A reader wonders about the hygiene involved when pet owners allow their cats to loll on kitchen countertops. And another reader wonders about the shelf life of birdseed.

"This isn't to say that you can't give your cat a very tiny piece of bacon once in a blue moon or that something terrible will happen if your kitty steals a slice of bacon from the table.

Can you teach table manners to a cat? We’re not talking about chewing with its mouth closed, but how your pet behaves while the family is eating. Cat owners will sometimes find it cute to watch ...