Dear Heloise: I spray cooking oil on my lawn mower blades to keep grass from sticking to them. I don’t use motor oil since it can kill my grass if it drips on the lawn. — Dan W., in Tennessee

HOT DOG TIP

Dear Heloise: For those who serve hot dogs and those who like to eat them, I would suggest the following:

Place the preferred condiments in the bun before adding the hot dog. This way, no more condiments fall out, and your hands don’t get messy. I enjoy my hot dogs much more when my hands don’t smell like mustard and onion. — Dorothy M., in Canton, Ohio

FAT CAT VS. SKINNY CAT

Dear Heloise: I have a fat cat and a skinny cat. I separate them at mealtimes so that they can’t see each other. But I have an open kitchen, and there’s only one out-of-the-way place to feed them. So, I went to a craft store and got a slab of foam and a couple of foam blocks. With glue and duct tape, I created a barrier that I can put between the cats’ dishes so that the skinny one doesn’t feel intimidated by the fat one.

It’s simple to remove and store out of sight when mealtime is over. Now I’m looking forward to having both cats at the proper weight. — Arlene, in Anaheim, California

DOCTOR’S OFFICE ETIQUETTE

Dear Heloise: Please tell your readers to leave their young children with a friend, relative or professional sitter when they visit the doctor’s office. First, the child can pick up a disease from another patient. Second, the nurses cannot and will not babysit your child. We have too much work to do.

If someone needs to drive you to the physician’s office, be sure that it’s only only person. Sometimes the waiting room gets filled up with patients’ relatives, and there is little room left for those who are sick. — A Nurse in Illinois

ADIOS TO APPLIANCES

Dear Heloise: I discovered that if I have something that’s still serviceable and still of value, such as an old dishwasher or dryer, I can put it out at the curb with a sign stating: “It still works, and it’s yours for free.” By morning of the next day, it’s gone! — Latrice W., Koontz Lake, Indiana

YOUNG BLOOD SCAM

Dear Heloise: There is a new scam in town: infusing plasma from a young person’s blood into an older person as a way to treat Alzheimer’s disease, memory loss, and almost anything related to aging. It’s about as effective as snake oil. Since the Food and Drug Administration has warned the public about this scam, there are fewer companies trying to push this bogus treatment, but some still persist. Do not fall for this scam. — Frederick, in Los Angeles

PET PAL

Dear Heloise: This is Sake and Ede. Sake is an 8-year-old chocolate Oriental cat, while Ede (Edemame) is a 2-year-old red Oriental. — David Stone, via email

Readers, to see Sake and Ede, as well as our other Pet Pals, go to Heloise.com and click on “Pet of the Week.”

Do you have a furry friend to share with our readers? Send a photo and a brief description to Heloise@Heloise.com. — Heloise

Send a money-saving or time-saving hint to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.