DEAR DR. FOX: I took three feral cats with very distinct personalities into my home in August 2011. All were neutered in January 2012. Two of them went to new forever homes a year later.

The remaining cat, Sox, adjusted to the loss of his brother and sister within six months. The first few times he went into heat were tolerable. But earlier this week, he went into heat again, and his personality changed; he became very aggressive. He jumps up and grabs my husband's leg with all four paws, drawing blood. And one day, as my husband was coming into the house, Sox ran out the door. My husband tried to catch him, but one hand was carrying mail; he lost his balance and ended up falling on our porch, hitting his head and scraping an elbow. My husband is 75 and could not get up. I am 65, and even though hubby is small, I am unable to get him up and on his feet because of back problems.

I know in a few days Sox will be out of heat and (hopefully) return to normal, but is there anything I can do when he becomes aggressive like this? -- T.R., St. Louis

DEAR T.R.: Sorry to hear about your husband's bad fall. Cats can be an in-home hazard and trip people up with their deliberate habit of running across one's path or suddenly rolling over at one's feet to get attention.

Neutered male cats do not go into "heat." Most likely, these are ambush games that cats engage in, especially early in the evening -- their most active hunting time in the wild.

Since he no longer has other cats to play with, the best remedy for this issue is to engage in interactive play. Use a fishing lure-type toy to get him to run and jump and expel energy.

WHY CATS & DOGS ROLL OVER

Rolling over onto one side is a canine and feline display, but it doesn't always have the same meaning or intent. Some books state cats roll over to display submission, but only dogs do that (and sometimes also urinate). Scold a dog, and he or she will roll over, while a cat will usually run away.

Both species roll over to solicit attention, and cats also do it to seek contact and play, and to display trust. Some cats enjoy having their tummies petted, while others will act capriciously and suddenly claw or bite -- and not always in an inhibited, playful way. Cats also roll over when cornered as a defensive posture, with their claws ready to slash and parry.

Cats rolling over onto one side right in one's path, especially when they are hungry or want attention, calls for mindfulness and anticipation to avoid stepping on or tripping over the cat. Both the tripped and the tripper can sustain injuries. So, please, cat caregivers, be on the alert.

Dog owners should not be embarrassed when their dogs roll over when greeting visitors and never punish a young dog for submissive urination. That will only make matters worse. Most dogs grow out of this behavior. Dogs also like to roll and squirm on the ground to cover themselves with some scent, such as dead fish, while female cats roll and squirm when they are in heat, as do cats when they are given catnip herb.

For more details about the body language of these two species, see my books "Cat Body, Cat Mind" and "Dog Body, Dog Mind."

IN-HOME EUTHANASIA

Pet owners are increasingly choosing to have ailing animals euthanized at home by a veterinarian. The directory at inhomepeteuthanasia.com lists hundreds of veterinarians who offer in-home euthanasia, which reduces the trauma of going to the animal hospital for both the animals and their caregivers. Thanks to Dr. Kathleen Cooney, founder and owner of Home to Heaven, a mobile pet hospice and euthanasia service based in northern Colorado, for setting up this website resource.

(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.net.)

DEAR DR. FOX: I have been reading your column for some time, and I appreciate your compassionate views.

Pets are companions for millions of people in this country, and many of us are on a limited income. Just the price of food from Wal-Mart is a stretch. I'd love to feed my pets the homemade food you recommend, but it's out of the question. So are visits to the vet.

So many animal lovers fall into this category. I've even heard several stories of people going through their limited retirement funds to try to save a beloved pet. What's the moral thing to do here? Are pets for the well-off only? -- S.T., Talent, Oregon

DEAR S.T.: You have my sympathy, as do the many people who go hungry at times to properly feed their animal companions or go into debt for veterinary services. The documented emotional and medical benefits of animal companionship could mean a cost savings in public health care to the community.

Low- and fixed-income people who have animal companions -- especially the elderly and home-bound -- should not be seen as a burden on society or prohibited from keeping animals if they cannot provide adequate care.

While animal shelters across the country are generally underfunded, overcrowded and understaffed, city councils and municipal authorities need to see companion animals not as disposable or frivolous and sentimental items of property, but as part of the community of a humane, civil society and as contributors to human well-being.

Communities should focus on the people and animals in need. Cities should consider raising funds and setting up pet food supply banks, along with affordable basic cat and dog health care and even dog walking for those who cannot get out with their canine companions. Healthy retirees could volunteer rather than going on a polluting luxury cruise; the Boy Scouts of America and high school social studies programs could raise funds for pet health care. I would like to hear from other readers about good news they can share on this issue from their communities.

DEAR DR. FOX: Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I agree with everything you said. Sadly, our area does not have the support for animals we'd both like.

When I asked about the morality of having pets you can't really afford to care for properly, I was thinking of a vet who would not have me as a client if I couldn't afford to bring my pet in for regular checkups, etc. He told me I couldn't afford to have a pet if I couldn't do this, and it would be immoral to own an animal I couldn't care for properly.

As you said, pets provide a great benefit to people, so where do you draw the line? Is it moral to have a pet if you can't afford proper health care? I can't even afford health care for myself. When they need a vet and I can't take them, I'm wracked with guilt. What's the answer here?

Thank you so much for wrestling with this. It has bothered me for a long time. -- S.T. Talent, Oregon

DEAR S.T.: Your reply cuts through to the core of the issue, especially in times of economic recession, unemployment and low- and fixed-income communities and individuals. For decades, the Peoples' Dispensary for Sick Animals in my homeland of England has been providing good veterinary care at subsidized costs -- or free for people who bring in tax returns to show they cannot afford to pay for their animals' veterinary needs. More of the animal welfare organizations and charities in the U.S. need to focus on this approach, rather than adopting the callous, or is it despairing, attitude of the veterinarian whom you saw.

Except for the franchised veterinary clinics whose protocols are likely to offer you no financial provisions -- such as an installment payment plan -- I feel that most veterinarians, who often have huge financial obligations to the banks who underwrite their business, are doing their best in these hard times across the nation. Government statistics showing that unemployment is down conceal the fact that many jobs are only part-time with no health insurance or other benefits.

One solution may be through a local or statewide sales tax on pet foods and supplies that is earmarked for assisting those persons and companion animals in need in the community. Putting a tax on veterinary services to generate more public funds, which has been proposed in some states, however, is to be deplored.

(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.net.)

DEAR DR. FOX: I've been feeding a stray cat for over a year. I may be moving in a couple of months, and I don't want to leave the cat, as I don't know anyone else who will care for it. The cat is very friendly and likes to hang out in my yard, but won't let me get close enough to pet it. I'd like to know how to capture the cat so it can be taken to a shelter and, hopefully, adopted. -- J.J., Alexandria, Virginia

DEAR J.J.: Call animal control or your local animal shelter, and it should come and set up a humane trap to get the cat.

Since the cat is friendly and well-nourished, he may be adoptable after neutering, vaccinations and blood tests for feline viral diseases. It is best not to feed stray, free-roaming and feral cats without luring them into a humane trap; otherwise, you could be inadvertently contributing to their multiplication and to the spread of disease.

One veterinary colleague tells me that he had a client come in with her indoor-outdoor cat who got feline leukemia from a feral cat her neighbor had been feeding for many months and who often came onto her property.

DEAR DR. FOX: I saw your article about how animals show affection, and the stories reminded me of an event with one of our cats, Maggie.

Maggie is a 16-year-old indoor cat, but since we live in a big house in the middle of nowhere, there's plenty of entertainment.

Several years ago, my partner, Jack, and I were exchanging Christmas presents in the living room. I was sitting on a footstool by the coffee table; he was in a chair facing me and Maggie was on the table, watching. I would hand Jack a present, and he would open it. He would hand me one, and I would open it. After a couple rounds of this, Maggie got down and left the room. A few minutes later, Jack looked down at my stool and said, "Um, I think you have another present."

Sure enough, Maggie had reappeared and deposited a very dead mouse on the floor beside the stool. This thing had been dead for at least three months! I thanked her profusely, even as I deposited it in the trash.

I don't know about love, but it sure shows that cats aren't as dumb as we think. -- E.J., Westminster, Maryland

DEAR E.J.: Thanks for this delightful insight into feline behavior. Cats are highly observant animals, capable of mirroring behavior through observational learning -- copycats, indeed!

DEAR DR. FOX: My 3-year-old collie has been diagnosed with endocrine pancreatic insufficiency, something I had never heard of before. She is currently on famotidine, amoxicillin, Tylosine Powder, B-12 shots and PancrePlus Powder. The hope and plan is to reduce to just the PancrePlus once things are under control.

Do you know of any foods or treats that would be good for her? Also, are there any other treatments you are aware of? -- G.L., Moorhead, Minnesota

DEAR G.L.: This digestive enzyme deficiency is probably caused by a combination of canine genetics and a high-carbohydrate diet, which makes demands on the pancreas to produce digestive enzymes, all compounded by diet-induced changes in the dog's digestive tract's bacterial population, the "microbiome." Some breeds are affected worse than others.

Try my home-prepared recipe on my website (DrFoxVet.net), and purchase freeze-dried all-meat dog treats. Stick with the veterinary treatment protocol and medications, and your dog should recover soon. For more details about canine diet and health, see the book "Canine Nutrigenomics" by Dr. W. Jean Dodds and Diana R. Laverdure.

(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.net.)