There is really no "good" or easy way to lose a dog, and it's especially painful when a dog dies years before you thought it would. A golden retriever named Lindy was 6 1/2 years old when he died in front of his horrified and helpless owners, Chris and Tom Murray, of Zelienople.

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It's painful for Chris Murray to talk about what happened to Lindy, but she's made it her mission to do so because she hopes she can save some lives.

It was Tom Murray who saw Lindy in the living room in obvious distress one day in July. The dog was thrashing and seemed to be struggling to breathe, but the couple couldn't figure out what was wrong.

Then they saw an apple with a big chunk bitten out of it. Though they suspected the dog was choking, they didn't know how to dislodge the food from his throat.

Lindy had stolen the apple from a kitchen counter, and "he had never done anything like that before," Mrs. Murray said. "Our other golden, Ben, is a notorious food thief."

Here's what Mrs. Murray is telling anyone who will listen: "Google choking dog."

Go to the search engine www.google.com, type in "choking dog" and learn how to save a life. Don't wait until your dog is choking. Do it now, and read the advice listed on multiple Web sites. If your dog chokes, you won't have time to look it up and you usually won't have time to get to a veterinarian.

The Heimlich maneuver developed to save human lives works on animals, with some modifications in the technique. Read the Web sites and ask your veterinarian about this. Do not practice the Heimlich maneuver on a dog that is not choking, because you could cause serious injury.

According to information from www.petplace.com, a choking dog might paw at its face or throat, act "frantic" or try to cough or vomit, but will be unable to do so.

If you can see the object at the back of the throat, try to remove it. Don't try to remove anything you cannot see.

There are some simple things you can try before going to the Heimlich maneuver, says the petplace site. With a small dog, pick it up and hold it vertically with its head pointing toward the ground. With a big dog, pick up the hind legs so that its head is tilted down. Sometimes this will dislodge the object. Sometimes, using the palm of your hand to administer a sharp blow between the shoulder blades will dislodge the object.

If that doesn't work, try the Heimlich maneuver.

Grasp the dog around its waist in a kind of "bear hug" and use a fist behind the ribs to compress the abdomen with three to five quick pushes. The air can dislodge the item up out of the throat.

Beware of tennis balls, golf balls or any toy or food that is just the right size to lodge in a dog's throat. We don't have to be paranoid, but we all can be careful.

More than 200 cats will strut their stuff at the 31st annual show sponsored by the Butler Cat Fanciers club Saturday and Sunday. As many as 35 breeds of cats, long-haired, short-haired and, possibly, the hairless breed known as the sphynx, might be competing.

While most contestants are purebred, about 25 cats will be entered in the "household pets" class. Most of them are some variation of domestic shorthair, but all have two things in common: They do not have registration papers, and they really are just regular cats who are just pets.

The show will be held at the Tanglewood Senior Center, 10 Austin Ave., Butler. Show hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults and $4 for spectators under 12 and over 65. All proceeds go to the Tigger Neutering Fund.

By the way, all cat show contestants have to be entered in advance. Do not bring your own cat to view the show.

If you love cats but you've never seen a cat show, you're in for a treat. This won't be like a dog show. Cats don't prance around rings on leashes and they certainly won't be jumping through hoops or over hurdles. They'll be displayed on a table where the judges examine them and, well, judge them.

You can meet owners and breeders when they're not actually competing, and this is often the best part of a cat show. Cats hang out in show cages that are the feline version of dog crates. The cats seem to enjoy these cozy little habitats, which often reflect the personalities of the cats and their owners.

This year's show theme is The Cats' Pajamas, according to show Chairwoman Kathy Treleani, of McCandless, who breeds and shows a breed called exotic.

"Some of us will be dressing up, in keeping with the show theme," Ms. Treleani said. "I'll be wearing cat slippers" and many of the show cages will be decorated in that theme.

Meeting and greeting cat owners and breeders is a good way to learn more about specific breeds and cats in general.