I've had animals for most of my life, and I currently have two large dogs and two cats. Although you wouldn't know it from the pet store bills, apparently we are starving these poor animals. Never mind that they're all a little overweight. They must be starving because every time I walk past their food bin, I get that “Hey, she's walking past the food! Is it time? Oh please feed me!” song and dance.

My husband laughs every time I bring those foil pouches of kitty treats in the house. Every time I find a new hiding place for them, the cats find a way to get to them. I don't know how, but it never fails. The next morning we find an empty pouch on the floor.

On top of that, twice this week I've left things out before leaving the house, only to find upon my return that only the wrappers are left. One time it was some dog bones that we bought when we went on a dog walk in our community, and the next time they feasted on an entire loaf of multi-grain bread. On the bright side, thanks to their excellent choice in bread, they are very “regular” now.

As angry as I was with the dogs for grabbing food off the counter, I knew that they weren't entirely at fault. I have had them way too long to be leaving things out. I should have known better.

We were fortunate in that these problems didn't do any lasting damage, but they serve as reminders not to make those mistakes again. (Although I still insist on buying those pouches of kitty treats. It's kind of a competition now to see how long it takes for the cats to get at them.)

I guess I'm a glutton for punishment. Even though I know better, I often find myself making the same mistakes in my family history over and over again. In today's column, I thought I'd share some of those lessons that I have learned (and in some cases, continue to re-learn) the hard way...

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