Tweety Bird teaches child about responsibility

Dear Heloise: My young son wanted a pet of his own, so we chose a parakeet. It is wonderful! He has something to care about, and he feels responsible for Tweety Bird.

Nicco knows you can't just plop a bird in its cage and just give it seed and water. He changes the paper daily, fills the water dish every day and makes sure the food dish is full. He gives the bird treats and vitamins and follows the instructions the breeder gave us. Sure is a great pet for a young child! -- C. Smith, Las Vegas

Pets can be a wonderful addition to a household, but they do need daily care. Thanks for the reminder. -- Heloise

PLASTIC BAGS

Dear Heloise: I would like to warn all pet owners about open chip bags -- or any bags at all. My family went for a short ride, only to come home to find our Pekingese, Gizmo, with his head trapped inside a chip bag. His body was limp and looked lifeless.

Once I took the bag off his head, his eyes rolled back. I thank God I knew what to do. I smacked right about where his lungs were, and he started coughing and breathing heavily. I learned how to do this from the shows ''Emergency Vets'' and ''Animal Doctor'' on television. Now he is doing much better.

I just want to let all pet owners know how dangerous a single bag could be. A pet could be lost in a matter of minutes. -- L.S., Sidney, Ohio

Thanks for the reminder on how dangerous any type of plastic bag can be to pets and children. It's good to know you saved your pet. If anything like this happens to your pet, please call or take it to a veterinarian for a checkup to make sure everything is all right. -- Heloise