Progress is surely being made in the area of avian nutrition. It used to be when I wrote about how important it was for pet birds to eat a varied diet that included pelleted foods, high-quality people food and very little seed, that was news to many bird lovers.

Now, I get a different response to that message. "I know we're not supposed to be feeding our cockatiel a seed-only diet," wrote one reader who seemed to typify the majority of letters I got after my recent column on proper bird diets. "But we can't get her to eat anything else! How can we convert her to a healthier diet? Should we just starve her until she gives in?"

Last question first: Don't starve your bird. They need a constant source of food to stay alive.

The approach for converting a bird to a healthier diet needs to be gradual, encouraging, and sometimes a little bit sneaky. You can usually convert even the most extreme seed junkie to a better diet if you're patient and persistent.

Here are some tips:

-- Confirm good health. Before messing with your pet's diet, make sure he's in good health by having a veterinarian with experience in matters avian go over him thoroughly. Birds are adept at hiding illness, and the stress of a change in diet may be too much for a bird who's sick. A knowledgeable veterinarian will also have some suggestions for foods that might best suit your bird and other tips to help with the conversion.

-- Combine the old and the new. Mix what your bird has been eating with the pellets and other foods he should be eating instead. It is important to remember to feed your bird this mixture out of a single bowl to help form a positive association between old food and new.

-- Gradually reduce seeds. Try starting with a 50/50 blend of seeds and pellets for two to four weeks, and then reduce the percentage of seeds slowly over time. Vary the amounts of pellets, fruit, veggies and seed you offer each day. Be inconsistent in what your bird can expect to see in his food bowl -- it'll keep your bird busy checking for the jackpot of food he likes. Even if the offerings aren't all he dreams of, he's at the food bowl, so he just might eat.

-- Feed new foods in the morning. Birds are the most hungry when they first wake up, so offer pellets and other health foods exclusively at the start of the day before adding seed to the mix later in the day.

-- Encourage mimicry. Birds learn by watching. If you have one bird who is on a healthy diet, let your other birds watch this healthy behavior. Another option: Eat healthy people foods in front of your bird and offer some to your bird. He may try what you're eating just because you seem to like it.

During the conversion, be sure you observe your bird eating and drinking, make sure that he is passing normal droppings and check the muscle on both sides of his keel bone (which runs right down the middle of his chest) regularly to be sure he's maintaining weight.

Don't be in a hurry to change your pet's diet -- follow his lead in determining how fast to reduce the amount of seed in his diet. Any problems? Check in with an avian veterinarian for more targeted assistance.

PETS ON THE WEB

Unless you work out of a home office, chances are you don't get to have your pets with you while you earn a living. Not to worry! For an anytime kitty fix, visit www.broenink-art.nl/maukie.swf. The site doesn't have a name that I can tell, and gives no credit to its creator, but what you'll find there will brighten the day of any cat lover: a graphic representation of a tuxedo-marked kitten (with vivid green eyes) who responds with enthusiasm to being petted and bats playfully at the cursor if teased. A time waster? Sure, but what fun!

THE SCOOP

Will your senior dog welcome or loathe the introduction of a new puppy to the household? In general, older dogs who are still fit and full of life get the most out of the energy a new puppy brings to a family, while debilitated oldsters enjoy such rambunctious company less. If you do choose to add a puppy, be sure to monitor interactions. Be sure the youngster isn't pestering or hurting your senior dog, and make sure to continue giving your older pet plenty of one-on-one attention.

QUESTIONS FROM THE PACK

Q: In a recent column you said that birds should be fed on pellets, not primarily on seeds. Although you didn't specifically state "pet birds" or "tame birds," I gather that this column was aimed at people who own pet birds. Do you extend this same advice to those of us who maintain backyard feeders for wild birds? Seems like if it's the right diet for pet birds, it might be the right diet for wild birds, too. What do you recommend? -- S.N, via e-mail

A: You're right: I was talking about birds kept as pets, specifically parrots (a category that includes parakeets and cockatiels).

When feeding wild birds, remember that what you give them is a supplement to their diet, not their entire diet (although the proportions vary by season). Birds kept as pets don't get to forage on their own for appropriate foods, while wild birds still do. That's why seeds are fine to add to the diet of your backyard visitors, but nutritionally balanced pellets should be the mainstay of your pet bird's diet. (Along with healthy "people food" such as fruits, vegetables, breads, pasta and so on.)

A good resource for those who feed wild birds is the National Bird-Feeding Society (www.birdfeeding.org), which offers tips on creating a safe and inviting backyard habitat, what to feed to attract birds and how to discourage squirrels, rats and other unwanted visitors.

Q: Usually it's pretty easy to tell if your dog is sick. But what about a cat? I have a 3-year-old purebred Manx who I've had since he was a baby, and I was wondering if there are any easy ways to determine when my cat is not feeling well. –- I.K., via e-mail

A: It's generally true that the lower down the food chain you are, the better it is to hide any sign of illness that might attract the attention of a predator looking for an easy meal. That's why dogs don't worry much about hiding illness or pain -- even the small ones are genetically designed to think they are big wolves! Cats are interesting in that they are predators who are also small enough to be prey, so they can be quite adept at hiding signs of illness.

Cats are also creatures of habit, and if a cat's habits change, an illness could be the reason. Any change -– even a subtle one -- in appearance, habits or behavior could signify illness in your cat. This could mean anything from the cat who suddenly isn't grooming himself very well, to one who's losing weight, missing the litter box or vocalizing more or less. Your cat should look healthy, with a glossy coat, eyes bright and clean, nose free of discharge and a graceful, easy and powerful manner to how he moves.

It's a good idea to become familiar with what's normal for your healthy cat by getting in the habit of grooming or otherwise going over him on at least a weekly basis. To make the job easier, keep a simple log so you can compare what you find to what your cat was like previously and so notice subtle changes over time.

I also find with my animals I develop a sense when a pet is "off" that often turns up to be something that requires treatment. I guess over the years I've just gotten used to paying close enough attention that when changes are just developing, I notice them early and have my pets checked out. My "Cats for Dummies" co-author Dr. Paul Pion calls animals who are brought in on such owner hunches "ADR" pets, for "Ain't Doin' Right."

If you pay close attention to changes and trust your instincts when it's time to call the veterinarian, you'll be able to stay on top of things when it comes to your cat's health.

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

Every year my New Year's list of things to do includes reminding readers how important it is to be sure pets have proper collars and up-to-date identification. My New Year's "neck check" has become a tradition for me, and it's something I not only remind others to do, it's also advice I take myself. This year, following my own recent advice kept me from losing one of my pets.

I'm between homes as I write this, having moved out of one house and not quite into another. When I decided to sell my old house, I knew I needed to have some work done on it first, from painting the house inside and out to repairing what was left of the backyard landscaping. I put everything in storage except the animals, my clothes and my computer, and moved in with my brother.

The move went smoothly, thanks to the easygoing nature of my brother and his dog, Taz, who seemed to enjoy having other animals around. My dogs quickly figured out the new dog-door situation, and soon were coming and going into the back yard at will.

Problem is, my brother's house backs up to a school, where the sudden presence of four new dogs apparently caught the attention of some of the children. Still, everything seemed fine when I took off for a weekend trip out of town, and my brother left for an evening out, getting back so late he fell into bed without noticing he was one dog short.

That realization the next morning put him in a state of panic.

He checked every inch of the house and yard, and soon discovered that some of the boards in the fence had been kicked in, making a hole just large enough for the smallest of my dogs to get through. We'll never know whether someone took Chase or if he jumped through the hole on his own, but the result was the same. The puppy was gone.

My brother started searching for the dog. He looked all over the neighborhood and found nothing. He was trying to decide what to do next when something I'd done long ago made the difference: I'd put an ID tag with the word "reward" on Chase's collar.

For years I've advised people not to waste the "real estate" on an ID tag by putting the animal's name on it. Instead, I've suggested putting the word "reward!" on the tag instead. After all, it's fine to trust the kindness of strangers when it comes to getting a lost pet back, but it doesn't hurt to back up that trust by relying, just a little bit, on a healthy interest in money.

The person who found Chase couldn't have been more clear about what got her attention -- it was the promise of a reward on the tag that made her call. Would she have kept the dog otherwise? We'll never know. My brother gave her some cash, took the dog home and spent the rest of the day patching up the fence. When I got home, I sent the little dog to stay with a friend until I move into the new house, just to be safe.

Putting an ID tag on a pet's collar is one of the easiest and least expensive things you can do to protect your pet. Chase is safe because I did so. Can you say your pets are protected just the same?

PETS ON THE WEB

If your New Year's resolutions include getting your dog to behave better, you'll want to look for help from the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (www.apdt.com). The organization is led by those trainers who pioneered reward-based techniques of dog-training, questioning and then largely abandoning older methods that often involved physical punishment. Although the Web page is largely for the association's members, the section for pet owners offers two great resources: a list of recommended books and videos, and referrals to APDT member trainers.

THE SCOOP

A frozen source of water isn't any better than no water at all. If you have outside drinking water for any of the animals in your care, make sure the liquid remains unfrozen during winter. Pet- and farm-supply stores and catalog merchants stock devices for keeping water liquid, from heated bowls to heater coils. They're good investments when it comes to keeping clean, fresh water flowing for your outside pets.

QUESTIONS FROM THE PACK

Q: We got a young shepherd mix puppy a few months ago from some people in the neighborhood. He's very loving and playful, but he's protective of his food and his toys, and he doesn't like to be told to get off the furniture. Usually, he just growls, but he is now snapping when we get close to him while he's eating. I'm really worried he might bite our 7-year-old daughter, even though I've warned her to leave him alone when he's eating. My husband wants to find him a new home, but I'm not sure that's the right thing. Any advice? -- B.T., via e-mail

A: First, let me stress that finding a new home for a dog with the potential to bite is absolutely the wrong thing to do. Why would you want to put a time bomb in someone else's home, so someone else can be bitten? How would you feel if you placed the dog in a new home -- maybe one with no children, to make you feel better -- and later learned that a visiting child was severely bitten by this dog? When you have a dog who might bite, you need to assume full responsibility for that animal.

Now, about fixing the problem. I never give specific advice on canine aggression, because in such cases what's needed is hands-on assistance from a veterinary behaviorist, the sooner the better. Advice from someone who's never seen your dog is just too risky when you're talking about a situation as loaded with the potential for injury as this one is.

Ask your veterinarian for a referral to a veterinary behaviorist who can prescribe medications for your dog (if needed) along with a behavioral modification regimen for your family to follow. If your dog isn't neutered, get that done as well. (Most dogs involved in serious attacks are young, unneutered males.) And then follow the doctor's instructions, to the letter. And know that it can take a considerable investment of time to address behavioral problems of this type.

Is all this necessary? When people talk to me about canine aggression, I always suggest they take the following quiz. If they answer any question with a "yes," the next step is to get help.

-- Has your dog ever stared at you with a hard, fixed, glassy-eyed stare that may be accompanied by erect body posture -- stiff legs, ears forward, hackles raised?

-- Do you avoid doing certain things with your dog because they elicit growling or a show of teeth? Are you unable, for example, to approach your dog while he's eating or ask him to get off the couch?

-- Do you make excuses for his aggressive behavior, or figure he'll "grow out of it"?

-- Do you consider your dog "safe" -- except around a particular group of people, such as children or people in uniforms?

-- Has your dog ever bitten anyone, even if it was "only" once and because "it was an accident," "he was scared," "he's usually so good!" or some other equally inexcusable rationalization?

With his growling and snapping, your dog has taken the first steps down a dangerous road. If you don't change his course, someone might get hurt, and your dog might end up having to be put to death for his behavior. Don't delay in getting the help you need to prevent such an outcome.

Q: I just got a yellow-naped Amazon parrot through a newspaper ad. How can I tell if this bird is a boy or a girl? The seller didn't know. -- A.R., via e-mail

A: You'll need the help of a veterinarian to solve this mystery. He'll draw a blood sample, and the laboratory will get the answer from the bird's DNA. Seeing an avian veterinarian is a good idea anyway, to establish (or repair) the health of the bird and review proper care requirements for your new pet.

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

It's a New Year's tradition around my home, one that has outlived two generations of pets but still works to help ensure the safety of the animals I live with now.

No, not resolutions, although I make those, too vowing, among other things, to exercise the dogs more, take more time for their training and do more for animals who are not as lucky as mine are.

The tradition I'm talking about is far easier to accomplish. I call the pets over and check their necks.

I always do my "neck checks" around the first of the year. It's easy to remember that way, especially for me, a person who has a hard time remembering much of anything when it comes to appointments: heartworm and flea medications on the first of the month, neck checks the first of the year, annual exams on each pet's birthday. Any variation and I'm hopelessly lost.

The neck check is easy, taking a few minutes to check for wear and fit on the collars, and legibility on the tags.

Consider the collar first. A properly fitted collar is important, but so is the right type. For dogs, a buckled or snap-together collar made of leather or nylon webbing is the best choice, and the proper fit is comfortably close, but not too snug. Make sure your dog's not wearing a "choke" or prong collar for everyday wear. These are for training and walking only, and pose a potentially deadly hazard if left on an unsupervised dog.

Cat collars aren't widely accepted because some people fear the collars will get caught on branches and trap the cat. Other people argue that their cat stays indoors and so never needs a collar. If you're sure your cat will never, ever get out, then fine, no collar is necessary. But if your pet has ever slipped out, or might, you ought to reconsider a collar and tag. As for cats being caught by their collars, this is resolved by the simple piece of elastic in most cat collars that enables the pet to slip free of the collar in a pinch.

If you have the right kind of collar on your pet, look at the holes and the fasteners. The collar is weakest at these spots, so if you see signs of excessive wear or strain, you'll need to replace the collar soon.

As for those tags, they need checking, too. A license is great, but since many lost pets are picked up by people in the neighborhood, it's a good idea to supplement the license with an ID tag that has a couple of phone numbers -- yours and the number of a friend or relative. Check to make sure the information is current and legible, and if not, order a new tag. I never put the pet's name or my address on the tags. Instead, my pets' tags say "REWARD!" with a collection of phone numbers. I want to get the point

across that I want my pets back quickly.

On my pets I also have the tags of a pet-retrieval service called 1-800-HELP-4-PETS. The service is available 24 hours a day, and can also authorize veterinary care with your credit card if your pet is injured and you cannot be found. The service is $25 per year (www.help4pets.com.).

Don't delay in fixing any problems you find with your pet's neck check. Problems with collars and tags are easy to fix, and these items are the cheapest insurance you can buy against loss or accidents.

PETS ON THE WEB

Lost and Founds Pets USA (www.lostandfoundpet.com) doesn't offer anything fancy, just a simple form to enter information and a simple search tool to look for lost or found pets. The information is divided by state and then by city, so if you're not in a metropolitan area this free service may not be much use to you. But it never hurts to add just one more tool to the mix if you've lost a pet, along with posting fliers, checking shelters and veterinary hospitals and placing classified ads in local newspapers.

THE SCOOP

A microchip is another form of identification well worth adding to the collar and tags for dogs and cats, or as a stand-alone ID for birds. The tiny transponder, about the size of a grain of rice, is inserted by a veterinarian over the shoulder blades of dogs and cats (or into the breast tissue of birds) and serves as a permanent identification that cannot be slipped off or removed.

If you have a microchip implanted in your pet, it's not possible to check for the chip as part of your New Year's neck check. But do make a mental note to ask your veterinarian to scan for it on your next visit. Most veterinarians have hand-held devices that can detect the presence of a chip, and can determine if it has stayed in a spot where it can be found by shelter workers, should your pet ever be lost or stolen.

QUESTIONS FROM THE PACK

Q: A while back you asked for ideas on making housekeeping easier. I have put together a doggie potty that enables my older dog to relieve herself indoors. In short, it is a shower pan, lined with a grid mat and placed over a cistern. Initially I trained her to "go" upon request. Then it was just a matter of introducing this convenient place to go as the designated spot. A friend has a purse-sized dog, and she trained it to go in the shower (no water running) lined with a mesh-like grid.

People might think it's unhygienic, but this method could enable a senior in a high-rise building to not have to go out after dark. –- R.L., via e-mail

A: Small dogs have been using indoor potties for years, and as long as you clean up thoroughly afterward (don't forget the disinfectant!), I don't see a problem. Your solution is probably more hygienic than putting newspapers down on the floor, after all.

Indoor bathrooms for dogs have really gained ground in recent years. While the volume of waste produced keeps indoor facilities from being a viable option for large dogs, little dogs can use space indoors with few problems.

I received another letter from a reader who sets up a small plastic wading pool for her small dog to use. In the middle, she has anchored a small upright cat scratching post for her male dog to lift his leg on, thereby keeping him from the sides of the pool, where he might squirt urine over the side. She lines the pool with plastic and fills it with a shallow layer of cat-box filler. It's an ingenious solution, albeit one that requires more room than many people care to give up.

You don't have to make your own canine potty, though, because there are commercial alternatives, most notably one from pet-industry giant Purina. The so-called "secondnature" system includes a litter tray and paper-based filler designed to be acceptable to dogs. You can find out more about it at www.doglitter.com, or by calling (800) 778-7462 during normal business hours, central time. The Web site, not surprisingly, pushes the Purina product, but does include tips that should help with training no matter which kind of indoor potty you have.

Q: I read your column regarding cat fencing, and I wanted to let you know that I just completed my yard with a cat fencing I purchased in a kit. You can see this product at www.catfencein.com. It comes with complete instructions and all material needed.

Cat fencing is not so simple. There must not be any gaps or openings, and I cannot imagine anyone attempting to do this without a kit and instructions. Around gates is especially tricky.

I lost a cat last summer, and it devastated me so badly that I had to find a way to let my cats outside, but not out of the yard. Now the only thing to worry about is the bottom portion of the fence, i.e., broken or missing boards. I walk my yard frequently to check for broken boards. -- D.E., via e-mail

A: Thanks for your letter. I've mentioned Cat Fence-In before, and agree that for many people a kit is a better option. The company can also be reached by phone toll-free at (888) 738-9099. Do-it-yourself or kit, cat fencing is a great idea, keeping your cats from being neighborhood nuisances while protecting them from most of the dangers or roaming free.

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