Puppy breath, puppy kisses, puppy snuggles. Nothing is better really, but it’s up to you to keep your puppy snuggable, happy and healthy.

When your puppy comes home at about 8 weeks old, you’ll want to have the house ready for him by having an established sleeping area, setting boundaries on where he’s allowed to be, having a designated area for his food and water, and making sure your house is safe from harmful objects and chemicals he might get into.

Although he won’t be fully vaccinated yet, make sure you have a vet and someone you can visit when his next round of shots are due.

Socialize your puppy with any other pets and with family members, especially children. Let them get used to each other slowly, if necessary. Teach small children how to be gentle and play safely with the puppy. Teach your puppy commands so that he also plays safely with the children.

If he is going to use a crate, introduce him to the crate on the very first day.

Take him outside often, on a leash, to the area of your yard where he can use the potty. Reward him for going in the right places.

Establish a routine for feeding, and stay on schedule. Take him outside after he eats to his potty area.

You might want to hang a bell from a ribbon on the back door knob, and teach your puppy to bat at the bell when he wants to go out.

It’s fine to tell your puppy “no” when he’s doing things he shouldn’t. It’s also great to praise his good behavior.

Have plenty of toys for your puppy to play with (so he leaves your shoes and your daughter’s dolls alone). Take him for walks for exercise. Puppies need a lot of exercise!

Make sure your dog is spayed or neutered when it becomes age-appropriate.

Finally, give your dog lots and lots of love, and you will have a best friend for life.

Your bird probably spends a lot of time in his cage, but he also needs exercise to stay happy and healthy and to have a good temperament.

Birds like to climb. Provide them with a ladder in their cage (and even one outside their cage for when you take him out). They will go up and down the ladder, and they’ll enjoy the exercise and movement.

Let him flap his wings. Take him out of the cage and perch him on your hand. Holding his feet with one hand, “fly” him around in a circle up and down, making large, slow motions with your arms so that he doesn’t get overly excited and flap too vigorously.

Take your bird on a walk. Yes, for real, but probably not outside. A harness made for your bird is perfect for walking him up and down hallways and corridors in your home.

Let him out of the cage, and let him do his own thing. He might fly, if his wings aren’t clipped. He might hop or walk around. Provide a safe environment for him to move about as HE chooses.

It doesn’t get much cuter than a fluffy, fuzzy kitten, but you want to make sure your new kitten is as well cared for as he is adorable.

Prepare your home before you bring your new kitten home. Make sure it’s free from any dangers that could cause injury to your new ball of fluff.

Have a fresh, clean litter box ready, and start teaching your kitten to use it the minute you walk through the door. Make sure it’s in a semi-private area and not near any food or water bowls.

Have food and water bowls ready in a place that your kitten will become accustomed to being fed. Leave water out at all times.

Kittens have small stomachs and tolerate small meals more often. Dry foods tend to be best for kittens’ digestive systems. Consult your vet and follow package directions for the amount to feed your kitten by weight. Remember to adjust as your kitten grows.

Microchip your kitten, so if he gets out, you can find him easily when lost.

Spay or neuter your kitten as appropriate when they are old enough.

Keep his vaccinations current, along with any worming medications or flea-prevention treatments. Your kitten will likely keep himself clean, but help him out by cleaning his ears. Make sure he doesn’t get hair balls.

I have bad dreams about snakes.

My sister, who is a therapist, explained that I need to get over my fear of snakes.

I’m not sure I can.

However, they can make good pets.

Corn, King, Gopher and Ball Pythons are wonderful to keep in your house.

For health reasons, a snake should be able to stretch out two-thirds of its body length inside its own cage. If your pet snake reaches an adult length of six feet, its container should be 4 feet in length.  You don’t want your pet snake to have to stay curled up at all times.

Make sure that the type of snake you secure for a pet has a good temperament, as do the four mentioned above. Don’t try to tame an unruly snake; it’s not going to happen.

Take into account their feeding habits. Corn, King and Gopher snakes will accept frozen rodents as feed. Ball pythons are much more finicky, but be prepared to handle rodents, no matter what.

Don’t force the situation. The four snakes listed above thrive in captivity. Not all snakes do so without expert care.

Don’t buy a pet snake because you think it’s cool without careful consideration and study.

Over the summer, I went on vacation.

I was gone for a week.

I brought my dog, Astro, to a local boarder who has a deluxe operation for taking care of pets when their people are on vacation. I mean, this place has TVs for each dog, a pool, a run yard and lots of great care.

Astro hated it. I mean, hated with a capital “H.” He jumped out of the car, but he refused to go in. He laid down on the concrete and wouldn’t budge. He had to be carried in, and let me just tell you; he’s pushing 100 pounds easily.

There are so many great options for taking care of pets while you’re gone, but you have to find the right one for your pet.

1. Your vet might offer boarding. Your dog will already be familiar with going there, so that could be a great option.
2. There are lots of places all over that board dogs, and it’s the only thing they do. See above. They are fabulous if your pet is social and accustomed to leaving the house. Make sure they have all their shots and records from your vet when you make reservations.
3. Pet sitters. I now use a service that comes to my house on my (or in this case, Astro’s) schedule. They come every morning, love on him, let him out, feed him, make sure he has water and play with him. They do the reverse at night, letting him inside for the night. It’s about the same price as the full-service boarding, and he gets to stay home, no carrying required.
4. Use a teenager or responsible child in your neighborhood. My boys, young teenagers, dog sat last summer and thought it was the best gig ever. That pup got more attention than our own dog receives because they were so intent on doing a great job.

There are a few things to remember before leaving your pup alone.

Make sure he has all his shots.

Make sure he has on a collar and tags, in case he does get lost. Even better, get him chipped. Many pet facilities offer this for no-to-low cost.

Make sure your sitter/facility has plenty of food (if you’re boarding him, you might need to provide your own food to avoid intestinal distress) and treats.

Make sure his caregiver has access to his favorite toys and knows his schedule, routines and any quirks. For instance, Astro will not eat if anyone is in the room, and I’ve trained him to only accept treats in one particular spot in the house.

Leave emergency contact information, and make sure there’s an in-town backup person if necessary.

LOVE your dog when you get home! He’ll have missed you as much as you missed him.

When you bring your pet bird home, you can just use one little cage, right?

Wrong.

Your pet bird should ideally have two cages: one to live in and one to travel in. This is the cage your bird will identify with when it’s time to go to the vet, or to clean his primary cage.

Your bird’s cage needs to be large enough for him to spread his wings. For some birds, the traditional oblong cage is enough, but for other birds, a rectangular cage is necessary.

Provide a variety of perches for your pet’s comfort. Some like wider perches, but some like a more narrow space as it makes them feel more secure. They might like a wooden ladder, a rope, a swing and something in textured plastic for variety.

To clean, use diluted white vinegar and water.

Most of all, provide a variety of toys on a rotation to keep your bird interested and stimulated. Switch between toys that will provide different skills stimulation every day, such as balls, cardboard tubes, feathers, rings and bells.

When you transport your bird, keep the cage sterile and clean with one reminder of their regular home, such as a soft wash cloth that bears the scent of home.

Not only does your dog need to be groomed, especially if he’s an outdoor sort, but your cat should get some pampering, too.

Cats are somewhat self-cleaning. Their tongue is designed to help keep them clean and neat, but if your cat gets smelly, you might need to step in.

Bathing a cat can be about as fun as wrestling an alligator, but here are some tips to make it an easier process.

Choose a time when your cat is most mellow, maybe after an afternoon nap in the sunshine. Don’t attempt this right after they eat, however. It can upset their stomachs if they get stressed out during the process.

Trim their claws before you attempt a bath, for your safety.

Place a fluffy towel or rubber mat in the bottom of a sink or the tub, whichever you use. This will help with traction.

Place an oven rack or cookie-cooling rack in the tub or sink. This gives kitty something to cling to, besides your arm, during the bath process.

Make sure water is warm, but not too hot or too cold. Don’t suds their faces; they usually hate that. Using the water wand, gently and thoroughly wet the cat. Massage some specially formulated shampoo (made for cats, not for humans and definitely not dish soap) into his coat. Rinse thoroughly.

Immediately scoop your cat up with a towel wrapped snugly around him; dry thoroughly.

Your small pet needs some power-packed nutrition for all its energy needs.

Specifics will vary with your small pet, but follow these guidelines to provide the safest, healthiest food for your small animal.

Do give your small pet hay. Hay should comprise approximately 75 percent of the diet for guinea pigs, chinchillas and rabbits because its fiber helps them maintain a healthy weight. It is also good for their teeth.

Serve them a salad! Kale, collards, mustard greens, dandelion, escarole, broccoli, zucchini, squash or carrots make a great meal for your small pets. If they haven’t finished their serving in a few hours, remove the extra from their cage.

Nutritional pellets that you can buy at a pet store or from your vet are good choices as well; serve in moderation.

DO NOT feed your small animal any kind of chocolate, alcohol, caffeine or anything spicy. Do not give them meats, cheeses or dairy. Keep them away from any houseplants or any other indoor foliage they could chew on.

My boyfriend, Paul, is the pet whisperer. My dog, Astro, loves him more than me.

Paul has also recently acquired a pet cat at his house, not really on purpose. She was a stray that had a litter of kittens under his storage shed. She’d hiss at him if he came near or run away if her kittens were safe.

Little by little though, he’s won her over.

Now, she jumps into his lap for some daily love and lets him hold her and pet her.

Cats don’t always trust easily, especially if they’re wild cats. It takes time and patience. Paul started out just by sitting on the back porch and letting her get accustomed to him being there.

He spoke to her softly and stayed pretty still while she got used to him.

Gradually, she’d come out of hiding if he was there and sit across the yard.

Little by little, she’d come closer if he was outside (it helped that he started feeding her). Then, she let him pet her gently while she stood on the ground.

Eventually, she let him hold her.

Now, she loves to be held and gets comfortable on his lap out in the afternoon sun every day.

Give it time with your pet cat. Even domesticated kitties take some time to become your lifelong friend.

For humans, a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables is a good thing. For your pet bird, some of those things that are healthy for humans are toxic for birds.

DO NOT FEED YOUR BIRD:
Avocados, for one. Do not give your bird avocado in any form. There is an enzyme in the pit that can leach into the fruit and be perfectly fine for humans but toxic for birds.

Do not give your bird onions; there’s too much sulfur in them for a bird to digest.

Avoid garlic; it has similar chemical compounds to onions.

Do not feed your bird tomatoes; they are too acidic.

Also, avoid mushrooms; they are a fungus that birds cannot digest well.

Finally, stay away from celery, specifically, the strings. Birds (except parrots) cannot chew the stringy fibers well.

Citrus fruits. Again, too acidic.

(Also, it should go without saying, but no chocolate, alcohol or caffeine either.)

There are still plenty of healthy foods you can give your bird.

DO GIVE YOUR BIRD:
Apples, grapes and bananas. These are easy to chew and digest, and they supply lots of vitamins for your bird. Cut into a small dice before giving to your bird.

You can also give corn, broccoli, carrots, yams and peas. Your bird will enjoy the different flavors, colors and textures.

When in doubt, ask your vet!