Hints From Heloise

Suet for the Birds

Dear Heloise: I am in search of a SUET RECIPE that my mother saw in The Washington Post. Can you help me? -- Jean Duffey, via e-mail

Jean, I'm happy to reprint this, but it's a little different from the other one. Our friends at the National Bird-Feeding Society gave us the following suet recipe: Get real suet (the hard fat of cattle and sheep) from the butcher and cook it down. Then mix in some cornmeal or peanut butter, roll pine cones in it and then sprinkle with birdseed.

If you still want to make a pine-cone feeder but don't want to use the suet, you can simply use peanut butter. Just roll a pine cone in peanut butter and then in birdseed. This works just as well, and it is a great project for kids. -- Heloise

DOG TREAT

Dear Heloise: A good way to applaud a doggy after it completes its duties or when walking around the neighborhood is to place some doggy treats in an empty plastic bottle. When the doggy does a good deed, the way to applaud will be by shaking the bottle with its treats inside. The doggy will love it! Don't forget to give it a treat! -- Anna Victoria Reich, Stafford, Va.

PET PAL

Dear Readers: Gayle Limbeck of Scio, Ore., sent a photo of her Norwegian forest cat, Running White Ears, sitting pretty. Gayle says: "Our cat is black and white with white-tipped ears. A real runner and climber, even by cat standards. Our vet laughs every time we bring the cat in and she hears his name."

If your newspaper doesn't print the pet photo, visit www.Heloise.com to see Running White Ears! -- Heloise

CAT-LITTER HINT

Dear Heloise: Who would think that an inexpensive purchase from an auto-supply store would help out our aging cat? When she began to have some litter-box issues, we thought our time with her would soon be over.

We found an aluminum drip pan at the store. We placed it under the litter box, and our floors were protected by this light but sturdy tray. -- Charlotte, via e-mail