Here's $20 I'll Never See Again

A long time ago, I wrote about the best cat toy ever. I don't know what happened to it -- it's most likely in the bottom of the toy basket after my cat, Meeko, grew bored of it. So in an attempt to throw a bit of entertainment her way, I purchased her an "Emory Cat" scratching board.




I should have immediately clued in to her disinterest when I had to place her on top of the board. She stretched and scratched the surface once, then turned and sniffed the attached feather wand. After 30 seconds, she leapt off. A few days ago, I tried to encourage her to give it another go, but she'd have none of it. I swear, when I took the photo below, I heard her laughing at me:

Thinking About a New Pet?

Choosing and naming our cat, six years ago, was completely out of my hands. The former wasn't difficult for my daughter because, at the time, Meeko was the only kitten available at the OSPCA. As for the name, I suppose it could have been worse.

I've always felt that choosing a pet is all about connecting with the animal -- you just know that this is the one for you (or she's the last of her kind at the shelter). But there is help out there. Here's a site that helps you decide what breed of dog or cat would best suit your family, your home and your lifestyle.

And naming your pet? You could, as my daughter did, go the Disney (Pocahontas) route, but you might also want to check out a list of most popular pet names in the U.S. and Australia.

Bee Keeper

Because of the recent decline in the honeybee population, I was happy to see lots of bees flying about this summer (even though they're bumblebees). It took me a few weeks to realize that many of the bees were actually living under my front concrete step (you'll have to click on the photo to get a close-up). They would zoom past, with their little, pollen-laden legs, ignoring me as I watched them crawl into the nest. The buzzing, coming from the step, was incredible.

My husband was worried that they might sting someone, but we seldom use the front door. I know all of the bees will die once the cold weather sets in, but I'm not sure if the queen will remain in the nest. We should seal it up in the fall, but I'm concerned we might be trapping the queen inside. Any suggestions?