DEAR DR. FOX: Why is it that municipal law and public attitude display a double standard when it comes to dogs and cats? Animal Control quickly rounds up stray dogs, but ignores stray cats.

What's the difference? Dogs are more dangerous? Hey, cats bite, too. And while contracting sepsis or rabies from a cat bite may lack the drama of a dog mauling, the end result can be just as lethal.

Dogs poop all over your front lawn; try sifting through cat turds in your mulched flowerbeds and planter boxes. Dogs are nuisances? At least they don't yowl under your bedroom window at 2 a.m.

You have frequently noted the devastating effect cats have on wildlife. I've noticed that my birdhouses sit empty, and I haven't seen a rabbit in over three years.

I don't want to hear about "nature at work." Nature would never allow such a concentration of predators. God forbid a native predator like a coyote starts thinning the feline herd. And that's what I have: a herd. I've seen 10 separate and distinct cats on a daily basis, thanks to a neighbor who thinks he's feeding only two. Animal Control tells me they use trap-neuter-release for problem cats. Not an ideal solution, but better than nothing.

I can't help but think how differently those 10 animals would be dealt with if they were dogs. Euthanasia would be kinder than the fate that awaits cats out there in the "mean streets." -- P.A.C., St. Louis

DEAR P.A.C.: Thanks for adding your voice of reason to the unresolved and controversial issue of outdoor, free-roaming, stray or lost feral cats, and those from shelters that have been neutered and vaccinated after they have been trapped and are not considered adoptable.

Cats roaming outdoors kill wildlife, become food for coyotes and spread toxoplasmosis, a disease that can harm other species, including humans.

DEAR DR. FOX: A few years ago, a friend had an aging male poodle who was very lethargic. This friend reads your articles regularly. One of those articles gave a recipe for home-prepared dog food that she began preparing, and her dog, Bailey, "came back to life," as she put it.

His energy level and appetite increased. And his desire for this food was such that she would have to remove him from the kitchen as she prepared his helping because he became so excited that he would trip her up as she moved about. His bowel movements improved in size and consistency as well.

She knew by behavior, appearance and general alertness that Bailey was remarkably better. He lived two more years with renewed vigor, and my friend, who is also elderly, had two wonderful last years with her Bailey!

As I have an aging cat, she told me to write to you because you also have a recipe for cats. I would love to have a copy. I would be so grateful to give our dear little kitty cat a shot at some golden years. -- K.B., Springfield, Virginia

DEAR K.B.: Thanks for providing yet another testimony regarding how good nutrition can put new life into an animal previously fed manufactured pet food. I will mail you a copy of my cat food recipe, which is normally available on my website; however, my website is currently down as it is being redesigned.

Cats are notoriously more finicky than dogs, so transition your companion onto the new diet gradually. Alternatively, try some of the new soy- and cereal-free frozen and freeze-dried cat foods in pet stores -- and join the revolution!

A stamped, self-addressed envelope from readers making requests like yours would be appreciated.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.)

DEAR DR. FOX: As to the question posed in a recent column -- "Where should a sleeping dog lie?" -- I have an answer:

I am 85 years old, and have not lived more than six months of my life without a dog. All of them have been rescue animals (many before there were even rescue groups), and, with no exceptions, I have had the privilege of sleeping in bed with each one. In fact, on those rare occasions when I didn't have a dog right next to me in bed, I never slept as well as when a dog was glued to my side.

I am justly proud of the fact that both of our daughters have the same love of animals that surfaces in so many ways. Our youngest daughter made a profound observation awhile back: Soren (our current dog named for the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard) weighs 40 pounds when he's awake, but when he's asleep, he weighs more like 240 pounds. They are like rocks when they are comfortably asleep beside you.

I will forever marvel at those folks who have dogs but fail to regard them as members of the family. In our case, our precious dog of the moment is the most important part of our family: always there for us, asking nothing but always giving love. They epitomize the agape form of love -- the unconditional kind. -- A.W.Z., Gaithersburg, Maryland

DEAR A.W.Z.: Yes, indeed: agape! Dogs are pack animals. They feel secure when they sleep together. When we take them into our homes, their human family is their surrogate pack. So, whenever possible, it is quite natural to allow the dog to sleep with a family member. Couples who sleep together may need a larger bed.

The only caveat is the dog must have no fleas, ticks or sarcoptic mange. Regular close contact with a dog in the home (not necessarily in the bed) helps children ward off allergies and infections.

DEAR DR. FOX: My little female cat, Minnie, who is 2 1/2 years old, has had chronic rhinitis since she was born. We found her in our woods when she was about 3 months old, and we took her in to the vet for spaying.

The vet wanted to euthanize her; she said there was no cure for it. We surely did not do that. Three vets later, the only thing we've found that helps is a round of antibiotics for about three weeks. We don't do that often because she can't live on antibiotics.

She has a good appetite and maintains a good weight. She is better in warm weather, but still quite miserable with this problem, and it breaks my heart -- it seems there is nothing that can be done for her.

Do you know of any possible treatment to help her? -- C.H., Rhinebeck, New York

DEAR C.H.: I am glad you chose not to go with the veterinarian's advice to euthanize her, and instead gave the animal a chance. I hope she was not spayed at that time, being so ill. No doubt exposure and poor nutrition crippled her immune system, allowing for the upper respiratory and sinus infection to take hold.

Periodic treatment with antibiotics does help cats with chronic sinusitis. In cats with a different history, other causes of this condition include dental disease with spread of bacteria from the tooth sockets into the sinuses. In other cases, a food allergy or underlying viral infection, such as herpes or feline AIDS, is the cause.

Irrigating the sinuses under light, general anesthetic may help.

A VOICE FOR ANIMALS BY A HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST

The late Cesar Chavez, president of United Farm Workers of America, with whom I shared the podium at an animal rights conference in California, posted this statement on Dec. 26, 1990:

"Kindness and compassion toward all living things is a mark of a civilized society. Conversely, cruelty, whether it is directed against human beings or against animals, is not the exclusive province of any one culture or community of people. Racism, economic deprival, dog fighting and cock fighting, bull fighting and rodeo are cut from the same fabric: violence. Only when we have become nonviolent toward all life will we have learned to live well ourselves."

He was a rare social reformer at that time to link violence toward humans and other animals with the long-overdue revolution of nonviolence toward all sentient beings. I am glad that as a veterinarian I do not have to work in one of the cruelest sectors of animal exploitation, namely the factory farms or CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) that blight and pollute much of rural America.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox's website at DrFoxVet.com.)

DEAR READERS: According to a Feb. 13 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention morbidity and mortality report, "Veterinarians are believed to be at increased risk for suicide compared with the general population." Researchers sent out a questionnaire that "asked respondents about their experiences with depression and suicidal behavior, and included standardized questions from the Kessler-6 psychological distress scale that assesses for the presence of serious mental illness ... Approximately 6.8 (percent) of male and 10.9 (percent) of female respondents were characterized as having serious psychological distress ... compared with 3.5 (percent) of male and 4.4 (percent) of female U.S. adults, respectively."

That the study found almost 1 in 10 American veterinarians might suffer from serious psychological distress and more than 1 in 6 might have experienced suicidal ideation since graduation makes me deeply concerned and wonder why. The challenges of diagnosing, treating and preventing various animal maladies, coupled with financial constraints in a culture with a schizoid attitude toward animals (ranging from treating them as family members to mere commodities), may be overwhelming at times. And it is frustrating seeing the same conditions day after day with no significant advances in the prevention of illness and suffering. This is especially true for factory farmed animals, an animal industry sector with an acute shortage of veterinarians.

Above all, I believe that veterinarians are generally more empathetic toward animals than most people in the general population. They, along with others on the front lines of animal protection, take the brunt of society's use and abuse of animals. One colleague writes to me, "We have a schizophrenic profession. One minute we are battling for a pet's life and then in an instant the next owner elects euthanasia. This can twist anyone's mind inside out. Caregiver burnout is very prevalent in the vet profession, too. Long hours and low economic returns make it challenging to get a vacation to recharge."

This burden of empathy for animals used and abused in society today, combined with veterinarians' clinical knowledge and deeper understanding of how their animal patients can suffer, calls for greater public recognition and respect for the many contributions this profession provides for the good of animals.

DEAR DR. FOX: I am in a rough situation: I have a smart dog (aren't they all?) who insists on barking when she smells one particular dog she dislikes intensely from two floors above.

Her sense of smell is amazing. She is a Havanese mix. She now barks two or three times per day. She seems bored, but won't play with other dogs, only humans. She is healthy and very intuitive.

I am 80 years old and cannot run with her. I live in a condo whose 50-year-old rules do not permit pets. Half of the building has cats; there are roughly five dogs who got grandfathered in. There are 172 units.

I have tried to work with a behaviorist from a dog shelter, who gave me some exercises for her. When she barks, she comes to me for treat and then stops. I think this exercise worked for a bit, but it seemed to teach quite the opposite of the intent.

When she knows a dog, she doesn't bark, except in this one case. We try to keep the two dogs separate. We have a dog park nearby, and I keep her leashed, as she doesn't know how to play. My husband takes her off the leash when he walks her in the park, but when I play with her in the apartment, she only runs. I hope you can help our situation. -- L.K., Bethesda, Maryland

DEAR L.K.: I am surprised the behaviorist did not suggest you try one of a variety of humane and variously effective anti-bark collars.

I am very concerned that there are animal behaviorists working in shelters who are unqualified, uncertified or simply ignorant. Your behaviorist set up a food protocol that encouraged barking by rewarding your dog with a treat every time she barked! So do seek a second opinion on this issue, possibly a reliable referral from your dog's veterinarian.

HUMANELY SOURCED DOG FOOD

Open Farm is the first producer of Certified Humane Raised and Handled pet food in the United States.

Already in Canada, Open Farm dog food will enter the U.S. market in April.

Under the Certified Humane label, Open Farm will use only meat and poultry products in their pet foods that come from Certified Humane farms and ranches. The Certified Humane label on their product assures consumers that farm animals are raised humanely on farms where they can express their natural behaviors, such as flapping wings and moving around freely in their environments. The farm animals must also be raised without animal by-products and without the use of antibiotics.

Visit openfarmpet.com for more details.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox's website at DrFoxVet.com.)