A cat meowing outside your bedroom door at dawn is one of the most annoying sounds in the world. Of course, they are doing this because they are crazy about you and want to spend more time with you, but this is no consolation when you are trying to sleep. Of course, some cats are doing it simply because they want you to give them more food.

In our house, we have dealt with this problem by cutting a cat door into the door between our kitchen and basement. During the day, the door is open so our cat can go down there for food, water, his bed, his scratching post and his litter. In the evening, when the last person retires to bed, the cat is corralled into the basement and the door is shut so in the morning, we don't have a vocal, early morning visitor disturbing our slumber.

There are lots of other creative ideas passed down by cat people through the years on how to deal with this:

–Set up a fan outside your bedroom door pointed at the lower part of the door. Cats hate having air blown on their face so they might give up coming in.

–Keep a spray bottle of water handy and when he begins meowing, either spray your cat's paws under the door (if the crack is wide enough) or open the door quickly and spray his body with a little water. If he doesn't sneak past you inside the bedroom, you've at least gotten a small victory.

–If your cat scratches your door instead of meowing at it, try putting up bubble paper, or some double-sided tape on the lower part of the door where his claws are scratching. Cats usually don't like the feel of either.

Don't feel guilty. Chances are, if you let your cat in to cuddle with you, he'll be standing at the closed door of your bedroom meowing to get out before very long.

A new puppy means big changes at home. The frisky newcomer needs a place that is safe for him to live and play in, and the owners need to minimize potential destruction from a high-energy young animal. Here are a few tips on getting the house ready for all concerned:

–When puppy-proofing your home, imagine that anything on the floor might become a potential chew toy.

–Consider putting baby gates in front of rooms that are off limits.

–Make sure trash cans or cleaning products are not accessible.

–Put safety plugs in electrical outlets.

–Check out the list of plants that are poisonous to dogs by going to www.aspca.org and clicking on Animal Poison Control Center.

–If you plan to put the pup in a crate at night, consult a vet or breeder about what size is right for your dog and discuss crate training methods.

–Make an appointment with your veterinarian to check out your new puppy within a day or two of bringing it home.