Thanksgiving is at hand, and the rest of the holiday season looms ahead. It's a busy time, but you need to make sure in the whirl of activities that you aren't ignoring any danger to your pets.

Every year at this time I offer a list of the most common holiday hazards for pets: feeding problems, foreign-body ingestion and accidental poisoning. The bad news is that many pets will end up at the veterinarian's office this holiday season. The good news is that yours won't be among them if you keep an eye out for these hazards.

-- Feeding problems. Foods too rich, too fatty or too spicy -- or anything your pet's not accustomed to -- can trigger a bout of intestinal upset. For some animals, the treat can trigger a serious inflammation of the pancreas or intestine, and that means a life-threatening illness.

What to avoid? Anything you wouldn't eat your pet should avoid, too. While a little bit of meat -- beef or poultry -- won't hurt and would be appreciated, steer clear of the fatty parts and the poultry skin, which also harbors fat.

-- Foreign-body ingestion. Cooked poultry bones may seem like the perfect gift for the pet who has everything, but do him a favor and save them for the soup. (Low-sodium poultry broth is a wonderful treat poured over your pet's regular food.) Even the largest turkey bones are prone to splintering, sending shards through the animal's intestines. Should one pierce through the lining, the result can be deadly peritonitis.

While cooked poultry bones are out, some raw beef bones can be safely substituted. Knuckle bones (for large dogs) and oxtails (for small ones) stand up to vigorous gnawing, providing your pet with plenty of yummy, messy fun. Supervise your dog's chewing, and throw bones out after a few hours of attention or if they get broken into pieces that can be swallowed.

-- Dangerous decorations: The Christmas tree is full of hazards for dogs and cats. Tinsel can be an appealing target for play, but if ingested, it can twist up the intestines. This is a particular danger to cats and kittens, who seem to find tinsel -- along with yarn, ribbon and string -- especially appealing to eat.

Ornaments, too, are deadly in the mouths -- and stomachs -- of pets, and even the water at the base of the tree contains secretions that can at the very least cause a stomachache. Light strings are no good for chewing, and the whole tree can come down on the cat climbing in its branches. Some dogs may even be inclined to break the rules of house-training on a freshly cut tree -- why else, they reason, would anyone bring a tree into the house?

The best way keep your pets out of tree trouble is by making the tree off-limits unless you're there to supervise. Put the tree in a room with a door you can close is probably the easiest solution.

-- Poisonings. Holiday plants such as mistletoe may look intriguing to your pet, but they're also toxic, as are the bulbs of the amaryllis plant. (Long the poster child for holiday poisoning, the falsely maligned poinsettia can be safely welcomed into the pet lover's home.) And before you share your holiday candy with your pet, be aware that chocolate is toxic to dogs and may be deadly to the little dog who gets a good-sized piece. Again, the best cure is prevention: Keep all dangerous plants out of the reach of your pets, and make the candy dish available to people only.

SIDEBAR

Emergency!

Do you know where to take your pet in a medical emergency? The time to find out is now, before you need help.

Start with your regular veterinary hospital and find out what arrangements exist for emergency care outside of normal business hours. Some practices are open 24 hours a day, while others maintain an on-call veterinarian after hours. If there's an emergency practice in your area, your own veterinary clinic may choose to refer after-hours care instead of offering it themselves.

If you'll be heading to an emergency practice, be sure you know where the clinic is located and how to get there. And keep the practice's phone number in a place where you can find it right away.

Q&A

Leg-lifting retriever wearing out his welcome

Q: Our 18-month-old male Labrador lifts his leg on the corner of the living-room couch. He does not go anywhere else in the house. Any suggestions? -- C.H., via e-mail

A: First, is your dog neutered? Male dogs live to mark territory, but neutering cuts down on this unpleasant, hormone-driven behavior. It also makes the animal a safer, happier pet.

Second, clean up the area where the dog is marking, using enzymatic cleaners designed for pet messes. (Other kinds of cleaners do not eliminate the odor, and some, like ammonia, even make the problem worse.) A thorough cleaning is essential, since any remnant of past mistakes will emit an odor that will attract the dog to refresh his mark. What you cannot clean, you must replace.

Finally, block off the area from the dog while he's being retrained. Take the dog outside and praise him for marking in the right spot. In the house, keep him on leash for the next few weeks so he never gets the opportunity to make the wrong decision.

If you catch him in the act of lifting his leg indoors, clap your hands to distract him and stop the behavior. Then take him outside to finish the job, praising him for getting it right. Punishment is never necessary and is flat-out useless if done after the fact.

After a few weeks, if you don't think you're getting through to your dog, ask your veterinarian for a referral to a veterinary behaviorist. These are veterinarians with additional training in resolving behavior problems in animals, and they combine a proven scientific approach with medications that will help in the retraining period.

Q: My 10-year-old daughter begged and begged for a parakeet, and her father (my ex) bought her one. Of course, her father travels too much to keep the bird in his apartment, so it is in my house. (No, of course he didn't ask me before he bought the bird.)

The reason I didn't want a bird is that I knew my daughter would lose interest. To her credit, she does keep her pet fed and watered and keeps the cage relatively clean. But other than that, the bird is mostly ignored.

While most of my annoyance is directed at her father, I do feel sad for the bird. I think I should push my daughter to let me find it a new home. What do you think? -- F.G., via e-mail

A: Too many children's pets end up like this bird, ignored by the children who once wanted them. (At least this bird is well-cared-for, which isn't always the case in such situations.) What a shame for any budgie to be underappreciated, for a well-socialized budgie is a marvelous pet, sweet and affectionate. Many are great talkers, too.

It can be very difficult to find decent homes for unwanted pets, especially small ones. Instead, I wonder if it would be possible to work with your daughter on realizing the full potential of her little bird. Could you encourage her to take out books from the library on parrots and work with her pet? You should easily be able to find information in the library or on the Internet on hand-taming this bird and maybe teaching a few words as well.

The bird could probably also use some environment enrichment: a larger cage, toys and an interesting variety of food. It would also help to place the cage in a comfortable spot where the bird can see the world go by through the window.

With a better setup and some attention from you and your daughter, this little bird can have a happy life and be an enjoyable companion for your daughter. As for you and your ex, I have to say I'm not qualified to comment.

Q: Why is it no longer considered sound advice to let a dog have one litter before being spayed? -- S.H., via e-mail

A: Animals do not need to be bred once for any reason, and there are many good reasons for them to be neutered before reaching sexual maturity. Of course, preventing litters helps with the pet overpopulation problem, but neutering helps each individual animal by eliminating or reducing the risks of some cancers, and preventing or reducing some behavior problems.

In short: A neutered pet is a better pet, and the sooner the deed is done, the better.

(Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com.)

ON THE WEB

A club for those who love gerbils

Business took me to Denver recently, where I got to spend a few hours at one of the best humane organizations in the country, the Denver Dumb Friends League (www.ddfl.org). While at the DDFL, I was interest in seeing some gerbils in the adoption area. You see, in my home state of California, I never get a chance to see these engaging rodents, because gerbils are on the state's list of forbidden pets, along with ferrets and Quaker parakeets.

I watched the gerbils at the shelter for a little while and left hoping these healthy, happy pets would find good new homes soon.

For those who have gerbils or are interested in finding out more, the Web site of the American Gerbil Society (www.agsgerbils.org) is the place to go. The site has good information on setting up proper housing, understanding normal behavior and providing good care for these pets.

The site also offers a free care brochure for pet stores than can downloaded and printed for giving to new gerbil owners.

PET TIP

Apple slices freshen dog breath

One of the distressing things about living with a dog is dealing with the resulting bad breath that comes with the variety of foul objects dogs believe are delightful to consume. It seems as if anything is fair game, from rotting fruit under trees to the contents of litter boxes. Ugh!

While chronic bad breath is often a sign of diseased teeth or gums or other health problems that need to be addressed by your veterinarian as soon as possible, a temporary case of doggy breath resulting from bad food choice can be cured quickly with apple slices.

Many if not most dogs love apples, and a few slices is usually all it takes to clean smelly residue from the mouth and give your pet fresh breath again. Try it!

THE SCOOP

Christmas puppy not the best of ideas

No matter how much your children want one, the holidays are just about the worst time possible for most families to get a dog.

Christmas puppies are often a parent's headache by February, when the animals are still not house-trained, the kids are tired of the responsibilities involved in caring for a pet, and it's still too cold and dark outside for dog-training after work and school. Too often, these animals are a shelter's problem by summer, when their cuteness is long gone and their untrained boisterousness has lost its charm.

Despite the warnings of those in the know, every year parents give in to the begging of their children and pop for a puppy. The attraction is understandable: Who doesn't love a puppy, and who wouldn't want to delight a child? But there are reasons why shelters, rescue groups and responsible breeders are uniform in their advice to think twice about a Christmas puppy.

Puppies are not toys. They are living, breathing beings who need a lot of attention. Who has time for a pup during the holidays, that stressful season of socializing and shopping? With a houseful of guests and a holiday dinner to prepare, who will make sure the puppy isn't being mauled by overly enthusiastic children and guests? Who has time to get house-training started right?

Dogs who grow up unhouse-trained, unmannered and unsocialized too often never get a chance to grow up much at all. From summer to fall, I get dozens and dozens of letters from people who are tearing out their hair over their now-adolescent Christmas puppy. Some people work with the dogs, but many just dump them. Sad for the families; tragic for the dogs.

Dogs can be great for children, and children can be great with dogs. But Christmas is not the best time to launch such a promising relationship. Somebody has to be the grown-up here, and if you're the parent, it should be you. Wait until late spring or early summer to find the perfect pup and get your pet off to a great start.

PET Rx

Get in-the-know on poison risks

If you're not sure about what can be toxic to your pets, you might want to review the information on the Web site of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (www.aspca.org/apcc).

The ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center is where veterinarians call when they need quick answers for patients who've been poisoned, and the information provided to the general public on toxic plants and products is the best you'll find anywhere.

It's also a good place to check out the rumors that pop up on the Internet regarding various products. The APCC is prompt about investigating such dire warnings, and posting on the Web site its expert opinion on whether or not the concerns are justified.

Highly recommended: Order a free magnet from the ASPCA with the center's toll-free phone number. You can fill out the form online and expect your free magnet in six to eight weeks.

(Pet Rx is provided by the Veterinary Information Network (VIN.com), an online service for veterinary professionals. More information can be found at www.veterinarypartner.com.)

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 petconnection@gmail.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

Can indoor cats really be happy? Cat lovers can -- and do -- maintain vehemently opposed opinions on this issue. But you can't disagree with the fact that the free-roaming life can be dangerous for a cat.

My friends who let their cats roam free have had their pets run over by cars (too many times to count), pulled apart by dogs (once), by coyotes (twice) and poisoned (a half-dozen times, most times accidentally but at least once suspiciously). And those are just the deaths they know about. Mostly, my friends' cats just disappear, with sad and frequent regularity.

Such tragedies don't happen to indoor cats, who are statistically likely to outlive free-roaming cats by a about a decade. Compared to an existence filled with cars, coyotes, traps, poisons and cat-hating neighbors, the life of an indoor cat is relatively risk-free.

Still, keeping a cat inside is more difficult, both in terms of the time spent maintaining the animal, and the effort and imagination required to keep the animal mentally and physically happy. But I've seen enough indoor cats to know that they seem perfectly content, especially if they've never been allowed to roam.

Since you've taken away a large part of the cat's natural world when you keep them inside, you need to put in "environmental enrichments" to make up for the loss. If you're going to have an indoor cat, you need to think about ways to make your home more entertaining to your cat, engaging as many senses as possible.

Your first investment should be a cat tree, a place for your pet to scratch, climb, perch and generally feel superior to the beings below. Cats love to scratch -- it keeps their claws sharp, gives them a good stretch and allows them to mark their territory with scent. With patience, most cats can be trained to use a cat tree or post instead of furniture.

Next up: toys. You'll need an interactive toy you can use to play with your cat, such as a "fishing" pole. Add some toys for batting around, such as small stuffed animals or balls with bells in them. You don't even need to spend money: Cats can be kept entertained with empty boxes or shopping bags, corks from wine bottles or the tops of milk containers.

Don't forget to jazz up the scent of toys with catnip or valeria, both of which you can grow yourself, so you'll always have a fresh supply. And while you're planting, be sure to keep fresh grasses growing for your cat's nibbling pleasure.

You can also work on ways to give your cat safe access to the outdoors, such as with a cat door into a screened-in porch. You can also buy kits for portable outdoor pens, completed with tunnels for connecting to the house. I know of several people who have put together some grand outdoor spaces, including a two-story enclosure clinging to the side of the house with areas for climbing, sunbathing and hiding. These needn't be expensive, especially if you're a capable do-it-yourselfer.

Yes, it's hard to convert a free-roaming cat to a life indoors. If your cat is used to coming and going when he pleases, conversion is best done when you move, rather than suddenly restricting your cat's territory -- a change no self-respecting cat will quietly accept. But if you're patient and firm, even the most stubborn of cats will eventually adapt.

When my friends tell me they simply cannot keep their cats inside, I say this: The next time one of your free-roaming cats disappears, promise me that the next one will be kept safe inside. Just try it, and see how it works.

Whatever a cat loses by not roaming free he'll gain from the pleasures you can pack in your home. And he'll really benefit from the long, healthy life enjoyed by so many indoor cats.

BARK BACK: Do you have suggestions for making life better for your indoor cat? Let me know! If you have a digital image (jpeg, please) of your pet, send that along as well, to petconnection@gmail.com.

Q&A

How to know: Is it time to let go?

Q: How can I tell if my dog is unhappy, in pain, or simply has spent his allotted time and is ready for some help to the other side?

I realize that my dog is old at 11, especially for an English bulldog. He recently has been seen by the veterinarian, but the results were confusing and not at all helpful. He has eye problems, ear problems, skin problems, breathing problems and arthritis, but he has always these problems, to some degree.

He has a naturally sad-looking face, and all his life he has never complained of pain even when it was warranted. I worry that I'm being selfish out of pure love and am keeping him going beyond his time.

He currently is on Rimadyl and Cephalexin, but I'm not sure if I should continue making him take them. Without them, he is miserable (a completely different dog). I wonder if I'm just prolonging the inevitable by covering it up with medication.

Essentially he is a sweet and loving dog, but it drives me crazy thinking the medicine is uncalled-for. Any advice is greatly appreciated, as I love my dog. He is my whole world. -- C.K., via e-mail

A: Yours is the hardest decision any of us will make about our animal companions. And before I give you any advice, let me say how very sorry I am that you're wrestling with this now.

That said, I think you're not at the ultimate decision point yet. Your dog sounds about normal for a senior pet, with mostly good days and a few not-so-good. His medications are maintaining his quality of life, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Rimadyl and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (veterinarians call them NSAIDs) can dramatically improve the quality of life for arthritic pets, as long as precautions are taken to ensure the drugs are appropriate for an individual animal and will not cause a bigger problem than they're trying to treat. (Screening for certain health problems before some of these medications are prescribed is essential, as is monitoring once the animal is taking them. Your veterinarian will have more information, so ask!)

My Sheltie Andy lived happily on NSAIDs -- Rimadyl, specifically -- for the last four years of his life. I didn't consider it "covering up" his symptoms, but rather buying him a few more years of good quality time.

I have been where you are more times than I care to think about, and I've always felt that when you know an animal, you just somehow feel it deep in your heart when it's time. The "symptoms" include a lack of interest in eating, even if special foods are offered, and the glazed expression and panting that goes with chronic pain. But there's also something intangible, a sense that the animal is ready to go and is asking to be set free.

I have always preferred to be three days early rather than one hour late in making these decisions. But I have also made good use of both traditional pain medications and alternative treatments like acupuncture to maintain a high quality of life for as long as possible. The goodbyes are always heartbreaking, but at least I am left with the knowledge that I did the very best I could in a world where no one ever knows for sure if the timing was absolutely right.

Please know that almost every school or college of veterinary medicine now offers a pet-loss support service, staffed by trained veterinary student volunteers. The University of California-Davis was one of the pioneers in this field. Its hot line number is (800) 565-1526 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Pacific time, M-F. More information: www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/petloss/index.htm.

(Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com.)

ON THE WEB

Humane handling of feral cat problem

For years, the accepted way of handling a surplus of feral cats -- domestic cats gone wild -- was to trap them and kill them. Problem was, the killing solution was always temporary: More cats came back.

Humane advocates thought there had to be a better way, and so in recent years the practice of trap, neuter and release (TNR) has gained ground as a way of handling problems with feral cats. Ferals are trapped, vaccinated and neutered, and then released to the area from which they came originally. Maintained in place by people who feed them, the cats will keep others from colonizing an area as their own numbers slowly dwindle.

TNR is vehemently opposed by people who continue to insist that extermination is the best way to handle feral cats, pointing to problems with predation and mess. Auburn University has been trying to come up with some answers by practicing TNR on its campus in a program managed by volunteers from the university's college of veterinary medicine. The Web site of Operation Cat Nap (www.operationcatnap.org) explains how TNR programs are supposed to work, and how one actually does work on the gracious Alabama campus, where almost 150 feral cats have gone through the program.

PET TIP

A spray solution to pet odors

One of James Herriot's classic stories involves a dog whose flatulence causes much concern to the animal's upper-class owner. While trying to solve the problem, Dr. Herriot comes to realize that the dog is much adored by a groundskeeper. It's a perfect match: The groundskeeper has no sense of smell, and the dog ends up living with him.

For those of us whose noses work perfectly, living with pets can sometimes be a problem, especially when we're living with animals who have the same problem as the dog in the Herriot story.

I have one of those dogs, a retriever who produces enough gas to be considered an alternative source of energy.

Petrotech Odor Eliminator is designed to defeat pet odors. And in an admittedly unscientific test in my home, the product worked quite well against the noxious fumes routinely emitted by Ben, seeming to remove odor rather than cover it up. The product retails for $12.95 in either direct spray or mist varieties, and is available from pet-supply retailers, catalog companies and Web sites.

THE SCOOP

Gentle grooming is good for your cat

Over the long haul, you're going to have very little success doing anything your cat doesn't want you to do, and you should always keep this in mind when trying to brush your cat.

Still, you'd be surprised at what some cats are willing to put up with. Show cats, for example, are conditioned to tolerate a great deal of grooming, traveling and handling by strangers -- and with very little fuss. That's what they're used to, after all, and the show life is the only one they've known.

Although your cat may never display the confidence and outgoing temperament of a seasoned show cat, you can do a lot to help him learn to enjoy regular brushing. Here's how:

-- Go slowly. Introduce new routines a little bit at a time and build up your cat's tolerance over time. Be positive! Grooming is good time spent together.

-- Give yourself a fresh start. If you have longhaired cat who's matted, arrange to have him shaved down by a groomer so you don't start out your relationship by jerking on your cat's fur as you struggle to remove mats. Sure, the cat will look funny, but the coat grows back quickly. And by the time it does, your cat will be more used to being gently groomed.

-- Reward your cat. Use treats, praise and gentle petting to encourage your cat's cooperative. 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 -- taper off quickly and end the session on a note of praise and petting. If you've really blown it, just let go. Try again a few hours later or another day.

Never try to hold onto an angry or frightened cat. Failure to respect a cat's temper or fear can result in your being badly bitten or clawed.

BY THE NUMBERS

Good dog, safe dog

Although free-roaming vicious dogs are the stuff of our nightmares, we are statistically more likely to be bitten by dogs we know. Experts say the numbers of serious or deadly dog bites can be dramatically reduced by neutering and by raising animals to be well-socialized, well-trained family members -- as opposed to neglected outdoor "protection" dogs.

Some dog-bite statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control:

-- 80 percent of dog-bite incidents involving children are inflicted by a family dog (30 percent) or a neighbor's dog (50 percent);

-- 75 percent of fatal dog bites were inflicted on family members or guests on the family's property;

-- 8 percent of dog bites involving adults were work-related (inflicted on such workers as meter readers, repairmen, etc.).

PET Rx

Lead can be dangerous to inquisitive parrots

Is your parrot at risk for lead poisoning? Lead can be found in weights for fishing and for curtains, in bell clappers, solder, some types of putty or plaster, some linoleum, stained glass, costume jewelry, leaded foils from champagne and wine bottles, batteries, some ceramic glazes, the backs of some mirrors, some paints and galvanized wire.

No bird lover is going to feed a fishing weight to a pet, but as always, the inquisitive nature of parrots put them at risk. The energetic chewing of a parrot can even reveal lead paint many layers down on the walls of an old house.

You have to keep an eye out for dangerous metals in your bird's environment, but some things you may worry about aren't a problem. Pencil leads, for example, aren't made of lead any more, and contrary to some long-held beliefs, you have nothing to fear from the ink on newspaper used to line a cage or from "child-safe" paints.

(Pet Rx is provided by the Veterinary Information Network (VIN.com), an online service for veterinary professionals. More information can be found at www.veterinarypartner.com.)

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 petconnection@gmail.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

For most of my adult life, the animals and I made do with a series of compact cars and small station wagons. But when I adopted my second big, bouncy and usually damp retriever a half-dozen years ago, I decided a four-door compact wasn't quite cutting it. Falling in with soccer moms and my fellow dog nuts, I bought a brand-new minivan.

It was the first full-out dog-mobile I'd ever owned, so I decided to get license plates to show my allegiance to the family of folks who make all their major purchasing decisions with their pets in mind. I brought up the Web site of my state's Department of Motor Vehicles and typed in my choice for a vanity plate.

"PET MOM." Taken.

"LUVS PETS." Taken.

"I (heart) PETS." Taken.

And so it went through my first dozen choices. Taken. Taken. Taken. I hit on a combination that wasn't taken and signed up for it, only to have the folks at DMV reject my selection because of an interpretation I wasn't dirty-minded enough to imagine.

Finally, after a few weeks of trying, I came up with a vanity plate that was neither taken nor could be interpreted as obscene. Unfortunately, it also turned out to be so vague that to this day no one has ever recognized it as being pet-related. If it weren't so much trouble, I'd have turned it back in years ago and resigned to making do with a "Dog Is My Co-Pilot" sticker on one side of my bumper and an SPCA "neuter your pet" tag on the other.

If I can't have the pet-themed license plates of my dreams, I'm glad to know that someone else does. And if the recent call I put out for favorite pet-related license plates is any indication, I now know I won't get my choice of plates simply by moving to another state: Plenty of people elsewhere want everyone on the roadways to know they adore their pets.

"I wanted to trumpet my pride about the four adored cats in our household," said Sheryl Rapée-Adams of Vermont about the "CATMOM" plates that compete for attention with other animal-related bumper stickers. "I wanted to convey that regardless of their common title -- pet owner, guardian, whatever -- humans act as pet parents."

Others sent in images of plates that show similar activist intentions, such as Christine Casey's "GETMFIXD."

"I moved from California to North Carolina," said Casey, a professor at North Carolina State University. "As I got more involved with my local animal rescue group, I became aware of the fact that North Carolina's shelters have a euthanasia rate that is twice the national average. Hence my license plate."

Back in California, Evelyn Owens is spreading the same message, with "SPAY NOW" plates on her classic Mercedes.

Others take a different tack with their plates, as can be seen in the parking lot outside any dog or cat show. People who love a particular breed aren't shy about saying so, which is why you may catch a glimpse of "NEWF ME," "SHEL T" or even spot a "LABMOBL." Broadening the idea out a bit were the folks who submitted "I(heart)BIGK9S" and "DGYWGN."

One of my all-time favorites remains the vanity plate chosen by a friend of mind who loves Labradors. Her license plate? "LAB5150." Don't get it? My friend is married to a California Highway Patrolman and explains that "5150" is police code for a person who's acting crazy; hence, her plate translates to "Lab crazy."

Bark back: Got a great vanity plate on your vehicle? Send a digital image (jpeg, please), an explanation of what it means and why you chose it to petconnection@gmail.com. We'll continue to feature interesting pet-themed vanity plates now and then.

Q&A

Cheap pet tags can stain fur

Q: Our veterinarian buys the cheapest rabies tags that can be found, I'm sure. They stain our dog's coat and are hard to read after just a few months. Any suggestions? -- C.L., via e-mail

A: Leave them off. If you have an ID tag and a municipal license on your pet, you've covered both lost-pet retrieval and rabies awareness needs (since a rabies vaccine is required to get the license).

Make sure the ID tag is of good quality, though. Pet-recovery expert Liz Blackman, president of the lost-pet tracking service 1-800-Help4Pets (www.help4pets.com), says the key to choosing a tag is how easy it is to read the information it holds.

"I discourage the cute tags in favor of visibility and durability," she said. "You want people to be able to read it without taking off the collar or handling the pet much." She added that in her experience, plastic tags are more durable than metal ones when it comes to staying legible longer.

But whatever you do, make sure you keep legible ID tags on your pets' collars. I find that tags need to be replaced every other year, so I keep extras on hand so I don't have to wait to replace a lost, worn or broken one.

"If you need something cute, get a cute collar -- but make sure you get a good tag," says Blackman. "A $100 collar won't save your pet's life, but a $3 tag will."

Q: I went to a crafts fair recently, and there was a woman there who was selling scarves, some of which where made out of dog hair. She said she get the combings from a friend who breeds Samoyeds. Is this legit? Seems kind of gross to me. -- S.G., via e-mail

A: If you do a Web search, you'll easily find spinners who can take the combings from your own dog and turn them into beautiful yarn you can use for knitting. It works better with the undercoat of longhaired dogs (like the Samoyed), but spinners can mix almost any dog fur with the fur of other animals to make yarn. And with that yarn, anything from scarves to sweaters to afghans (the kind you can fold and put over the back of the couch, not the breed) is possible.

As for the "gross" factor: What would make dog-hair yarn any more distasteful than yarn from a sheep or goat? It's all nice and clean when it's ready to use. And with dog fur, the yarn is made from combings that would just be thrown away after grooming.

Q: A friend sent me a link to an article on the Web that says clumping cat litters can be deadly, but my veterinarian says they're fine. Who is right? -- F.Y., via e-mail

A: The idea that clumping litter is deadly traces back to an article in a long-defunct holistic cat magazine and is kept alive by the power of the Internet. The article -- I've read it -- guessed that the litter was the cause of the death of the author's kittens. The evidence was purely speculative and anecdotal, and has not been supported by subsequent scientific research.

While there's no evidence that clumping litters are bad for adult cats, some veterinarians adopt a better-safe-than-sorry policy regarding young kittens. That's because a playful, curious kitten might be tempted to eat the material, which might indeed cause an intestinal problem. The cautious solution is to use a non-clumping litter for the first couple of months, then switch if you wish to.

Final note on this: If you have a dog who eats the contents of litter boxes, either use a non-clumping variety or be sure the box is in a place the dog can't get to it.

(Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com.)

ON THE WEB

African grays can be able talkers, but shy

African gray parrots are among the best when it comes to talking potential, along with yellow-headed Amazons, but their personalities could not be more different, according to my "Birds for Dummies" co-author, avian specialist Dr. Brian Speer.

Speer says when he hears a parrot showing off in his waiting room, he has a pretty good idea that it's an Amazon. An African gray may have just as large a vocabulary, but these parrots are less likely to show off before an audience of strangers.

Safe in their own homes, though, the grays are adept at picking up words, phrases and household sounds -- even those you don't want mimicked. (A friend of mine has a gray who parrots the popping sound of a wine cork being pulled, leaving guests to wonder how often the bird has heard that sound.)

The "It's a Grey's World" Web site (www.itsagreysworld.com/home.html) offers a lot of information on these clever, beautiful parrots. Among other things, the site suggests that that the music of Raffi is something the parrots enjoy hearing. Considering that African grays are thought to have intelligence equivalent to a human toddler, perhaps a taste for children's music isn't such a surprise.

PET Rx

Iguana escape act can be startling

(Caption: Iguanas have the ability to lose their tails to escape a predator.)

The ability to lose a tail can be a lifesaver for iguanas.

If caught by a predator, an iguana can escape by dropping the tail, leaving it still wriggling in the mouth of an animal who thought lunch was in the bag. The trick isn't used just with predators: More than a few people who are new to having an iguana as a pet have ended up screaming the first time they find themselves holding a thrashing tail instead of an iguana.

Smaller iguanas are more likely than larger ones to regrow their tails, usually within a few weeks. If the tail is in place but injured, or is only partially broken off, a visit to a veterinarian with experience in reptiles is in order to determine the best course of treatment.

(Pet Rx is provided by the Veterinary Information Network (VIN.com), an online service for veterinary professionals. More information can be found at www.veterinarypartner.com.)

PETS BY THE BOOK

Getting a jump on next year's garden

Fall and winter are when gardeners plan for spring. For those gardeners who love both plants and dogs, Cheryl S. Smith's book "Dog Friendly Gardens, Garden Friendly Dogs" is as must-read a publication as the seed catalogs that start showing up when cold weather arrives.

"Dog Friendly Gardens" (Dogwise, $20) pulls together a great deal of commonsense information that gardeners and dog trainers know, and puts it all in one place for those of us struggling to deal with yellow spots and broken plants.

The biggest problem with dogs and gardens turns out to be unrealistic expectations. As Smith explains, a lot of people put in landscaping as if they didn't have a dog, with no understand of normal canine behavior, and how it can vary from breed type to breed type. It's unrealistic to expect a terrier not to dig, for example, since these breeds were developed to dig after vermin. The solution: a digging pit for canine recreation -- and no unsupervised access to beds of prized flowers.

Breeds developed to protect property, says Smith, have a tendency to patrol the perimeter of a yard, wiping out any plantings along the base of the fence. The solution: Leave a pathway clear of plantings along the fence line, so the dog can do his job without doing any damage.

And what about those yellow spots? Smith, a longtime dog trainer, notes that it's just as easy to train a dog to use an out-of-the-way corner of the yard as it is to house-train the animal in the first place. Aside from that, the best way to prevent dead lawn is to flush the area with water within a few hours of the time a dog marks the spot. The water will dilute the urine so that it will not cause damage to the lawn.

"Dog Friendly Gardens" is full of such insights. It's the only book I've ever read that puts so much good dog and garden advice in one place and organizes it so well. Whether you're landscaping a brand-new home or thinking of trying something new in an old back yard, you'll want to pick up a copy of this invaluable reference before you even consider turning a shovelful of dirt.

THE SCOOP

Removing temptation is solution to stealing

Sometimes it's easier to manage a problem behavior rather than trying to train your way around it. Some behaviors, such as food-stealing, are so rewarding that every time a pet succeeds the habit is reinforced.

The answer: Remove the temptation. For example, consider the pet who steals from a kitchen wastebasket. Instead of constantly tempting your pet with an open-topped wastebasket, take steps to make the pickings less easy by getting a can with a lid.

Any home retailer will have several lidded cans to choose from, including those with lids that pop open when you step on the pedal at floor-level. For pets who are more determined about getting into the can, you may need to go with a lid that fits more securely, or use a trash container made of metal, not plastic.

Another alternative: Put the basket behind a cupboard door.

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

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