The very fact that this newspaper has a pets section really irritates some people. Believe me, I know.

I hear from them constantly -- nasty e-mails and letters from people who refer to dogs as "filthy parasitic scavengers" and cats as "vermin that should be poisoned like rats." They chide me for suggesting that our pets "love" us and bemoan any money spent on animals. They are angry, and I am the focus of their rage. A few of them write nearly every single week.

I can only imagine how difficult life has been for these people in recent years, as interest in and spending on pets has increased dramatically. It must be hard for them to maintain that level of rage. I know I can't do it.

But then, I have pets, which have been shown in study after study to lower blood pressure, decrease depression and generally improve the quality of life for people who share their lives with them. Still, being a kind and fair-minded person (more traits of pet lovers), I have to wonder: Do they have a point? Has pet love gone crazy?

Yes, and no.

Spending on pets has certainly increased, and in veterinary care, there are more options than ever. So what? What other people spend their money on often has me rolling my eyes, but it's really none of my business. Why is spending money or time on pets any worse than on hobbies, luxury cars or video games? You can even argue it's money better spent, considering the proven health benefits of keeping a pet.

On a societal level, pets provide benefits that more than offset the problems that some irresponsible pet owners cause. The pet industry provides jobs and is one of the most open fields for small business start-ups, inventors and entrepreneurs -- just the kinds of businesses that are good for communities. Events such as cat shows and canine sport competitions bring millions of dollars into the economies of communities hosting such events.

Of course, I know many examples of pet love gone more than a little crazy. A lot of the behavior problems that pet lovers complain about are of their own making, because they've forgotten that their pets are animals, not people in fur suits. This kind of thinking not only sets up an unhappy relationship for people and their pets, but also leads to the over-the-top behaviors pet haters loathe.

As long as someone understands that a pet is an animal and relates to the animal as such, then money or time spent isn't hurting anyone. After all, it's often not being done for the animal's sake -- except, of course, in the case of veterinary care -- but rather for the amusement of the owner. As long as a pet lover's not unreasonably pushing the animal on other people, there's no harm in any of it. (And I say "unreasonably" because many of my angry correspondents believe animals should never be allowed off their owners' property.)

And what about love? The idea that animals are little more than furry machines is centuries old, and long supplanted by research showing that while the emotional lives of animals may not be as complex as our own, they definitely have what we call emotions. Do my pets love me? In their own way, I do not doubt it.

I'm sure I'll hear plenty in the days to come from my regular correspondents who call me "stupid" and worse for choosing to share my life with animals and daring to write about animals for the benefit of others. They may question my intelligence, but I have to wonder about theirs.

After all, even my rabbits are surely smarter than to think you can change the mind of a person who loves animals so much she writes about them for a living.

Q&A

Tests needed for diagnosis

Q: My 11-year-old cat, Clyde, throws up at least three times a week. Most of the time it's just food. Do you know what the reason for this might be?

I mentioned it to the veterinarian, and he wanted to run a whole series of tests. I've never had this done because of the expense and because I didn't want to put Clyde through this. -- D.G., via e-mail

A: If you're going to a talented veterinarian whose skills you respect, you have to trust him when he says he needs to run a diagnostic test or two to figure out what's wrong with your pet. Yes, I realize these tests add costs, but they also allow a veterinarian the chance to see what's going on with your pet. It always amazes me that people gripe when veterinarians suggest diagnostic tests, and yet many would be the first to yell "malpractice" if a physician tried to diagnose a human health problem without tests.

Many veterinarians are good at diagnosing problems -- especially considering they can't ask questions of their patients -- but they're not magicians. If you work with your veterinarian and explain your concerns over cost, it may be he can recommend some dietary changes to try, and then one test, something else to try, another test and so on. Veterinarians do understand the financial restraints that people have, and any good one will be willing to work with you as you work together to resolve your pet's health problem.

So go back to your veterinarian. If Clyde were throwing up hairballs a couple of times a week, I wouldn't be too worried. Since it's his supper that's ending up on your floors, though, I'd recommend you check back in with your veterinarian with an eye toward doing the most you can for Clyde within your budgetary restraints.

Thermometer time

Q: My dog sometimes has a warm, dry nose. He hasn't seemed at all sick, so I haven't taken him to the vet. Should I be worried that he's running a fever? -- K.M., via e-mail

A: An occasional dry nose is nothing to worry about and is not necessarily a sign of fever, despite what folks have said for years.

The only way to determine for certain if your pet is running a fever is to take his temperature. You can find pet thermometers in almost any pet-supply outlet, either the inexpensive in-the-fanny kind or the pricier ones that slip into the ear canal. (Whichever you choose, I recommend marking the item to be certain everyone in the family knows it's for pet use only.)

The normal temperature for a calm dog is around 101 degrees Fahrenheit, although a degree in either direction is normal.

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

DOGMOBILES

Nimble RAV4 a perfect fit for dog lovers

If all you're doing is taking your dog to the veterinarian for an annual checkup, you can probably get away with using any car. But if you're out with your dogs regularly -- to parks, for hikes or for canine competitions -- you need something you can put crates in for safe riding, along with gear. And that probably means a minivan, sport-utility vehicle or wagon. Additionally, some dog sports require a vehicle that can handle rough terrain, and that means high ground clearance and all-wheel drive.

Filling the bill in all of these categories are the so-called "cute utes" -- smaller SUVs long popular with dog lovers. The Toyota RAV4 has to be a top pick for any dog lover looking for interior versatility, decent fuel economy and a lively driving experience.

The RAV4 comes in three trim levels, all in both two- and four-wheel drive, with sticker prices starting a tick over $20,000 for the base model. My test car was the four-cylinder, four-wheel-drive Sport model (it also comes in a six-cylinder). It was well-appointed with comfort and convenience features, and it rated at 23 miles per gallon in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. (The two-wheel-drive model gets better mileage; the six-cylinder gets worse.)

My two side-by-side wire dog crates fit perfectly behind the second seat at their base, but because the rear of the RAV4 slopes back, the hatch wouldn't close. If I owned the vehicle, I'd probably pay to have a welder adjust the crates to fit perfectly. With the seats folded flat, though, the crates fit up against the front seats, which isn't a bad option since it allows access to the cargo area just below the floorboards near the rear hatch. For those who don't use crates, adding a dog grate behind the back seats will provide a spacious area for one or two dogs to ride in.

I'd rather see the RAV4 with a flip-down rear gate and a flip-up glass hatch (instead of a swing-out rear door) for more ventilation options when parked in cooler weather. While in motion, though, the air conditioner kept things cool from front to back.

The Toyota RAV4 gets top marks for interior versatility and space, and I loved how comfortable it was and how nimble it was to drive. For its size, price and class, it's a top-notch dogmobile, all around. Paws up!

(Dogmobile reviews assess new vehicles for their suitability for transporting dogs in comfort and safety. Additional reviews can be found on the Pet Connection Web log, accessible from PetConnection.com. Click on the category "Dogmobiles" to see them all.)

PET Rx

Hacked-up hairballs can be managed

When cats groom, they pull out and swallow a lot of fur. Swallowed fur is indigestible, so when it's in a cat's stomach, it has two ways to go: down and out, or up and out. When it comes up (to the accompaniment of that middle-of-the-night "Ack! Ack!" serenade every cat lover knows so well), it's a hairball.

If you want to impress your friends, the scientific name for that gummy mass you step in on your way to the bathroom at 2 a.m. is "trichobezoar." It is made up of the excess hair your cat swallowed, held together with a sticky mucous.

Hacking up a hairball every now and then is normal and usually doesn't cause problems. But if you see anything else in the mix, take the cat and the hairball (the former in a carrier, the latter in a plastic bag or container) to your veterinarian. Likewise, if your cat is hacking without producing a hairball, the vet is waiting to see you. Chronic coughing can be a symptom of many health problems, from heartworms to heart disease to asthma. Occasionally, hairballs can cause an obstruction that will require veterinary attention.

The easiest and best way to prevent hairballs is to brush your cat frequently. The more dead hair you pull out on your brush, the less your cat will have to swallow when she grooms. Regular brushing is good for your cat and good for keeping your furniture and rugs fur-free.

For cats who seem to have a chronic problem with hairballs, additional fiber in the diet may help. Special hairball-busting diets or remedies can be recommended by your veterinarian; milder cases may be resolved by adding a little canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling mix) to a cat's wet food.

(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.)

BY THE NUMBERS

Claims for sick cats

For the second year in a row, urinary tract infection was the top medical condition that cat owners filed medical claims for in 2005 to Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (www.petinsurance.com), according to a recent review of policyholder claims. Here are the top 10 medical problems reported to the company, along with rankings from the previous year (diabetes is new to the top 10 list):

1. Urinary tract infections (1)

2. Stomach upsets (2)

3. Kidney disease (10)

4. Skin allergies (5)

5. Respiratory infections (3)

6. Diabetes

7. Ear infections (4)

8. Colitis (8)

9. Eye infections (6)

10. Wound infections (7)

PET TIP

Saving money on dog toys

Instead of buying new stuffed toys for dogs, look in thrift stores or at tag sales for stuffed animals made for children. You'll find a good selection at rock-bottom prices -- a good alternative to paying as much as $15 or more for a stuffed pet toy.

When bargain hunting, look for sturdy stuffed toys with intact seams. Once you get them home, remove plastic eyes or anything else that can be chewed off and swallowed. Then run your recycled stuffed toys through the washer and dryer, and check them again before giving them to your dog.

For dogs who love to dissect their toys as quickly as possible -- and especially those who like to devour the stuffing -- skip plush toys (soft vinyl ones, too). For these dogs, stick with sturdy rubber toys, such as a Kong toy, that can be stuffed with food treats to keep pets interested.

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

Cats love plants. A cat with free access to the outdoors will spend a large part of his time rolling in the grass, rubbing his cheeks up against trees and nibbling fresh shoots of anything that strikes his fancy.

More cats are being kept indoors for safety these days. And while that's generally good news, it does mean that plants need to follow them in, to keep those indoor cats happy. Plants are an important part of an ideal environment for indoor cats that should also include a variety of toys, cat trees and scratching posts, and screened porches or window perches.

When planning your indoor jungle, make sure poisonous plants are not on the menu. The ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center (www.aspca.org/apcc) maintains a list of plants that shouldn't be in any cat lover's household. Check your plants against this list. Among the most dangerous are dieffenbachia, lily of the valley and philodendron. Various ivies and yews can be troublesome, too, and the bulbs of plants popular for "forcing" into early indoor bloom -- such as amaryllis, daffodils and tulips -- can cause problems for the cat who likes to dig and chew.

After you've removed the potentially deadly plants, you'll want to put others out of reach just because you'd like them to stay in one piece. Some cats are industrious destroyers of household greenery, while others like to kick dirt around or even use larger pots as litter boxes. All of which makes perfect sense to your cat, annoying as it may be to you.

Plants on the ground or on low tables are the easiest targets, so make your houseplants less accessible to the bored and wandering cat. Put plants up high, or better yet: Hang them.

For the plants you can't move out of harm's way, make them less appealing by coating them with something your cat finds disagreeable. Cat-discouragers include Bitter Apple, a nasty-tasting substance available at any pet-supply store, or Tabasco sauce from any grocery store. Whenever you find what your cat doesn't like, keep reapplying it to reinforce the point. You can also discourage your pet by shooting him with the spray from a water bottle when you see him in the plants.

Pot your plants in heavy, wide-bottomed containers, and cover the soil of the problem plants with rough decorative rock. Foil and waxed paper are less attractive deterrents, and I don't like to recommend them as much as decorative rock because you're going to get tired of looking at that foil.

Once you have your "look, don't touch" plants safely situated, you can indulge your pet by keeping planters of sprouting grasses growing in an accessible place for nibbling. Special blends of seeds for cats are available in pet stores and specialty shops, or you can purchase rye grass or wheat grass seeds at a nursery. Keep tender shoots always available for nibbling by planting fresh seeds every couple of weeks in wide, shallow containers.

You'll also want to keep fresh catnip growing (see sidebar) if your cat enjoys the herb. Don't grow it where your cat can get to it, though, or he may well rip the plant out by the roots.

I think cats appreciate the sight, smell and taste of plants, which is why a houseful of lovely plants -- some for nibbling, some not -- should be part of a feline-friendly environment for any indoor cat.

SIDEBAR

Catnip: herbal nirvana

Is catnip really safe for cats? After all, we don't condone recreational drugs for people, and yet here's one sold openly for our cats.

But it's not as if cats drive, have to show up for work or are faced with huge personal decisions. So let your cat have all the catnip he wants.

The fresher the better, so keep some growing where your cat can't get to it, and snip off bits to slip into cat toys or rub on the cat tree. Crunch up the catnip just before you offer it to your cat to release the intoxicating smell.

Not all cats react to catnip. The ability to appreciate the herb is genetic, with slightly more cats in the fan club than not. These hard-wired preferences aren't immediately apparent, though, since kittens under the age of 3 months don't react to catnip at all.

Q&A

This 'dog car' is a school bus

Q: I enjoyed your piece on "dogmobiles," and I bet you that my story's unique. Will you share it?

I found a 1980 Chevrolet school bus at an auction, bought it for $2,400, paid another $1,600 to get it running well and had seven years of everyday trips with all my dogs in it.

Then I found another school bus, a great 1993 Ford diesel in good condition inside and out. Every morning, the dogs and I went hiking and then into town for errands. I took out half the seats and had platforms made, so that everyone has either a seat with a dog carrier in it or a platform to bark at the passing parade.

I get lots of smiles and waves, and everyone knows me now as the "dog lady." That bus is as dependable as any new car and costs a lot less to run. I highly recommend it! -- Elaine Edwards, via e-mail

A: Thanks for your e-mail and picture. I've heard from an incredible number of readers with suggestions, questions and stories about transporting dogs. I'll start with short vehicle reviews in Pet Connection next week, with longer versions on my pet blog (linked from petconnection.com).

Many people wrote to remind everyone that it's not safe for people or pets when dogs roam freely in vehicles. My dogs generally ride in crates, although I do admit to now and then taking a short errand run with my older retriever Heather riding "shotgun" in the passenger seat.

Interestingly enough, the first vehicle I test-drove for my upcoming vehicle reviews -- the Toyota RAV4 -- has a warning light and tone reminding that everyone should be buckled up, even dogs!

Kitty come down!

Q: Why do cats get stuck up trees? -- G.M., via e-mail

A: Cat claws are designed to move a cat forward, anchoring the animal as it goes. If that forward direction is up a tree, it's difficult to head back down. Instead, the gracefully powerful movement of a cat heading up a tree is counterbalanced by the crashing and controlled free fall used to get down.

Most cats do find their way back down, of course, which is a good thing these days. With municipal budgets being what they are, few fire departments are allowed to respond to "cat stuck in tree" calls anymore.

The best way to get a cat out of a tree? Open a can of tuna, salmon or mackerel and let the wonderful fishy smell drift upward. She'll come down when her hunger outweighs her apprehension.

(Got a question? Send an e-mail to petconnection@gmail.com.)

PET Rx

Get a cat over a vet hissy fit

A trip to the veterinarian can send a cat into a full-blown snit that can last hours after the return home. The smells of a veterinary setting can even set off other feline family members, who may become aggressive toward the returnee.

Let your cat pick the speed at which he settles back into the household after a trip to the veterinarian. When you get home, put the carrier down in a quiet place, open the carrier door, and leave him alone. Your cat may stay in the carrier for a while, may head for the nearest bed to hide under, or may step out and be just fine.

To help "de-vet" the scent of the returnee so other family cats will settle down, try running a towel over the cat who stayed behind and then swiping it over the returning cat. A dab of vanilla or water from a can of tuna on both noses may also help the cats settle back down, through smell-confusion.

For the cat who is utterly uncontrollable or dangerous when taken to the veterinarian, talk to your veterinarian about sedation, or consider using a mobile veterinarian, who can treat your cat in your home.

(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.)

ON THE WEB

White House pets in the spotlight

The Presidential Pet Museum's Web site (www.presidentialpetmuseum.com) is the place to go for a fairly comprehensive list of all presidential animals, from the hounds and horses of George Washington to the dog and cats of George W. Bush. The animals kept by presidential families started out being more purposeful than companionable, with horses and milk cows commonplace.

By the turn of the last century, though, animals were welcomed just for keeping the president and his family company. Theodore Roosevelt brought in the new era with eight dogs and cats and a pack of presidential guinea pigs.

But it fell to another Roosevelt, Franklin Delano, to bring the presidential pet into the political spotlight. His dog, Fala, is still arguably the best-known and most-loved White House pet in history. (Could it be a coincidence that current White House dogs Barney and Miss Beazley are Fala look-alikes?) You'll find Fala's picture and much more on the Presidential Pet Museum's site, which is both attractive and easy to navigate.

PET TIP

Dogs need to learn not to jump up

To dogs, jumping up on people seems perfectly normal.

When dogs greet each other, they check out the places where the scent is strongest: the mouth, the genitals and the anal area. Checking out areas packed with scent glands makes perfect sense for an animal as smell-driven as the dog, even if mouth-licking and crotch-sniffing are not considered polite behavior in human society. An untrained dog will try to connect instinctively, and that means starting the greeting by jumping up for a closer whiff of human breath, followed by a dive for the crotch.

Dogs have to be trained in human etiquette, and a lot of times we don't do a good job of it. We may, for example, have rules that make perfect sense to us but are completely incomprehensible to a dog. Do you let your dog jump up on you when you're in jeans but yell at her for doing the same when you're dressed for an evening out? Congratulations! You've just failed the dog logic test.

Some people let little dogs jump up because it's cute and easier than bending down to greet the dog. These dogs quickly learn this behavior will get them picked up.

Pick a set of rules -- dog rules, people rules or some combination of the two. But whichever rules you pick, be consistent and don't expect your dog to magically understand when jumping up is OK and when it isn't. It's either fine all the time, or it's not.

How to get your dog to stop jumping up? Ask for and reward a behavior that's incompatible with the one you don't want. Best bet in this case: Sit.

BY THE NUMBERS

Fish better than TV?

Why keep fish? While some people enjoy the challenge of keeping complex tanks running well, most people cite watching an aquarium as the thing they like best about having fish. Top reasons (multiple answers allowed):

Fun to watch 84 percent

Appearance 78 percent

Relaxation 69 percent

Quiet 57 percent

Easy to maintain 47 percent

Source: American Pet Products Manufacturers Association

THE SCOOP

Kittens good at multiplying

A female cat with good access to males who gets an early start in the breeding season (February to September) will probably be able to raise three litters of kittens per year. Litter sizes vary from one kitten to 10, with the number typically smaller in young and old animals and largest when the mother cat is 3 to 4 years of age.

Add it all up, and a busy mother can produce 50 to 150 kittens in her lifetime. Some cats have even more, with a lifetime total of more than 200. The kittens born are soon producing more kittens, who in turn produce more kittens, who ... well, you get the picture.

This is prime kitten season, when more babies are born than can find homes. If you adopt one of those babies, don't delay in getting your kitten spayed or neutered.

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

The easiest way to stop a dog from begging is never to let the habit start. But we all know how difficult those mournful eyes can be to turn down.

The problem starts when a new dog or puppy first comes home. Dogs learn early on that we two-leggers are the main source of food, and they're not above testing the waters to see what works when it comes to getting us to give up the goodies.

A dog's very cuteness may get us to reward the begging, especially with puppies. When we like the dog's behavior, we say we're "sharing" our food. When we don't like the behavior, we call it "begging." And we foolishly expect our dogs to see the difference.

But the truth is that we are the ones who control and shape a dog's behavior. Do you think your dog would ever have learned to beg if the first few times she tried, she got nothing for her efforts? And never got anything, no matter how cute she looked, no matter when?

If you never want your dog to stick her nose in your plate, put her head on your knee or paw at your arm, then don't ever reward her with food when she does.

What if it's too late for that? With patience and consistency, you can change your dog's behavior by never rewarding the begging again. When your dog finally becomes convinced that she will never again see another piece of food delivered from off your plate, she'll stop asking. You can also have her practice a behavior that's incompatible with having her nose on your knee -- a down-stay on the other side of the room while you're eating.

But be warned: If you're inconsistent, you'll actually make the problem worse. Rewarding a behavior occasionally is called random reinforcement, and it's a powerful motivator. In fact, it's what keeps the gambling industry afloat. Even though gamblers know the house always wins, they keep pulling the handle on those slot machines because they get a little back now and then, and because sometimes they hit the jackpot. Dog trainers use these principles to instill good behaviors in dogs, but many pet lovers inadvertently use them to teach a dog bad habits -- like begging.

Preventing a problem is always easier than fixing one. When you get a dog, think about the house rules you want, and insist on them from day one. No exceptions! If you don't mind your dog being on the furniture, then don't yell at your dog for being on the couch when you have company. If you don't want your dog begging, then don't allow it, ever.

And if you have a beggar on your hands, realize the fault is yours -- and be determined to be consistent in turning the situation around.

Q&A

Don't trust dog with mail carrier

Q: Our poodle loves everyone except the mailman. When he comes up the walk, she goes crazy. She barks, snarls and throws herself at the window and doesn't stop until he's gone.

This is really out of character for her, and I can't imagine she'd really bite him. Do you think we could let her meet him to see that he's "OK"? Would that stop this nastiness? -- G.P., via e-mail

A: Yours is certainly not a theory I'd want to test, for the safety of your mail carrier, no matter how sweet your dog or how dog-loving your mail carrier may be. The chances of your dog biting the mail carrier are pretty decent at this point.

So how does a sweet, friendly dog come to hate the mail carrier to the point of biting? It happens all the time, completely unintentionally.

It's natural for a dog to bark in warning when a stranger comes to the door. In the case of the mail carrier, that stranger comes almost every day at about the same time. The dog barks to alert the family and to tell the stranger that he is about to invade protected territory.

And then the mail carrier leaves. From the dog's point of view, it was her brave warning that sent the interloper packing. She doesn't realize the mail carrier's just going on to the next house. As the dog sees it, she barked and the interloper left.

Over time, the dog's reaction intensifies as she tries harder to send a message to the mail carrier, who just doesn't seem to learn to keep away. As the dog becomes more and more worked up over time by this routine, the potential for a bite increases. I'd recommend asking your veterinarian for a referral to a behaviorist or trainer who can set out a program to retrain your dog away from the potential for biting. If nothing else, be very certain that your dog is never in a position to slip out the door when a mail carrier or other delivery person is in the area.

Don't take a chance! The United States Postal Service reports that its carriers suffer about 3,000 dog bites a year, and carriers are encouraged to protect themselves from bites and seek payments for pain and suffering if one occurs. In the best interest of dogs and mail carriers everywhere, dog owners are well-advised to restrain or retrain their dogs to keep from adding to those bite statistics.

Do fence me in

Q: Thanks for your article about corralling cats. We have a number of furry little friends, and we'd like to add our voice to the choir about the benefits of not letting them roam. You are quite right about the reduced health care costs. I figure our veterinary bills are reduced by about 30 percent to 50 percent by keeping them home.

Would you share a compromise solution with your readers that allows a cat some room to roam? We modified our existing backyard fence with a plastic mesh "cat fence." It allows access to the back yard, but keeps them from roaming. I recommend the "keep your cats in and other cats out" configuration. It has worked great for us for more than 10 years. -- W.H. and H.H., via e-mail

A: I've written about cat fencing before and am wholeheartedly in favor of it. The nylon mesh is extended above the regular fence line and blends in so well as to be almost invisible. Cats can't get over the top of the mesh, so they stay in their owners' yards.

An Internet search on the term "cat fencing" will turn up several companies that sell kits as well as do-it-yourself directions from a couple of sources. It is indeed a compromise that both cats and neighbors can live with.

PET Rx

Vet can help fight the flea

Flea allergy dermatitis is the most common skin disease of dogs and cats. For the flea-allergic patient, 100 percent flea control is required to remain symptom-free. Even very minimal exposure may be sufficient to perpetuate itching in a hypersensitive patient -- one or two bites per week are enough!

Flea control has always been a challenge because the adult fleas cause the problems, yet the majority of the flea population (eggs, larvae and pupae) are found off the pet, in and around the home. The ideal flea-control program uses products that target the various stages of the flea life cycle, not only the adult fleas on the pet.

In recent years, some new products have been added to our flea-control arsenal. These appear to be highly effective, long-lasting and have a very low potential of harmful side effects.

Talk to your veterinarian to determine which product or combination of products will break the life cycle of the flea and relieve your pet -- and you! -- from the itchy misery of these hardy and pervasive parasites.

(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.)

ON THE WEB

Greyhounds run into the heart

It's generally agreed that the fastest breed of dog is the greyhound. And the fastest greyhounds can run at a speed of just under 42 mph. These speedsters are notoriously quiet and could even be called lazy when not on the run, which is why various greyhound adoption groups have chosen to market the dogs with the clever slogan, "Adopt a 40 mph couch potato."

Retired racing greyhounds are quiet, sweet-natured dogs with an easy-care coat. These lean, leggy dogs love a soft bed and a coat when it's cold, but otherwise they are hardy pets who fit in well with many family arrangements.

Because the washout rate for racing dogs in training or competition is steady, there are always greyhounds available for adoption. One site to help match career-change greyhounds with new homes is Greyhound Pets of America (www.greyhoundpets.org), with links to chapters in 25 states. -- G.S.

THE SCOOP

'Disobedience' key to service dog's work

Did you ever wonder how service dogs trained to assist vision-impaired people know when it's safe to cross the street? It has nothing to do with the color or position of the walk signal, and everything to do with the teamwork between the dog and the person.

Dogs trained to assist vision-impaired people are a relative rarity amongst working dogs in that a big part of their training is learning when it's important to disobey. So explains Jane Brackman, former executive director of Guide Dogs of America and owner of the Sirius Press (www.janebrackman.com).

Think about it: Most working dogs are trained to get something reliably done, on command, every single time. They're supposed to sniff out the drugs or bombs, bite the bad guy, find missing people, round up sheep or retrieve birds. Brackman points out that when a blind person tells a service dog what to do, he often doesn't know what he's really asking because he can't see the hazards in front of him. The dog has to know when to disobey, and the owner has to support the dog's decisions.

"You're crossing Wilshire Boulevard, eight lanes, but the blind person doesn't know two of the lanes are under construction," she says. "He listens for the traffic signal changing, hears the traffic flow change, and then tells the dog, 'Forward.' If the dog feels it's not safe to proceed, she'll back up into the rigid harness, signaling to the person that it's unsafe to go forward."

Brackman says it's a partnership built on respect and trust. "Neither the dog nor the person is in total control at any time. Their lives depend on each other. Neither could cross the street safely without the other."

The only signals that really count, in other words, are from handler to dog and back again. -- G.S.

BY THE NUMBERS

Thanks for letting me in!

Fewer dogs are spending their entire lives outdoors, according to a 2004 survey of pet lovers. Where dogs hang out:

During the day

Indoors 47 percent

Outdoors 20 percent

Indoors and outdoors 33 percent

During the night

Indoors 65 percent

Outdoors 18 percent

Indoors and outdoors 17 percent

Source: American Pet Products Manufacturers Association

PET TIP

Parrot's eyes give early bite warning

Parrots often stare at something that fascinates or frightens them, using one eye and tipping the head, or using both eyes for a head-on look. When you see your bird fixated on something, follow that line of vision. A relaxed body posture accompanies a calm, curious bird's staring, and a more defensive or aggressive body language demonstrates fright.

Parrots are able to control their irises, shrinking and enlarging their pupils rapidly in a display that's called "flashing" or "pinning." Parrots may exhibit this behavior when they're excited or when they're angry.

Flashing or pinning accompanied by aggressive posturing, such as tail-fanning, signifies a bird who's bound to escalate his warnings -- and maybe even bite -- if not left alone to calm down on his own. If you must handle a parrot in an agitated state, wrap him in a towel for protection. -- G.S

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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