DEAR DR. FOX: I am 74 years old; I live alone and have a chronic disease. I have had pets all my life.

About two years ago, I lost my wonderful cat companion of 17 years. I had been unable to pay for veterinary care since I had to retire. The cost of care, food and other related expenses is beyond my reach now.

I have been extremely sad and lonely since I lost my cat. Is there any service out there that can help me? I am physically unable to care for a cat or dog, so I am now considering budgies (parakeets) when I can save up enough money. --E.B., Norman, Oklahoma

DEAR E.B.: I urge you to call your local animal shelter or humane society; if you are mobile, ask them if you can come and be a "socializer" for the animals. Many facilities realize the benefits of having volunteers come and pet, groom and play with amenable animals.

I wonder if any have the funds and staff to take a dog or cat to spend a day or more with people in situations like yours. I would be a win-win for all.

In Tokyo, a Japanese friend tells me there is a dog-for-a-day rental service that he uses for his son, since his apartment is in a "no pets" high-rise!

DEAR DR. FOX: My question is about a dog we had several years ago. She was a private adoption from some friends who could not keep her. She would not stay in any type of confinement -- no kennel of any type. If they tried to confine her, she would escape and always ended up in "doggie jail." Our friends would bail her out, bring her home and do it all over again. They asked us to take her because we lived in a very rural area where she could be free. We provided her with a nice doghouse that she refused to even enter. She preferred to sleep under a bush in our yard.

Is it possible that, like some humans, she couldn't tolerate confined spaces? -- L.W., High Point, North Carolina

DEAR L.W.: This condition of claustrophobia, in my experience, is more prevalent in cats than in dogs. Its origins are surely complex, with genetics, temperament and early socialization (or lack thereof), and traumatic experience all being contributing factors.

I have seen the reverse many years ago in a colony of research beagles used in a government study of long-term effects of radiation exposure. I was called in as a veterinary behavioral consultant to help these poor dogs who had been kept confined in small cages their entire lives. Many of them simply froze into catatonic immobility when given larger indoor-outdoor living quarters.

So the fear factor can work in different ways, depending on an animal's early life experiences. I was able to help most of these research dogs with a resocialization and gradual environmental exposure and enrichment program. Your dog found her own solution and preferred to be semi-feral, possibly feeling more secure under the bush than in an enclosed space wherein she could not flee if alarmed. Most dogs prefer a kennel, crate or cage with the door always open, using the enclosure as a secure "den" in the home or yard.

DEAR DR. FOX: Thank you very much. I doubt that our dog had much socialization before we got her -- her previous family was too busy. We tried, but I guess the damage had been done. Our current dog loves her kennel or our den. She just wants to be where her people pack is, and that's exactly where we want her. -- L.W.

(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 READERS: The animals suffer with us, for us and because of us in many ways. They are as much victims of the human condition as they are of our inhumanity toward our own kind. That animals continue to be exploited in so many ways as commodities for our consumption, for trophy hunting, for entertainment and for drug testing are all symptomatic of the spiritual and ethical crisis of modern "civilization" and its increasing disconnectedness from the life and beauty of the earth community -- dystopia, indeed! We must all do what we can to restore these sacred, ecological, ancestral, biological and spiritual connections.

Here are some suggested resolutions to consider for the good of the animals in the 2016 new year:

-- Make an annual wellness exam appointment for your animal companion, and consider making one every six months for older animals.

-- Support your local animal shelter by volunteering, giving money or donating needed supplies.

-- Consider adopting from a shelter. If you already have one animal, consider getting a second.

-- Cats are carnivores. A high-carb diet can kill cats and sicken dogs, so resolve to learn more about their nutritional needs. Visit DrFoxVet.net for more information.

-- Eat less meat, become a vegetarian or go vegan, and support organic producers.

-- Examine the use of animals in society, as I describe in my book, "Animals & Nature First." Helping animals is in our best interest, too.

DEAR DR. FOX: Do you have any special recommendations for an older cat whose asthma has gotten worse in recent months? She has been put on a steroid inhaler and still takes Terbutaline, but her hacking is getting worse. Are there any homeopathic remedies that we could try?

It's painful to watch her in such distress, with attacks coming more frequently. -- J.W., Silver Spring, Maryland

DEAR J.W.: Sorry to hear about your old cat's asthma. Veterinarians are now recognizing that some cases of feline asthma are triggered by a food allergy or an intolerance to certain cat food ingredients -- notably corn, soy, beef, fish and dairy products.

You might therefore discuss with your veterinarian changing your cat's diet and see if there is improvement. Many cats become addicted to dry foods, but I would try to transition your cat onto a grain-free and soy-free canned cat food, or try my home-prepared cat food recipe.

Let me know if this helps. I know of one cat with this issue who immediately improved when there was no rice in his food! I know of no homeopathic or herbal remedies that may help your cat. To be on the safe side, I trust that your veterinarian has ruled out congestive heart failure; enlarged and dysfunctional hearts, often a result of a dietary deficiency in cats, can lead to fluid buildup in the lungs and asthmalike symptoms.

Dusty cat litter and corn-based litter can be problematic, as can artificial fragrances (volatile organic compounds) in many cat litters, laundry detergents and room fresheners.

Open the windows (screened so cats can't escape) and freshen your living space naturally (a morning ritual when I was growing up in England), and check your air vents and filters for your central air conditioning and heat ducts. Cat dander is in every cat's environment and causes human asthma, and I wonder if cats can become allergic to themselves or possibly to their human companions. I know of one dog recently being diagnosed with an allergy triggered by human dander!

PET FOOD NEWS

-- The Blue Buffalo pet food company has entered into a settlement agreement in the consumer class action lawsuit brought against them. This settlement of $32 million is the largest in history. For details, go to truthaboutpetfood.com/blue-buffalo-agrees-to-pay-32-million-in-settlement/

-- Bravo Pet Foods of Manchester, Connecticut, is recalling a select lot of Bravo Chicken Blend diet for dogs and cats due to concerns of the possible presence of salmonella. Visit bravopetfoods.com/consumerrecall.html for more information.

-- Stella and Chewy's of Oak Creek, Wisconsin, has announced it is voluntarily recalling select lots of its raw dog and cat food due to the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. Visit fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm477540.htm for more information.

-- Centinela Feed and Pet Supplies of Torrance, California, has announced it is voluntarily withdrawing all its Welcome Home Duck Jerky and Duck Treats due to the presence of unapproved antibiotics and antiviral agents.

-- MARS Petcare has issued a voluntary recall of the 4-ounce Nutro Chewy Treats Apple dog treat due to potential mold.

Contact your pet food supplier if you have any of these products.

(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 lived in the same place for six years. Five years ago, a feral cat showed up. She had been abused -- I could tell in her behavior -- and was very frightened of people. After many months of feeding her, she came to trust me.

I named her Boo. She is all black. Over the years, she also came to trust my friends and neighbors. She is very loving and affectionate. Boo will come into my house to sleep when it is too hot outside, storming or too cold. My two dogs allow this because she is one of the family.

Boo could never be an inside cat. She has to have her freedom; she can't be in the house too long.

I plan on moving soon to an island that is 45 minutes away. I don't know what to do with Boo. She is getting old; she has developed cataracts and is gray in some places. I feel like I cannot leave her. I would never take her to a shelter. Most of the neighbors who loved her have moved.

Should I take her with me and let her live outside in an environment she does not know? -- B.W., Naples, Florida

DEAR B.W.: You are a "captive of your own compassion." My wife, Deana Krantz, and I have found ourselves helping animals in our work on many occasions. We currently have two ex-feral cats; neither has ever tried to go back outdoors once given love, food, water and a cozy environment, plus padded window shelves and a cat tower to get up and above us, hide and look outdoors at the birds and squirrels.

I urge you to either take Boo to a cat rehabilitation center and adoption facility where the mandate is never letting cats outdoors in an unenclosed space, or take her with you to your new home, and never ever let her out. With her failing eyesight and age, she would be vulnerable outdoors and could be killed by a larger predator.

My books "Supercat: How to Raise the Perfect Feline Companion" and "Cat Body, Cat Mind" may be helpful to you if you chose the latter suggestion, which I think is feasible for you. Keep me posted!

DEAR DR. FOX: We had four indoor cats. One has been put to sleep leaving us with three: one male and two females, all siblings.

Every time one goes to the vet, he or she is hissed at for up to a week -- I guess because of the smell from the vet. Is there any way to prevent this? -- P.G., Manahawkin, New Jersey

DEAR P.G.: This problem with your cats is so prevalent that I wonder why more veterinarians don't prescribe possible remedial measures when their feline patient has other cats to come home to.

An essential component of appropriate veterinary care is to consider the environment the animal patient is living in. Until recently, the kind and brand of pet food the animal patient was being fed was not a basic clinical question.

Check my website, DrFoxVet.net, for the article on introducing a new cat into a home where there are cats already; try those steps in the future. Products like Feliway (a pheromone diffused to help calm cats with an estimated 50 percent success rate), together with anointing all cats with a dab of your own perfume or aftershave and giving all the cats some catnip or Petzlife@Eaze, may also help.

DEAR DR. FOX: My sister has a 5-month-old male formerly feral kitten. He seems to be very happy; he enjoys being petted and sleeping in her lap.

But he also bites my sister. What can be done about this? He is an indoor-only orange tabby. -- C.C.B., Falls Church, Virginia

DEAR C.C.B.: Kittens, like puppies, bite during friendly interactive play. Their bites can hurt because their milk teeth are very sharp. They quickly learn while playing with each other to not bite too hard and to not use their claws. This is one reason why I advise people to adopt two kittens from the same litter, rather than just one.

Your sister's cat is young enough to quickly accept and enjoy the company of another feline around his same age. I would encourage her to adopt another young cat. She will then enjoy hours of entertainment with the cats taking care of each other's basic needs.

My cat books may be helpful. It is especially important that your sister learns about feline behavior and communication and wears protective clothing to cover her arms and legs while petting and playing with the cat -- she must teach the cat that biting hard and scratching are unacceptable behaviors.

Most young cats love rough-and-tumble play. For a single cat, one game that can help this behavior is to tie a fluffy toy or bunch of feathers to a string and tie the string to a cane so you have an interactive toy for the cat to hunt, chase and "kill" while your sister is at a safe distance, holding the cane.

(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.)