By LINDA WILSON FUOCO, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

When the winter weather is frightful, some dogs are reluctant to go out into the cold, while outdoor critters try mightily to get into our warm houses.

I'm talking about rodents that gain entry to homes through tiny cracks and other openings. Before we hear the patter of little mice feet, we could try a product called Mouse Magic.

The dog days of summer are no fun at all for dogs. Dog days are downright deadly when temperatures topping 90 degrees are coupled with high humidity.

I've seen people walking panting dogs during the height of the midday heat. I'd like to stop my car, get out, smack them in the head and ask, "What are you thinking?"

Do you feed your cats and dogs in the kitchen? Do you wash their food bowls and water bowls in the kitchen sink?

I do both of those things, and now a report in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) warns that I'm putting my family and the family dog at risk for salmonella infection.

Loretta became homeless nearly a year ago when her owner died.

"Loretta was the most depressed rabbit I had ever seen" and had painful sores on her hind legs, said Mary Cvetan, co-founder of the Pittsburgh House Rabbit Club.

Technically, Loretta still doesn't have an owner or a home of her own, but things are looking up, thanks to a network of bunny lovers.

Companies and public-relations firms send lots of e-mails about dog and cat products, but the best product pitches come from our readers.

Here's a look at boots that actually stay on dog paws and an inexpensive paw-washing device.

Joe and Rosemarie Shirk e-mailed a picture of their white Havanese, Renfrew, wearing what appeared to be orange balloons on her paws.

Sometimes you smell them before you see them. I'm talking about cats.

"Living in a house that smells like a feline latrine is something that most people will not tolerate for long," said Nicholas H. Dodman, a renowned animal behaviorist and veterinarian at the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in North Grafton, Mass.

Tail-wagging dogs love the snow and drifts, but the Humane Society in western Pennsylvania sounded a warning after a cold, snowy snap: "Recently we have seen many dogs limping from the lack of proper foot care in these harsh weather conditions."

Long before swine flu made people sick, dog lovers were hitting the panic button because canine influenza was killing dogs at greyhound racing tracks.

Dog flu first surfaced in greyhounds in 2004 in Florida. As racing dogs were shipped to tracks around the country, the outbreak spread and cases were confirmed in 25 states.

When you think of Easter, you probably don't think of it as being a dangerous time for cats. Turns out your Easter decorations can be deadly.Lilies can be toxic to cats, according to news releases from Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

PITTSBURGH -- It began with neighbors complaining about odors coming from the unkempt home last month.