Saturday, June 22, 2013
DEAR HELOISE: I just took my cat to the veterinarian and found out that he is overweight. Do you have any hints for how to keep our pets at a healthy weight?
DEAR READER: According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, more than 50 percent of adult cats and 50 percent of adult dogs are considered overweight. There are a few positive things you can do to help maintain a pet’s weight that will keep them healthy.Here are some hints:
Feed only at the scheduled times, preferably two to three small meals a day.
Don’t feed pets any “people food” unless OK’d by the vet!
Use praise and love instead of food! Most commercial treats are loaded with sugar, which can be a big factor in obesity.
If you must feed your pet treats, limit the number they receive each day, or use healthy ones. Cabbie, our 11-year-old mini-schnauzer, gets bites of fresh carrots as treats.
Get out and exercise with your pets! Make playtime a daily event to keep them active. Exercise not only keeps the weight off, but relieves boredom and anxiety in pets.
For more information, go to petobesityprevention.com.
DEAR HELOISE: I found that if I don’t have frosting on hand, I can make a glaze for cakes or cupcakes. I put some marshmallows on the top of a just-baked cake or cupcakes. If the cake is not warm enough, just stick it back in the oven for a minute or two.
DEAR READER: Love this tasty hint. And there are different-flavored marshmallows, so keep some on hand. Don’t like the white covering on the bottom of your cake from the flour? Use cocoa powder for a dark-colored cake, or powdered sugar for a white or light-colored cake.
DEAR HELOISE: When making salad to be served the next day, I pre-cut the lettuce and veggies, but not the tomatoes. I just slice the tomatoes, and the salad is done.
DEAR HELOISE: Ever needed some quick salsa? Drain the liquid from a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies. Take a small electric drink mixer and run it up and down a few times in the can. Instant salsa. Also, the mixer fits nicely in the can, so you don’t mess up another dish.
HomeStyle, Pages 36 on 06/22/2013