Q: My cat is clumsy. She's constantly knocking stuff off the shelves. How can I make her stop? -- W.G., via e-mail

A: A: Instead of going against your cat's nature, consider moving valuable display items to glass-fronted cases that will keep your cat at bay and will still allow you to enjoy the look of your favorite collectibles.

For less valuable pieces, double-sided tape or Velcro can be used to "lock" objects in place on shelves, and can be found at any home-supply store. You can also try a product called Quake Hold, a putty that seals objects to their display surface. QuakeHold, also called Museum Putty, can be easily found from an online merchant.

Q: We adopted a shelter dog and added her to our family, which already had an established cat. We have one problem that we desperately want to end: The dog likes to eat what the cat puts in the litter box. Can you offer a solution? -- K.L., via e-mail

A: As soon as I read "new dog" and "established cat," I knew the question you were going to ask. That's how common a problem this is. Feline feces are so attractive to many dogs that in most cases the only "cure" for this disgusting habit is restricting the dog's access. Suggestions include:

Covered litter boxes. You can find litter boxes with lids at almost any pet-supply store, and this might fix the problem. Cats who have asthma shouldn't use them, some cats won't use them, and some dogs are strong enough (or small enough) to get to the box anyway. But for some households, a covered box will solve the problem.

Change the litter box location. Make any change slowly, so as not to discourage litter box use by your cat. But it doesn't hurt to experiment with such things as moving the litter box to a location above the dog's reach.

Provide barriers. One way is to rig the door to the room with the litter box so it stays open wide enough for the cat but not for the dog. (This is what works in my home.) Another possibility is to cut a cat-sized hole through the door to the litter box room. For a small dog able to fit through any opening a cat can, a baby gate is an alternative: The cat can jump over, but the dog cannot. You might also be able to put the box in an unused bathtub, if your dog is small enough.

Experiment with what works, and realize that punishment doesn't work when the reward is as wonderful (to your dog) as the litter box contents. This is one case in which training the people in the house to make adjustments works much better than trying to train the dog.

Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com.