If a stray turns up on your back porch and you can't find an owner, or if you inherit an older cat from a relative or friend who has passed on, or if you end up with an extra cat for any other reason, you want to find the best home you can. And that can be difficult.

Adult cats can be very hard to place. They have the lowest rates of adoption for all animals at shelters. If you're patient and persistent, however, you may find a home. Here are some tips to follow:

-- Do everything you can to make the animal more adoptable. The pet has a better chance for adoption if her vaccinations are current, she uses her litter box reliably, and she's altered.

-- Ask a price. People show more respect for something they've paid for, and a price tag dampens the interest of profiteers, such as those who collect "free to good home" pets for sale to research labs or to people who train dogs for fighting. A good rule of thumb: Charge an amount sufficient to cover the cost of the spaying/neutering and vaccinations.

-- Don't lie about the pet's problems or why she's being placed. Although finding a new home for a pet with problems takes longer, you can usually still do so. But the person who gets such a pet without warning is likely to bring her back, take her to a shelter or give her away -- maybe to a horrible situation.

-- Spread the news. Make up fliers, and take out an ad in your newspaper and on the Internet. Post the fliers everywhere you can: bulletin boards at work, pet-supply stores and your veterinarian's office. Give some to your friends and family to post where they work, too. Talk up the cat (at least briefly) with everyone you know. Even people who don't like cats (or don't want one) may know someone who is looking for a pet. The more exposure you can get, the better. If a thousand people hear or read about the animal, you probably will get no interest from 999, but you need only one person to provide a good home for the cat. And that's the one you need to reach.

-- Ask lots of questions and verify that the answers are true. Don't forget to ask prospective adopters whether they've had pets before and what happened to them. Make sure you're dealing with people who realize that owning a pet is a long-term commitment. The person who has had a lot of pets who disappeared, died young or were given away is probably not your best choice. My favorite question: Who's your veterinarian? Someone who cannot at least name a vet or a veterinary hospital may have pets who don't go there very often.

-- Set a reasonable time limit for yourself to place the animal, and do everything you can during that time. If you cannot find a home, do not turn out the cat. Do not take the animal "to the country" or otherwise turn him loose to fend for himself. People who live in the country can't care for all the pets who are dumped there. The kinder folks take them to a shelter; others shoot them, poison them or drown them. Even in the "wilderness," the lives of feral cats are full of suffering, shortened by disease or accident. Don't put a cat through this horror. Take her to a shelter if you cannot keep her or find her a new home.

PETS ON THE WEB

Want a great way to get both you and your dog in shape and have a marvelous time doing it? Take up agility. Based loosely on English show-jumping, the sport won't stop growing, with more enthusiastic dog-handler teams in training than ever before. Dogs of all sizes and shapes, purebred and not, enjoy heading over and through the various obstacles, and they benefit from the time spent with their owners. One of the best spots on the Web to learn about agility is the Dog Patch agility page (www.dogpatch.org/agility). Clean and well-organized, the site offers articles, discussion groups and graphics of various courses, as well as links to other sites on agility and agility-trained dogs.

THE SCOOP

The "s" hooks given out with some pet ID tags are a royal pain. The hooks are hard to fasten correctly, even using pliers, and they always seem to be falling off the collar, giving up the tag or catching on something. A better choice for fastening tags is the split-ring. Many tag makers offer you a choice of fasteners, but if that's not the case, ditch the "s" hooks and head to the hardware store. Split-rings are available cheaply there, in the key section. (I like split-rings made for keys better, in fact, because they're generally sturdier than the ones that come with tags.) You don't have to break your nails to get tags (or keys) on these rings. Use a staple remover to pull them wide enough to slide on the tags.

QUESTIONS FROM THE PACK

Q: We adopted a dog recently from the local shelter, and she's a sweetie. We do have one problem, though, and we need help because it's so disgusting. She eats out of the litter box. We've yelled at her and smacked her, but she just gets more crafty. What can we do to stop this? Yuck! --D.C., via the Internet

A: You're not alone in your disgust. Litter-munching dogs are a top-10 reader complaint, year in and year out. As incredible as the thought seems to humans, many dogs do indeed consider cat feces to be every bit as wonderful as dog biscuits -- they're drawn to the undigested protein.

Faced with constant supply and ready access, no dog can resist for long, which is why efforts to train a dog to leave the litter box alone are rarely successful. The better plan is to restrict access. You can do this in a several ways, and it doesn't hurt to experiment. What deters one dog may not stop another.

Changing the litter box location is probably the easiest and least expensive solution. It may be possible to find a spot too high for your dog to cruise. Barriers are another strategy. You can rig the door to the room containing the litter box so that it stays open wide enough for the cat but not for the dog. Another possibility is to install a cat-sized door in the bottom of the door to the litter-box room if your dog is medium-sized or larger. For small dogs, try a baby gate -- a cat can jump it, but a small dog can't. You can also try a covered litter box.

Whatever you do, make sure your cat is comfortable with the change, or chances are you'll end up with another equally disturbing problem: a cat who avoids the litter box.

Q: Our blue-and-gold macaw loves to fly. Since he's never out of the house, we don't see the problem in letting him fly. It's cruel to deny birds flight, and we hope more bird lovers will realize that. Will you spread the word? -- F.H., via the Internet

A: I'm afraid I can't. Even inside the house the dangers are too many for a flighted bird.

Flying is one of those things that adds to the incredible appeal of birds, their mystique and their wonder. We envy them, for only recently in human experience have we been able to fly. And let's be honest, blasting place-to-place inside a jet-propelled metal tube hardly has the same panache.

Not all pet birds should have their flight feathers kept short, just those who come out of their cages to interact with their owners. Finches and canaries are happier if not handled or allowed out, and their feathers should be left alone so they can fly in their cages for exercise.

But when it comes to most parrots, our homes are not safe for flighted birds. Any avian veterinarian can tell you about birds who have slammed into windows, or have landed in sizzling frying pans or boiling pots of water. Some have even flown into an open toilet and drowned.

Another problem with a flighted bird: Losing your pet is just one open window or door away.

Your bird can indeed have a happy, healthy life without ever taking to the air. Your bird's veterinarian or a reputable bird shop will be happy to show you how to trim wings, or do it for you if you'd rather not try it on your own.

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

One of my friends has a cat who adores her so much that he follows when she walks the family dog. A notorious cat-about-town, he stops his prowling at exactly the time his beloved human should be coming home from work. If she's home, he's home, and usually within 20 feet of her.

But his adoration doesn't stop him from grabbing her arm while she's petting him, digging in his claws and delivering a not-so-gentle bite.

My friend is quite certain her cat is crazy. I know he's just one of those cats who don't handle stimulation well. The good news: Her cat thinks she's the center of the universe. The better news: The cat can be trained to treat her that way, too.

Both genetics and social factors contribute to how likely a cat is to bite or claw while being petted. Some cats are born with short fuses; others are made that way (or made worse) through a lack of early socialization or proper training in their kittenhoods. That's why it's important to never let a kitten come to believe fingers are for chewing on, even in play. Redirect your kitten's playful energy to toys instead. And never hit a kitten or cat for biting, since you'll make it more likely, not less, that your pet will strike faster in fear and self-defense the next time.

Natural activity levels also play a part in how much petting a cat will tolerate. Cats from large-breed backgrounds (think Maine coon) are generally mellow in temperament, willing to sit quietly while being petted. So-called Oriental breeds or mixes (think Siamese or Burmese) are usually more interested in being on the go.

But no matter how hair-trigger the setting on your cat's attack mode, you can work to increase your pet's tolerance for petting by paying close attention to his body language as you slowly increase the amount of time during which he'll calmly accept your attention.

You should also be aware that some places are more sensitive than others. For a highly reactive cat, restrict your caresses at first to behind the ears, under the chin or the base of the tail. A long stroke down the back is too much for some kitties, and you're really taking chances when you decide to tickle your cat's tummy. The cats who enjoy it are well-outnumbered by the cats who'll seek to stop it with teeth and claws.

Work to build your cat's tolerance to touch over time. When you pick your cat up for a petting session, don't surprise him. Come up on him slowly and pick him up gently, making sure his whole body is supported with a hand under his chest and one beneath his legs.

Pet him in less-reactive areas on his body, watching for the first sign of a tail twitch. When you get that early warning sign, stop petting and let your cat leave if he wants to. The idea is to work up to just short of the point where your pet becomes uncomfortable and then stop, so you can gradually increase his tolerance for petting. For some cats, the addition of treats during petting can also help the reconditioning process.

If you miss the signs and end up in your cat's nonaffectionate embrace, just freeze. Providing no resistance will help calm your cat so he'll just let go, usually in a few seconds. If you fight back or physically punish your cat, you are more likely to get bitten or scratched in the short run, and damage your relationship with your pet in the long run.

Be patient, and be satisfied with small improvements as you go. As any cat lover will tell you, teaching your cat to tolerate petting is well worth the effort -- for both of you.

PETS ON THE WEB

Every year I get a lush color catalog from Doyle New York, drumming up publicity and business for the company's annual auction of fine art with a canine theme. Every year I flip through the catalog, sighing heavily both in appreciation and resignation -- I adore looking but, like most of us, I'm not one of those folks who can write a check for tens of thousands of dollars for a 19th-century portrait of some spaniels. (Last year's top dog, a painting of two English setters, fetched $96,000.)

Fortunately, the folks at Doyle have promised to put the entire collection online for those who'd like to look, in hopes of attracting those who can buy. The auction starts at 1 p.m. EST on Feb. 12 on the mega-rich Upper East Side of Manhattan. The offerings will appear on the Web site (www.doylenewyork.com) sometime before the opening bid.

THE SCOOP

If you're looking for sweet songs, choose a male canary over a female. Males are more likely to sing, an attribute designed not to amuse human caretakers but rather to attract a mate and ward off competitors. A bird must be in good health to sing, so if your male canary's consistently quiet, see a veterinarian with experience in avian patients to get your bird back on track.

QUESTIONS FROM THE PACK

Q: We bought a puppy from a pet store. Within an hour she was coughing. I took her to a veterinarian, and he said it was kennel cough. A couple of days later, the puppy had pneumonia. I got my money back, but now I have no puppy and four upset children. I need to find them a miniature schnauzer puppy quick! Can you help? -- S.M., via e-mail

A: I'm so sorry for what you went through and for that poor pup. I can't offer you a puppy, but I can surely offer you some very important advice: Slow down.

Finding a dog "quick" might mean a repeat of what you've already been through. If you're looking for a purebred puppy, you need to find a reputable breeder, work with that breeder, and take your time.

Purebred dogs are well-known for their expensive health problems, everything from skeletal disorders to congenital deafness and blindness. A well-bred and properly socialized purebred pup is healthy and has wonderful pet potential. Unfortunately, too many purebreds are a risk from the start.

Why? Because many of those selling dogs don't know or don't care about screening breeding stock for congenital health defects, and they don't bother to ensure that puppies are safely socialized, gently exposed from birth to the everyday sights, smells and sounds of normal human life. Even a pup who is otherwise healthy can become a difficult pet if not handled properly from day one, forever shy, aggressive or difficult to house-train.

A dog show is a good place to start your search for a reputable breeder, and so, too, is the Web site of the national breed club. You can find out about upcoming dog shows on the InfoDog Web site (www.infodog.com). More information on choosing a breeder and links to breed clubs can be found on the American Kennel Club's Web site (www.akc.org).

Q: My husband and I are considering getting two puppies. We've had mixed feedback about this and would like your advice.

I've found that animal shelters and veterinarians recommend getting two pups at the same time so they can play together while we're away from home. However, dog trainers have been very negative about getting two puppies at the same time.

If you recommend only one pup at a time, how do you think we should keep the one puppy occupied while we're at work during the day? -- K.U., via e-mail

A: I'm with the trainers you've consulted: Two puppies are one puppy too many for most people.

Two puppies who are raised together will often bond more tightly with each other than with the human members of the house, especially if they spend a lot of time alone together. House-training can be a challenge with two puppies, because fresh messes from the one who's not getting it quickly may prompt backsliding in the other pup. Obedience training and all-important socialization can also be hard, since you have to find the time to work with each puppy individually.

If you wish to have two dogs relatively quickly, I'd recommend adopting an adult dog and then a puppy. Give the adult dog a couple of months to settle before bringing in the pup. You'll still need to work with both individually, but if you choose properly, the adult dog should slide easily into your life, giving you ample time to work with the puppy. If you want to start with puppies, wait until the first puppy is a year to 18 months of age before adding another pup.

What will one puppy do alone when you're at work? For the most part, sleep. Set the baby up in a small, secure area with safe chew toys and he'll be fine.

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

Heather comes from a family of overachievers. Her littermates are all show champions with field, obedience and agility titles galore. Her mom and dad are both in their breed's hall of fame.

She came to me when she was a year old, and since then she has been queen not of dog shows and field trials, but of couches, beaches and dog parks. The fault for good potential gone bad, if it must be assigned, is all mine.

I used to be a competitor. Every day I'd run home from work, grab a dog and head out to train. I traveled hundreds of miles to work one-on-one with top trainers or to compete in shows or trials. I was serious and dedicated.

We did pretty well, those early dogs and I; we got some titles, won some trophies. But then I decided I'd rather just hang out with the dogs -- take a walk or play a game of fetch, teach them a trick that would make a child laugh, or work on manners that would make it possible for the dogs to be welcomed most anywhere.

We're starting to train for the sport of dog agility, but just because the retrievers consider it more play than work. By and large I decided long ago that I would be content if my well-bred working dogs played for the rest their lives. We didn't need any more titles.

But we went for one more, because it's important. Heather and my other retriever, the big, goofy Benjamin, are now each certified as a Canine Good Citizen (CGC) by the American Kennel Club. It's not much compared to the multiple titles of Heather's siblings, or even the honors earned years ago by the long-retired Andy, a once-keen competitor now pushing 16. But we did it because I like what the program stands for and want to encourage its potential by example.

It's no secret that as a society we have mixed feelings about dogs. Our hearts warm to those dogs who serve as search-and-rescue dogs, or as helpers to those who are blind or use wheelchairs. We can't get enough stories of therapy dogs who bring a smile to the face of an autistic child or an older person with Alzheimer's. But we can't pass laws fast enough in an effort to protect ourselves from other dogs, after such events as the horrifying attack in San Francisco last year by a pair of animals who are the stuff of nightmares.

A friendly, well-mannered dog is a pleasure to keep and an asset to the community. In my neighborhood, a park that was inhabited mostly by drug dealers changed dramatically once dog-lovers started exercising their pets there. (And picking up after them, of course.) Places are always safer when people and well-mannered dogs frequent them.

The Canine Good Citizen is about acknowledging such dogs, for the good of all dogs and those who love them. The program isn't about trophies or precise and rigid obedience. Its 10 tests are meant to identify those dogs who behave with calm, friendly confidence, whether at the veterinarian's, in a crowd or meeting other dogs. They are dogs who know the basics of on-leash obedience, even if they may need gentle encouragement to practice it.

To put it simply, Canine Good Citizens are good dogs.

Heather earned her CGC despite my attack of nerves. Benjamin did her one better, partnering with a pre-teen boy he hadn't known but an hour and still passing easily.

The Canine Good Citizen title isn't going to get either one of them into their breed's hall of fame, but by supporting the program that acknowledges good dogs like mine, I did something to help keep all good dogs welcome in public spaces.

In the long run, I figure, that's more important than a Best in Show at Westminster.

PETS ON THE WEB

The Canine Good Citizen program may be run by the top registry for purebred dogs in the United States, but it's open to every dog, no matter its breeding. For more information on the program, visit the AKC's Web page (www.akc.org). You'll find a link to the Canine Good Citizen program on the lead page.

THE SCOOP

Now and then I get letters from people who are worried about their young cats. It seems the animal -- always a female -- sometimes rolls around on the floor, crying as if in discomfort. It's not constant, so they haven't taken the animal to the veterinarian. But they're wondering if they should be worried and if the situation is going to get worse.

No, worrying isn't necessary. And yes, the situation will get worse, because the cat will soon be pregnant. That's because the described behavior -- a rolling and yowling female cat -- is consistent with a cat who's in heat. The solution is a simple one: Make that spaying appointment right away.

QUESTIONS FROM THE PACK

Q: My husband and I are looking for a dog and have been reading your book "Dogs for Dummies" to help us choose. The golden retriever club in our area has a 6-year-old male available for adoption. My husband and I met the dog last night at the current owner's house.

The dog seemed quite friendly and happy, except that he was very demanding of attention and growled and bared his teeth at my husband. He also snapped a little. This dog hasn't had any formal training, and the dog's owner seems to have let him have his own way quite a lot. He hasn't had a lot of grooming or bathing and hasn't lived with cats. He is also intact, although the rescue group will have him neutered.

My husband and I have two cats who are fairly timid, and we've never owned a dog before. Does this sound like too much for first-time dog owners to handle? -- H.L., via e-mail

A: Let me make this easy for you: Run. While the behavior problems this dog is showing may be fixable by someone with good training skills and a solid knowledge of canine behavior, he is clearly not for beginners. Any dog who growls or snaps when meeting new people is not one you should be thinking about adopting.

Goldens have a reputation for being sweet and easygoing, but I've known plenty who were not. Just because a dog is a golden doesn't automatically make the animal a perfect pet. Dog experts call such thinking the "Lassie syndrome": People see a breed in the media and start thinking that all dogs of that breed behave like the ones on TV do. Wrong!

Sometimes the problem is the result of a misunderstanding of what the breed's really like. Other times the difference between image and reality exists because overpopularity has had a negative affect on the breed.

The latter is the problem with goldens. A well-bred, properly trained and socialized golden retriever is about as nice a dog as you'll ever know. (But not perfect, especially in terms of shedding!) But because of the breed's popularity, you'll find plenty of goldens with serious health and temperament problems, thanks to clueless or careless breeders who jumped into the puppy business to make a buck.

Talk to the rescue group again, explaining why this dog won't work for you. Ask for leads on other dogs who need homes. If that doesn't work, visit the Golden Retrievers in Cyberspace Web site (www.golden-retriever.com) to find other rescue groups.

There are lots of great goldens and other dogs out there who deserve a break. Don't waste your loving home on a dog who'll give you grief.

Q: I have a 17-year-old cat. How old is that in "human" years? I'm guessing the "1 equals 7" rule for dogs doesn't apply to cats. -- M.D., via e-mail

A: The "1 equals 7" rule doesn't really apply for dogs, either. Consider: A dog who's a year old is a young adult, far more mature than a 7-year-old human child. I've heard of "1 equals 4" or "1 equals 5" rules for cats, but those don't make sense, for the same reasons the dog figures fail.

Sorry I can't offer you anything that's easy to remember, but here's the way to figure out the rough human equivalent of a cat's age: Figure the first year as taking the cat to around 15 or so, and the second year as equating to mid-20s in a human. After that, add four "human years" for each "cat year." That would put your cat at the equivalent of 85 years old in human terms -- a very honorable age, indeed.

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