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II Your Friends The Facts... YOU CAN GET ONE YEAR FOR A New One Year Subscription to the McHenry Plaindealer Regularly $10.50 NOW ONLY...f Offer Good September 1 st thru September 30th (In McHenry and Lake Counties Only!) The McHenry Plaindealer ' 3812 W. ELM STREET -McHENRY ILL. ' SECTION2.PAGE2-PLAINDEALER. FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER 2. 1»77 By John Townhy Dear Tabby...What cats make the best pets for my young children?--B.G., Cleve­ land The ordinary domestic shorthairs--that's just-your plain old average run-of-the- mill cat--make the best pets for tolerating and amusing young children. They; are more patient and durable than most specialized pure- breds and that's good for both cat and child. Siamese tend to be too impatient and aggressive (they may scratch if a child annoys them too much) whilfij'er- sians are easily intimidated or too' haughty and thus won't, be playful. Cats born under the signs of Taurus and Sagittarius are fine with kids. Dear Tabby...Is meat the "natural" or basic food for a cat?--B. H., Washington What cats go for in food is protein. Both meat and fish contain plenty of it. -In the wild, cats are carnivores and you won't generally find them munching on cereals for protein. Their digestive tracts are more suited to animal protein which con­ tains less fiber, and their sharp, pointed teeth are better suited for --chewing meat. Whether meat, fish or chicken is preferred will vary from cat to cat, but most of them just don't care for messy foods. Dear Tabby ...How do I know if my cat is overweight and should I put hin on a diet?-C. W., Chicago If you can see the cat's ribs, it's probably too skin­ ny; if you can't feel the ribs, however, it may be too fat. Cut down on the number of calories or meals per day. The average female should weigh between 6 and 10 pounds, requiring between 200 and 300 calories per day; the average male should weigh between^ and 15 pounds, needing between 250 and 375 calories daily. The required calories ob­ viously depend on whether your cat is a sedentary housecat or arfactive roamer who chases and climbs. The number of calories in a small neat can of bite-sized meat is about 180 per can. This is suitable for main­ taining growth, so you can judge whether or not to cut down on the portion. Obesity is as bad for cats as it is for humans. Dear Tabby...Should I give my cat bones to chew on to keep his teeth clean and strong ?-G. M., Dallas No! Give your bones to the dog. If you have ever watched a dog gnawing on a. bone, you will notice that it does this with its back teeth which are designed for crushing food. None of a cat's teeth are built like that, but are sharp and pointed for the purpose of chewing softer material, specifically meat. Bones would only serve to dull a cat's teeth, if indeed it could be induced to chew them, and chicken bones (Heaven forbid) could splin­ ter and get caught in its throat, as can fish bones. Feed your domesticated cat bite-sized canned meat--it's better for its nutrition--and safe for its teeth. Good Nutrition fcjr American Diet: Change For Everybody gives diet advice! There's a lot of talk Publica­ tions of all types feature reducing diets. Every month, it seems, there's a new diet book published. Doctors fre­ quently suggest specific chang­ es in eating patterns to people with illnesses such as high blood pressure or diabetes. Just how . effective have, these efforts been? How many families have changed their eating habits , and in what way? In 1976, the Economic Research Service surveyed 1400 households to find out. They discovered that in more than three out of five families at least one member had a health problem; at least two out of five had changed eat­ ing patterns as a result. In the households claiming a health problem, this was identified as: Overweight 30% High blood pressure 22% Allergies 20% Heart disease 9% Kidney problems 8% Diabetes 7% When families actually did change their eating habits they named somewhat dif­ ferent conditions as a reason for change. These were: High blood cholesterol 88%__ Diabetes 75% High blood pressure 55% The investigators t also found that the people who made an effort to change their diets were usually those with higher incomes and more schooling. - Not* what a high propor­ tion of pttople with high blood cholesterol took action! Per­ haps thieowas because they were aware of the evidence showing that diet changes can result in lower blood choles­ terol levels -- and that there is a decided relationship be­ tween high cholesterol and cardio-vascular disease. Most physicians recom­ mend these steps to lower cholesterol: 1. Control weight through control of calories and reduc­ tion of total fat in diet. 2. Substitute polyunsatur­ ated fats for saturated ones. 3. Use less fatty redmeats, more fish and poultry. 4. Eat more fruits, vege­ tables and whole grains. 5. Use skim and low fat milk and low fat cheeses in­ stead of whole milk and fat- rich dairy products. Dr. Dorothy Rathman is Director of Nutrition for Best Foods, a Division of CPC International Inc. TELL THEM TODAY II Cabot's Stains( In 87 unlqum colors, prosorvo thm wood/ occ««if thm grain, novor track, pool, bllstmr. In planning this home, the architect was~strivin~g"fo7 beauty, quality, economy. In the selection of exterior finishes, stains were used instead of paints. Thus the architect realized his conception of beauty, kept costs at a reasonable level, and reduced future maintenance. Cakot't Stain,, Hi* original Stalnt and Standard far thm nation since I§77. McHenry Paint, Glass & Wallpaper 3411 W. ELM, McHENRY 395-7353 OPEN 7:45 to 5:30 MQN.--THUR. FtlPAV Til #:3Q . |AT. 8)00 to 5:00 V