If you're looking for suggestions on silly holiday gifts for your pet, you're barking up the wrong tree. Every year I get dozens of calls and e-mails from retailers and manufacturers who want me to write about gifts for pets -- Christmas-red nail polish for a dog, a Hanukkah shirt for an iguana, mock reindeer antlers for a cat. To them all I say: "Bah humbug. And no thanks."

I don't write about gifts for pets because, unlike children, pets won't be brokenhearted if they're not given a present over the holidays. And because the money and time people spend finding pointless gifts their pets don't care about could be used to help animals in need. It's easy to help: Give a holiday gift to your local shelter.

Cash is the gift that's one-size-fits-all, and that's true even when you're giving to a charity. When you make a donation -- an outright gift, a gift membership or donation in memory of a person or pet -- you're letting the organization decide where best to use your money, giving it to programs or services that most need funding.

But writing a check isn't the only way to help. Shelters need any number of items, from office equipment to pet supplies, that help with their work caring for homeless pets, investigating cruelty and educating on the humane treatment of animals. You can always call your shelter to ask what's needed, but chances are you'll find these items on any shelter's list:

-- Old towels and newspapers. This is as easy a donation as you can possibly make, since these items are things you throw out -- or put in the recycling bin -- anyway. Newspapers are used to line cages, while old towels are put to any number of uses, including drying off pets who've been freshly groomed to make them feel better and be more adoptable.

In addition to towels, the Denver Dumb Friends League asks for donations of old toilet seat covers: The size is just perfect, making a cuddly cat bed for felines waiting for new homes. Your shelter might use these, too.

-- Food and litter. Shelters go through a great deal of basic pet-care supplies, including bags and bags of cat-box filler and kibble, along with cans of pet food. While some shelters are happy to take whatever brand you can give them, others are a bit more particular. Call ahead to see what brands are especially welcome, if any, and then buy as much as you can for donation. A related item you'd never think of that's always in need: can openers, both manual and electric.

-- Office supplies: Paper, toner, printer cartridges, pens, staples and more. If you're using it in your office, chances are your local shelter folks can use it in theirs. One reader I know made a donation of a gift card from an office-supply superstore, so the shelter could buy the supplies that worked for the office equipment they had.

As for your own pets, you'll do them a far better service by investing your time and money in better care for your pet, providing your pet with medical care that emphasizes prevention, and seeing that your pet is properly fed and well-exercised. And remember that time spent with your pet is the greatest gift of all.

THE SCOOP

"Dogs in the Hood: A Holiday Extravaganza" is a CD that reworks holiday songs to add a canine theme, including selections such as "Walkin' in a Whippet Wonderland" and "Dance of the Latina Sugarplum Yorkies." Great music it's not, but the songs are sure to lighten up any dull holiday gathering, especially if dog lovers are around. The CD is $13.98 plus $4 shipping and handling. For purchase information (and to listen to some of the songs before you buy) click on the "Start Shopping" button on the Dogs in the Hood Web site (www.dogsinthehoodinc.com).

PETS ON THE WEB

Nothing fancy about the Rat Guide (www.ratguide.com), just oodles of good information about keeping pet rats healthy and spotting signs of illness. Like many small pets, rats are rarely offered the benefits of veterinary care, since many people consider it easier to replace them when they die rather than spend money when they're sick. The Rat Guide's wonderful and fully searchable collection of articles, developed with the assistance of veterinarians, recognizes this reality and offers a way to improve the care of these clever and affectionate pets through preventative-illness education.

QUESTIONS FROM THE PACK

Q: Our two-story house has a loft that overlooks the living room. The ledge for the loft opening is more than 20 feet off the ground. Our recently adopted 6-month-old kitten jumps on the ledge every time she's in the room. We are afraid she may attempt to jump off the ledge, or fall and injure herself.

We've tried watching her closely and squirting her with a spray bottle when she attempts to jump up on the ledge, but that doesn't seem to deter her. She is so quick that sometimes she's on the ledge before we can squirt. Once she's up there, we don't do any of the things you'd normally do to let a cat know her behavior was wrong (such as clapping hands loudly) for fear of startling her into falling or jumping off the ledge.

We now keep the door shut to keep her out, but since this is a heavily used room, it's not something we would prefer to do forever. Do you think she would actually jump? If so, is there another way to deter her from getting up there? -- B.K., Tallahassee, Fla.

A: You're right to be concerned: Studies of cats falling from buildings (for example, off an apartment balcony), show that the animals are often injured more in falls from relatively low heights than from those a couple of floors higher, presumably because they haven't time to rotate themselves into "landing position" to minimize potential injury. (The benefit of being higher only goes so far, since cats falling from more than a handful of stories up are usually seriously injured or killed.)

Kittens don't have the common sense an older cat does, so I think it is entirely possible she might jump or be startled into falling. Try covering the ledge and, especially, the approach to it with something sticky, such as upside-down contact paper secured with double-sided tape. Cats loathe having their paws stick to anything, which is why sticky substances are great for discouraging furniture scratching as well. (For chair or couch corners, just apply double-sided tape or Stick Paws strips -- available in pet-supply stores, catalogs or online merchants -- to stop the clawing, while providing your pet with a scratching post or cat tree for an acceptable place for healthy scratching.)

I'm guessing your above-it-all kitten will decide that her perch isn't a place that's worth visiting if she has to step on sticky paper to get there.

Q: Our 4-month-old puppy Zoe is a jumper. I want to know the right way to train her to stop this bad behavior. This is my first puppy, so I'm lost on this matter. -- D.L., via e-mail

A: My best suggestion would be to get Zoe into a puppy-training class for her socialization and your education. Puppy classes take a lighthearted, positive approach to teaching puppies good manners and teaching puppy owners how to develop a friendly, well-socialized dog. These classes are important for all puppies, but would be especially good for you and Zoe since she is your first puppy. When it comes to her jumping up, you'll first want to teach your puppy a behavior that's incompatible, such as sit. Don't punish the puppy for jumping, but rather ask Zoe to sit and praise her for minding. Be absolutely certain that she gets no attention for jumping up, ever. Turn your back on her if you must, and then ask her to sit when she settles down. Praise her when she does right!

If you're consistent, she'll soon realize that she'll get the attention she craves only when she sits.

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. You can also read her frequently updated Web log or view her column archives at www.spadafori.com.

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

Considering that cats do a pretty fine job of keeping themselves well-groomed, is there any reason why you need to help with feline primping?

Although it may surprise a few cat lovers, the answer is yes. Grooming your cat on a regular basis will reduce the amount of hair that ends up on your clothes and throughout the house, both as shed hair and hair balls. It'll also help allergy sufferers to better tolerate sharing their lives with cats, especially if you add a weekly bath to your cat's regular routine. And if you make nail clipping part of the grooming regimen, you'll see less destructive clawing around the house.

Your cat will benefit too. Keeping your cat well-groomed will help you spot health problems before they become serious. Is your cat's coat thinning? Is his weight where it should be? Are there wounds, lumps or bumps? You'll find the answers to all these questions when you groom your cat. When done gently and with a positive approach, grooming will also help strengthen the bond between you and your pet. Not to mention: Some cats learn to absolutely love being brushed!

The amount of time you'll spend grooming your cat depends on a couple of factors, primarily the kind of coat your cat has. With their long, silky coats, Persians and Himalayans need daily brushing, combing, detangling, frequent baths and even professional grooming on occasion.

Cats with medium or short coats are fine with weekly brushing and a bath now and then -- more frequently if you have allergy sufferers in the home or if you're especially sensitive to finding hair everywhere.

Although it's easiest to teach a cat to tolerate grooming when you start with a kitten, even an adult cat can learn to appreciate -- or at least tolerate -- the attention. Here are some tips to get you started:

-- Give yourself a fresh start. If you have a longhaired cat or kitten who's badly matted, arrange to have him shaved down by a groomer so you don't torture the poor thing by trying to comb out the clumps.

-- Go slowly. Introduce new routines a little bit at a time and it will build your cat's tolerance.

-- Reward your cat. Use treats, praise and gentle petting to let your pet know that you approve of his behavior. You can't make a cat do anything he doesn't want to, so praise is the only way to go.

-- Know when to call it a day. You'll do better if you stop before your cat becomes impatient, annoyed or afraid. But if you miss the signs or feel yourself becoming cross, stop what you're doing and end the session on notes of praise and petting.

Above all, stay positive! If you look on grooming your cat as a special time for you both to share, your pet will pick up on your attitude and come to share it. The payoff in terms of a happy, healthier and, yes, prettier cat is well worth the time you'll invest.

PETS ON THE WEB

The last time I looked at clicker-training pioneer Karen Pryor's Clickertraining.com, it seemed long on promotion and short on information. Not anymore! While you'll still find more than a few glowing testimonials and lots of opportunities to buy books, videos and training supplies, you'll also find plenty of information on why clicker training –- a method based on classic operant conditioning -- is such a wonderful way to train a pet.

Want to try it? The site offers articles how to get started, whether you're training a dog, a cat, a bird or even a horse. (Dig a litter deeper, and you'll even find some information on getting good behavior from your child -- or spouse!)

If you've wondered what clicker training is all about, or if you're looking for a way to train the animals in your life in a positive way that's fun and offers fast results, then you need to explore this helpful Web site.

THE SCOOP

Avian veterinarians say parrots do best on a diet of high-quality pellets, combined with a daily helping of healthy people-food such as fresh vegetables and fruits. That's easy to do in the summer when produce is plentiful, but what about winter? No problem!

You can provide your pet with the good food he needs year-round by using frozen mixed vegetables, such as those sold for stir-fry dishes. Bags of vegetable mixes are easy to find and easy to store, and it only takes a short spell in the microwave to bring them up to room temperature. (Check them after heating to be sure you don't have pockets that are hot enough to hurt your bird.) Little shopping, no chopping and no rotting veggies in the refrigerator -- what could be better?

QUESTIONS FROM THE PACK

Q: I am considering selling my home and moving into an upstairs apartment. My dog is old and blind, but has good hearing and a good nose. Do you have any suggestions as to how to get her down the stairs and outside for "her business"? Will dogs use litter boxes? I really haven't a clue about how to manage a dog in this situation. She's a Maltese-poodle mix, weighs 15 pounds and seems to understand a lot. -- B.F., via e-mail

A: You've hit on what may well be a good solution for you and your dog: a litter box. In the last few years a handful of manufacturers have come up with indoor relief stations designed for dogs. The best known of these has the might of Purina thrown behind it: The Secondnature canine litter box system. For more information on where to buy it and how to train your dog to use it, visit www.doglitter.com or call the Purina information line at (800) 778-7462.

If you don't go the litter-box route, you'll probably need to carry your old girl up and down the stairs (or hold her in the elevator) when you take her outside. (Not a practical solution for a Great Dane, but acceptable with a 15-pound dog!)

Choose an area outside or use the one the apartment complex has designated for this use and give her a "cue" word or phrase to let her know why she's there, such as "go potty" or "hurry up." After she has done her business, praise her so she knows she has done the right thing and then clean up the mess before heading back inside.

With a little patience on your part, you should both manage the transition without too much difficulty.

Q: I am sick of hair balls! Is there a way to keep my cat from throwing them up? And why do cats always throw up where we're sure to step in it? Or where it isn't easy to clean up, such as on tile? -- H.D., via the Internet

A: Veterinarians call them "trichobezoars," but cat lovers call them "hair balls," or, more commonly, "gross." Whatever you call them, hair balls -- hair ingested as a cat grooms himself and is then vomited back up in clumps -- are a normal part of living with a cat and are usually not indicative of a health problem. If coughing up a hair ball is an intermittent event -- a couple of times a month or up to once a week -- and your cat appears otherwise normal, there's likely no reason for concern.

Your veterinarian may suggest the use of a mild laxative mineral-oil preparation or an increase in fiber in their diet to help the hair balls pass through into your cat's litter box. Canned pumpkin is a great way to increase your cat's dietary fiber. One or two teaspoonfuls mixed daily with canned food or with the water from a can of tuna will keep things moving nicely. You can also ask your veterinarian about some new high-fiber foods that are designed to help keep hair balls to a minimum. Another strategy to reduce hair balls: combing your cat frequently to remove loose fur before your cat ingests it.

Don't let your cat become a mineral-oil junkie, however, as daily use of some medications may tie up and decrease the absorption of important fat-soluble vitamins. These products should not be used more than twice weekly except on advice of your veterinarian.

If your cat's pattern of coughing up the occasional hair ball changes, make an appointment with your veterinarian to find out why.

As for why they throw up where they do, I have no answer for you except his one: because they're cats.

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. You can also read her frequently updated Web log or view her column archives at www.spadafori.com.

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

The truth about cats and dogs is that while a few of them will fight like ... well, you know, most of them can learn to live together peacefully, even happily, in the same household.

The key to such blissful cohabitation is getting the relationship off to a good start -- by introducing the animals slowly and carefully.

Are you starting with a dog and adding a cat? You can makes things easier by teaching your dog two basic behaviors: "leave it" and "stay." You'll ask for both behaviors frequently as you insist that your dog give the new cat some space.

All training classes teach "stay," and many will also teach "leave it," since it's one of the most useful commands around. (For one thing, it can keep your dog from scarfing up something disgusting while you're out on a walk.) If your dog doesn't know basic obedience, or you both need a little brushup, find a class in your area and complete the course before kitty comes home. Having a well-mannered dog will make the transition a great deal easier.

While you're working on your dog, get in touch with a rescue group or shelter that can help you find a cat or kitten who's comfortable being around dogs -- or at least is tolerant of them.

When you and your dog are ready to add to the family, don't be in a hurry to push the animals together. Bring your new cat or kitten home in a carrier, and put the carrier in a bedroom set up for your cat to stay in during the settling-in period, complete with all the things he needs to get by: food, water, toys, litter box, scratching post.

Let your leashed dog sniff the cat in the carrier, but if he's getting overly excited, use the "leave it" command and praise him for minding. Then take the dog out of the room, close the bedroom door, open the carrier and let the cat choose when to explore the new surroundings.

After the cat seems to have relaxed -- which may take a couple of days or a couple of weeks, depending on the cat -- put a baby gate across the bedroom door. This will allow the cat to choose how much interaction he'll have with the dog, and leaves an escape route. The gate can come down when everyone has adjusted to the addition, and when you're sure the dog isn't going to chase the cat.

Although it doesn't seem quite fair to the pet who was there first, confining your cat to a single bedroom also works well if you're introducing a new dog to an established cat. Cats don't like changes in their territory or routines, and having a small, safe area that can then be expanded helps them to adjust.

And speaking of adjustments, chances are you'll have to change the litter box and food dish arrangements of your cat when you add a dog to the family.

Many people allow their cats to feed freely from floor-level bowls of dry food that are never allowed to empty. If this is true in your home, you're going to have to teach your cat to find his dishes in a place where the dog can't get to them -- on the washing machine or a utility-room counter, perhaps.

Litter boxes must likewise be placed in spot inaccessible to the dog, to prevent the disgusting desire many dogs have to munch the contents. Again, a baby gate can provide the necessary barrier, or a cat flap cut into an interior wall or door. Covered litter boxes can also be an option, but some large, strong dogs aren't deterred by them, and these boxes aren't recommended for cats with respiratory problems.

Be alert for conflicts and be creative in solving any problems that arise. While some cats and dogs will never get beyond a truce, there are plenty more who will enjoy the companionship -- as will you.

PETS ON THE WEB

Want to write about dogs or cats? You might want to check out the Web sites of the Dog Writers Association of America (www.dwaa.org) or the Cat Writers Association (www.catwriters.org). I've been a longtime member of the former, and a charter member of the latter. I've found them both to be supportive of new writers, especially through a jointly held annual conference and separate writing contests with individual prizes ranging as high as $1,000.

Members of both groups -- there's a lot of crossover, as you may imagine -- also maintain e-mail lists where questions are answered, victories celebrated and losses consoled. Nice folks!

THE SCOOP

This is the time of year where I can count on people writing in to make fun of friends, family or neighbors who put sweaters on their dogs. Then they'll ask me to publicly announce that clothes for dogs aren't necessary.

While it's true that young, healthy dogs with good coats don't need a sweater or jacket, other pets may benefit from the additional warmth. Count among them lean-bodied dogs -- greyhounds, whippets, Italian greyhounds -- as well as any dog kept clipped relatively short, such as poodles. Older pets will also appreciate the extra padding.

QUESTIONS FROM THE PACK

Q: My husband and I just got back from vacation with our dogs. Unfortunately, we had to endure dirty looks from people at the parks and beaches, because there always seems to be a dog owner up ahead who wasn't observing the leash laws or picking up the mess. Some places that used to accept dogs now don't. I can't say I blame them.

I'll admit it seems counterintuitive to bag the waste when you're in a forest or on the beach, but having seen evidence where someone didn't, we do. I don't like seeing the piles by the side of the trail, and I love dogs. Imagine how people without dogs feel about it!

We've had NDO's (non-dog owners) stop to praise our pups for being on leash, for heeling to let strangers pass on the trail, etc. It always catches us by surprise. While we can see not everyone uses good travel manners, somehow it's hard to accept people can be so stupid. Bad travel manners equal fewer opportunities for dogs and their people. Would you please pass along the word? -- J.J., via e-mail

A: Consider it done. While I'm in favor of off-leash exercise for dogs, I believe it should be in areas set aside for such. And all dog mess should be cleaned up as soon as it hits the ground.

Good manners are the only way to fight anti-dog sentiment, and every ill-behaved dog and left-behind pile makes it more difficult for responsible dog lovers to find places that welcome their pets.

Kudos to you both for setting such a good example with your well-behaved dogs.

Q: There is much controversy regarding seeds and pellets as the best diet for parrots. If the seed mixture comes with pellets already mixed in it and you fortify their diet with plenty of greens, fruit and some table food, do you feel that is sufficient?

Our veterinarian recommends a pellet-only diet for our parrots with only occasional treats of fruit and veggies. What is your take on this? -- L.O., via e-mail

A: I'm not aware that it's much of a controversy anymore. Seeds are a bird's junk food, best left for use as occasional treat or training aid. They should not be a dietary staple. Pelleted foods have gained near-universal acceptance as a foundation on which to build a healthy diet.

My "Birds for Dummies" co-author, Dr. Brian L. Speer, is past president of the Association of Avian Veterinarians and one of only a handful of veterinarians board-certified in avian care in both North America and in Europe. He's a strong believer in a diet as varied as possible. Start with a high-quality pelleted food, supplemented liberally by every kind of healthy "people food" imaginable -- a wide variety of fresh vegetables and fruits, pasta, bread and more.

Your question gives me the opportunity to share my friend Joanne's recipe for "Sweet Potato Cupcakes," a favorite of her African gray, Layla, and, now, my little caique parrot, Eddie. Bake or microwave a sweet potato, then scoop the flesh into a bowl. Mash with a little orange juice (a sprinkling of seed optional), spoon a small amount into paper cupcake shells and freeze. I give Eddie his cupcake half-thawed; he loves the food and happily rips the paper to bits when he's done eating.

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. You can also read her frequently updated Web log or view her column archives at www.spadafori.com.

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