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Riley is a tabby we rescued last October. He was surrendered by people who moved to an apartment where animals were not allowed. He loves to be with us, but our 17-year-old cat is sometimes annoyed by him, although they seem to have developed a routine. We have two litter boxes in the basement.

One aspect of Riley's personality which we found cute was his comfort with being in the bathroom; if he was upset by the older cat, he ran into a bathroom to scratch at the side of the bathtub, and this calmed him. Sometimes he'd yowl in the middle of the night, and to calm him down we'd place him in a bathroom with food.

Unfortunately, Riley developed the habit of having bowel movements in a bathroom sink. We thought that was better than the floor, so we didn't stop him. Now, he uses a bathroom sink or bathtub as his litter box. If we catch him and move him to a litter box, he will use it. Any ideas on retraining him?

It seems that in your home, the bathroom is for Riley what catnip is for most cats. It will always be a mystery as to why Riley first sought out a bathroom as a refuge; it could be the room was rarely visited by your other cat.

Beth Adelman, an International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants certified cat behavior consultant, says, "Sometimes cats just pick out a room or a specific place they like. Some cats like boxes. Mei Mei (one of Adelman's cats) likes the bathtub."

Cats do sometimes scratch to express emotions, excitement or anxiety. However, they don't often scratch on a bathtub. The fact that you found this endearing likely only served to further encourage Riley.

Adelman points out that leaving Riley overnight in a bathroom without a litter box likely forced him go potty somewhere else. After all, when you gotta go... Inadvertently, you trained him to use a bathroom as, well, a bathroom.

Golf | Telescope Adelman, based in New York City, suggests placing a litter box in one bathroom for Riley. Affix a sturdy piece of cardboard over the sink so he can't go potty there, and/or affix double-stick tape or a product called Sticky Paws to the sink and bathtub. This will discourage Riley from using those places to relieve himself.

LOOKING into someone else's mouth - let alone a horse's - is not everyone's cup of tea, but for Julie Ellis it is a way of life.

After gaining an Equine Science degree at Hartbury College she headed for West Virginia to study at the American School of Equine Dentistry.

With a patient list that includes miniature donkeys and Shire horses, Julie spends her days feeling equestrian gums and teeth across the region, from Dursley to Rockhampton.

Despite having such an unusual career, it is something Julie believes in.

She feels that a horse's dental health care is as important as a human's and should be checked regularly because of the nature of the animal.

She said: "If we get toothache we can just take ourselves to the dentist but a horse can't.

"Horses' teeth are growing all the time and they chew in a circular motion so they get sharp on the outside.

"Their mouths get clamped when riding and if they have sharp teeth that can be very uncomfortable for the horse it can cause lesions on the side of the mouth and affect the ride.

"Owners check legs and back and get x-rays when a horse is not riding properly, but very few consider there might be a problem with the teeth."

A horse dental check up is much the same as a human's. Julie will take a history of the animal, ask if there have been problems and whether the horse has seen a dentist before.

A thorough check will be made of the outside of the head and mouth, as well as the inside, paying attention for any unusual lumps.

"I use a speculum to be able to get into the mouth and check the teeth but usually I count the teeth by feeling them.

"If there are any problems I use the rasp to file down teeth, but I also have power tools and sometimes sedation is necessary. It depends on how the horse reacts," said Julie.

A two-headed turtle captured by a turtle collector is a rare example of a conjoined-twin birth, its owner said.

The turtle would have likely died in the wild because it swims awkwardly and would be an easy target for predators, according to Jay Jacoby, manager of Big Al's Aquarium Supercenter in East Norriton.

The store bought the tiny turtle from the collector for an undisclosed price and will keep it on display, he said.

The 2-month-old turtle, known as a red-eared slider, fits on a silver dollar. It has two heads sticking out from opposite ends of its shell, along with a pair of front feet on each side. But there is just one set of back feet and one tail.

The turtle is seemingly healthy, and the species can live 15 to 20 years, Jacoby said. The turtle has not yet been named.

The same exotic-turtle collector sold another Big Al's store a conjoined-twin turtle about 20 years ago, Jacoby said. The man lives in Florida, but he declined to identify him.