Do your pets drive you batty with their behavior?
These kids share their tips:

Zeke, age 11
I have two dogs. One of them always whined at the door when she wanted to go out. It drove us crazy! We filled a container with seeds and hung it from a string on the doorknob. Now both dogs just bang the container when they want to go out. It sounds like maracas and it's better than listening to whining!

Katie, age 8
I have a kitten named Syd that was clawing at our couch all the time. My mom told me that spraying her lightly with a bottle of water when she clawed would get her to stop. I didn't want to do it at first because I know cats don't like water, but when I did spray him, he stopped clawing. My mom was right! Now he hardly ever does it.

Sam, age 7
To stop hamster wheels from squeaking, put a little cooking oil on the noisy part. Don't use regular oil, in case the hamster licks it. It really works.

Sarah, age 10
If your dog barks a lot, take a can and put rocks in it. When your dog barks, shake the can right next to its head. If you keep it up, your dog will learn that if it barks, something annoying will happen.

Daniel, age 10
Mr. grumbles, my cat, likes to hunt birds. The birds didn't like him sneaking up behind them and grabbing them. To stop him, we put a bell on his collar.

Casey, age 8
My friend's dog jumps on me every time I walk in the door. Now I put my hand in front of his nose. It keeps him from jumping.

Isabella, age 12
If you have a pet that acts up, it might be sick. My rabbit Maria smelled bad, drank water all night, and kicked her bedding everywhere. I thought it was just a bad habit, but it turned out that she did it because she had an ear infection. Take the time to figure it out-don't assume the animal is just being bad.

Sasha, age 11
If your pets bug you, maybe you don't spend enough time with them. Maybe they're bored or lonesome. Spend just a half hour or an hour playing with your pets. Walk them or chase them. Do something fun with them. You'll be closer to your pets, and your parents will appreciate it, too!