them monthly to my dogs, but should my cats get them, too? -- M.U., via e-mail

A: There are times when it's convenient to have one of the world's top veterinary cardiologists in your circle of friends, and this is one of them. Dr. Paul D. Pion, CEO of the Veterinary Information Network (and my "Cats For Dummies" co-author), says the answer depends on where you live. Heartworms are everywhere in places like Florida and Texas, and in those places, says Pion, he'd recommend preventive medication. In other places, heartworm is uncommon in dogs and unheard-of in cats, so preventive measures aren't so important.

The cost of not giving medications might be high, though, warns Pion. Although heartworm infestations are rare in cats, they are also not easily treated. In cats and dogs both, preventing heartworm is a much safer course than treating an animal once it has the pests.

The bottom line? If you live where the pest is very common in dogs, it may well be prudent to protect your cat as well as your dogs. Talk to your veterinarian about the risks in your area.

Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies," "Cats for Dummies" and "Birds for Dummies." She is also affiliated with the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or send e-mail to writetogina(at)spadafori.com.

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

When I moved out of my parents' house 20-plus years ago, the first thing I wanted was a dog of my own. A friend had an adorable sheltie I liked, so I went on a search for a dog like her Misty.

The pup I found was born on a cold kitchen floor in the middle of the night, to a dog whose owners were sure she was not pregnant. Two of three puppies were dead by the time the owners realized their error. The single pup thrived, though. And after he was weaned, he was sent to his father's owners to be socialized among another litter of puppies.

He was 10 weeks old when I met him there; I was 20 years old. I had no business getting a dog, but I wrote the woman two checks -- one of them postdated, I was that broke -- and took home the dog I named Lance. With what I know now, I can say I was a high risk as a dog owner, enough that the person I am now would under no circumstances have sold a dog to the person I was then. But maybe the seller saw something special in me. Or maybe she just wanted to get rid of the pup.

Young Lance and I did not get off to the best of starts. I was living in a place that did not allow dogs, and my roommate didn't want one. Within days, the pup and I were homeless. To my credit, I never once thought of giving him up.

We kicked around a lot -- one set of roommates, then another, some time with my grandmother, then more roommates. I took the dog everywhere I could (and a lot of places I shouldn't have), and trained him myself for the obedience ring in the gaps between classes when I probably ought to have been studying. And I partied, traveled, stayed up all night sometimes and slept until noon on the weekends.

All the changes we went through and all the unpredictability of my daily life had an effect on the dog Lance would become. He was comfortable with all kinds of people and all kinds of places. He'd seen it all; nothing shook his calm. He was a perfect dog, or as close as any living being can get to perfection.

When I think about Lance now, though, I think about how different things were then. My life now is settled, predictable and mortgage-paying. I still sleep until noon on a lot of weekends, but that's about all that hasn't changed.

Which is why, in a very roundabout way, I've come to be certain that I would never have the slightest interest in cloning a pet. Yes, I understand how much it hurts to lose a loved one, and how tempting it would be to cheat death, in a way, by reproducing exactly the raw material that became a special pet.

Lance has been dead 11 years in May, and I still miss him. No other pet has taught me so much -- about the special bond between an animal and a person, about the joy and the responsibility of caring for a pet. But a Lance clone would never be Lance. What made him the dog he became was not only his early hardship, but also getting hooked up with the person I was then and cannot be again.

The last thing Lance taught me was that letting go is possible, that death is a natural part of our lives, and that we need to learn to deal with it as gracefully as we can. Yes, it hurts, but it is a survivable pain. And in the end, the memories that hurt you when the loss is fresh become a source of joy when enough time passes.

My memories of Lance have long been happy ones. I would not want to diminish them by denying a special dog his wholly unique and everlasting place in my heart.

PETS ON THE WEB

My friends at the Veterinary Information Network run the world's first and largest online service for veterinary professionals, a subscription Web site with more than 6,000 veterinary clients. VIN recently expanded to offer a free Web site to pet lovers, the Pet Care Forum (www.vin.com/petcare). VIN's Pet Care Forum has veterinarians on staff to answer questions, tons of basic information on pet selection and care, and chats and message boards for talking to like-minded animal lovers.

The site requires a simple registration to access the interactive features -- an attempt to control people bent on disruption -- but it is easy to navigate once you're set up.

In the interests of full disclosure, I should mention that although I once worked for VIN, I have no financial dealings with the company now. However, its CEO, Dr. Paul Pion, is my co-author of "Cats for Dummies." Just having to put in such a disclaimer made me think twice about mentioning the site, but I believe it's one that pet lovers need to check out.

THE SCOOP

Just as more people are interested in alternative medicine for themselves, there's a jump in interest in such care for pets. "Alternative" can mean a lot of different regimens, from raw-food diets to chiropractics to homeopathy and more. There's a lot to learn, that's for sure! Two publications do a nice job of exploring these topics, and I've been enjoying them both for the last few issues. The Whole Cat Journal and The Whole Dog Journal cover "natural" care and training, with an interesting and wide-ranging array of articles in every issue. Book reviews and product comparisons round out the mix.

I'm not ready -- nor will I ever be -- to give up traditional veterinary care, but I know there's a lot out there we don't understand. It's good to find people who are looking hard for answers on behalf of their pets. The monthly publications are $27 each annually. You can order the cat newsletter from P.O. Box 420940, Palm Coast, FL 32142. The dog newsletter must be ordered from P.O. Box 420031 (but everything else is the same as the cat newsletter address).

QUESTIONS FROM THE PACK

Q: I was so glad to see the plastic bag pooper-scooper bit in your column, but was a little disappointed that you didn't advise the dog walkers how to use the bags. I put my hand in the bag, pick up the goodies, and then turn the bag inside out. Voila!

The TV show "60 Minutes" did a piece on actor Kevin Spacey recently and showed him walking his two dogs in a New York City park. I felt embarrassed for the poor man because they left the camera on him as he was clumsily trying to wipe up poop with a newspaper. Then he actually shoved it in his pocket! Let him know about this bag trick, if possible. -- C.A., via e-mail

A: You're absolutely right. Using the bag like a glove and then flipping it so the mess is inside it is the easy, no-fuss way to pick up after a pet. Your hand never touches anything objectionable and the mess is sealed inside, ready to put into a nearby trash can.

You can always tell a responsible dog-lover: The pockets of all their jackets have plastic bags in them!

As for Mr. Spacey and his dogs, I got the sense that he's someone who's not used to cleaning up after them at all. People who do it all the time never even give it a second thought, camera or no camera.

I've been in Manhattan plenty, and that's where I learned the art of "bagging it." You can't miss getting an impassioned tutorial on the street if you don't pick up after your dog there. Maybe the actor has a dog walker usually, or maybe he's successful enough now not to worry about the $100 fine for not cleaning up after your dog. But maybe before he takes out his dogs in a camera crew's presence again, he'll pack some plastic.

Q: Your item about using OrangeMate Mist might easily be misconstrued because you didn't explain how to use it. I showed the item to a neighbor who has two retrievers, and she assumed she is supposed to spray her dogs with the product to rid them of wet-dog odor. Is that what you intended? -- F.D., via e-mail

A: Not at all. OrangeMate Mist, the wonderful wet-dog odor neutralizer, should be sprayed in a room, but not on the dogs.

Remember, too, that you must exercise extreme caution when using any aerosol or cleaning product around birds. Their lungs are so sensitive that exposure to airborne chemicals can kill them. Don't use strong-smelling products at all around these pets.

Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies," "Cats for Dummies" and "Birds for Dummies." She is also affiliated with the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or send e-mail to writetogina(at)spadafori.com.

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