DEAR DR. FOX: We read your warning about not getting a wild cat hybrid, and agree with you totally.

My husband and I bought a Savannah, a hybrid serval-domestic cat mix, as a kitten. He was neutered, declawed and given lots of love and toys, but the older he got, the more he paced and did not want to get near us except when it was time to be fed. He made me nervous because he was so restless all the time, and he was easily upset by sudden noises. After he bit my husband badly on the arm, we sent him to a wild cat sanctuary for these displaced critters, who don't seem to know where they belong or what they are here for.

I hope people follow your advice. After we got rid of him, we adopted two kittens from our local shelter, both tabbies and littermates. Life couldn't be better for them or for us. -- T.L., Trenton, New Jersey

DEAR T.L.: Thank you for sharing your sad experience with this poor hybrid cat -- a lost soul, indeed.

I would like to hear the experiences of other readers. Another wild cat hybrid, the safari cat, a cross between Geoffroy's cat and the domestic shorthair, is a human-created misfit, and this species of wild cat is endangered.

The Scottish wild cat is now endangered as a result of interbreeding with free-roaming housecats. The reverse is possible: A non-neutered wild cat hybrid could escape (they are expert escape artists) and cross-breed with free-roaming domestic cats to produce a new super-predator on our very own doorsteps.

It would be wise, therefore, for municipalities to crack down on breeders and prohibit the propagation of such animals, which has more to do with making money and owning some "exotic" novelty creature than with any empathic regard and respect for wild cat species and these man-made hybrid aberrations. Most of them are simply unable to effectively adapt to a domesticated, confined existence. Many people with such creations genuinely love them, but such love is no justification for their perpetuation and proliferation.

DEAR DR. FOX: I take my 5-year-old neutered male cat out for walks on a harness and leash. He seems to love it. He'll ask for me to take him out by meowing and pawing at his leash. When we walk, I let him take the lead, but by now we've established a regular route around my apartment complex, which he'll navigate reliably and predictably, for the most part.

However, cars scare him, bicycles scare him and groups of people scare him, and he'll attempt to run off in whatever direction he can to get away from them. He's on a leash, so I'm not concerned about him escaping, but is there anything I can do to minimize his fear? -- D.V., Falls Church, Virginia

DEAR D.V.: I wish more people with cats would get then used to going for a walk -- most cats love it, provided it is a quiet neighborhood. I would take a walking stick along, just in case you meet up with an off-leash dog. Your cat may eventually habituate to traffic and noisy people, but be mindful that some cat harnesses, as I learned from personal experience, can be wriggled and twisted out of by a spooked cat.

I advise using two leashes -- a collar and leash as well as a harness and leash if your cat is not always calm and is easily frightened.

(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: We have a wonderful 3-year-old miniature poodle who is a delight in almost every way. Despite getting lots of exercise and having many chew toys to gnaw on, he still likes to chew our bed linens and decorative pillows. He's put holes in sheets and pillowcases.

What can we do? -- N.M., Gainesville, Virginia

DEAR N.M.: There are many reasons why your little dog engages in such destructive chewing. I would advise a veterinary wellness examination to rule out any chronic inflammatory condition, oral or abdominal, that could make your dog want to chew things all the time. If this behavior most often occurs when you are away from the home, your dog may be suffering from separation anxiety coupled with obsessive-compulsive behavior -- resulting in a neurotic need to chew.

Being bored and in the home alone all day can lead to destructive behaviors. Small dog breeds have varying degrees of paedomorphosis -- the perpetuation of puppylike physical traits into adulthood, including disproportionately large heads; protruding, "appealing" eyes; malformed jaws and dentition; and misshapen and misaligned limbs. All these paedomorphic traits can lead to a variety of health problems later in life.

Many dogs -- and not just smaller breeds -- also inherit, through human selection, what I term paedopsychic traits. The behavioral repertoire associated with extreme paedopsychosis, or behavioral neoteny, consists of predominantly infantile or puppyish behaviors normally seen just in brief episodes of spirited playfulness and moments of anxiety in most adult dogs. These behaviors include almost continuous attention-seeking behavior, excessive vocal and oral activity (chewing and licking) and searching behaviors, all of which can become obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Along with the physical ailments associated with paedomorphosis, these poor dogs do not have the best quality of life without constant attention and often considerable veterinary expense. They are especially prone to separation anxiety. Many suffer alone all day in holding crates in apartments in affluent urban communities worldwide, where they are currently popularized status symbols, fashion accessories and a source of emotional gratification. Abnormal behaviors related to boredom often develop in dogs confined in such unstimulating environments.

The attention-seeking behaviors that are rewarded by the devoted attention of owners highly conditioned by their dogs may in some instances evolve into Munchausen by proxy, especially when coupled with physical abnormalities. These overdependent, hypersocial dogs may carry the gene responsible in humans for the Williams syndrome, where affected children are exceptionally gregarious and friendly toward strangers.

Since extreme forms of paedomorphism and paedopsychism can lower the quality of life of such animals, their deliberate and continued propagation should be seriously reconsidered. Those caring for such dogs, many of which are adorable but are challenged physically and emotionally, should not overindulge, since that only reinforces dependency. Apart from not breeding dogs with such extreme traits, joining a regular play group with other dogs may be the best medicine to help let the real dog emerge by reinforcing more mature dog-dog interactions.

DEAR DR. FOX: We adopted a 1-year-old Pomeranian from a rescue group five years ago.

He has had trouble with a luxating patella for over a year. Now the vet says it is a Grade 3, and he needs surgery. He would have to be crated most of the time for a couple months, with no running. He is currently taking carprofen and tramadol (when needed).

This dog was crated the whole first year of his life. We only crated him until he was house-trained.

We asked the vet about exercises, and she said they probably would not help. At the present time, his quality of life is good. At what point do we say yes to surgery? -- J.S., Wentzville, Missouri

DEAR J.S.: Your dog's condition is quite common in smaller breeds. A luxating patella, or trick knee, calls for surgical correction if, toward maturity, the ligaments helping keep it in place do not tighten up.

This developmental defect has a hereditary basis. There are accounts of pups with this condition, after being given time to mature and regular exercise, having their kneecaps eventually stabilize, and surgery was not needed. Your poor dog's confinement in a crate during her early development most probably interfered with this self-healing process. Left untreated, your dog will be unable to enjoy full range of normal physical activities and is likely to develop inflammatory, arthritic lesions that will later interfere further with mobility.

I would opt for surgery without further delay, and shame on whomever kept him in a crate for a year. They should be prosecuted.

A LEGAL WIN FOR DOGS IN OHIO

An Ohio appeals court raised the value of dogs above that of other items of property by ruling that a lower court must revisit a 2015 civil suit that awarded a dog's market value ($400) to the plaintiff, even though the cost of the dog's treatment exceeded $10,000. "Pets do not have the same characteristics as other forms of personal property, such as a table or sofa, which is disposable and replaceable at our convenience," wrote three judges from the appeals court.

(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: You recently ran a letter about National Feral Cat Day, which is an insult to the domestic cat, our most popular beloved pet.

Forcing unadoptable cats to live and die outdoors through the misguided practice of trap-neuter-release (or abandon) rather than receive a quick, humane death is cruel and irrational. As the director of a cat shelter, I have witnessed too many who suffer miserably with prolonged deaths from parasite infestations or systemic infections from injuries or diseases transmitted by fleas and other animals. After one trip to the clinic for sterilization, these cats will never receive any palliative care for the many afflictions they may eventually acquire.

Cats do not belong on farms, where they can contaminate farm animals and vegetable crops with toxoplasmosis gondii oocysts -- spread via feces -- which they catch while hunting native wildlife, not just pest species.

Animal shelters were created to prevent cruelty to animals, not for people to do what makes them feel good. The true heroes are open-admission shelter staffs who make difficult but compassionate decisions for the sake of the animals while cleaning up the problems that irresponsible people leave behind. Love your cats by keeping them safe on your own property and away from wildlife.

I spent three months this past summer fighting the crazy "no-kill" people at town board meetings because they didn't approve of euthanizing feral cats instead of applying TNR to them. They basically spread lies about me stalking cats in backyards and taking peoples' cats! It was quite frightening. I came through with the help of my supporters and from three veterinarians. -- Gail Mihocko, Project Cat director, Accord, New York

DEAR G.M., I agree with you; communities endorsing TNR without question are undoubtedly betraying what I consider a sacred duty to care for cats and all creatures great and small. In most communities, releasing cats to live permanently outdoors is an abdication of responsibility for wildlife protection, public health and cats' welfare.

DEAR DR. FOX: I can relate to the reader who wrote about his two deceased dogs coming back to visit him. I, too, had that experience with my beloved black Labrador, King. He was 10 years old when he died last November.

About a week after he died, I was in my bedroom, crying. I looked out my window and saw a set of dog prints in the snow. I went outside. The gate was closed and had a lock on it. I opened it and saw dog prints; I followed them for about eight feet, right into the middle of my yard, where they just disappeared! I knew it was King, since no dog could possibly jump the fence, let alone leave paw prints that led to nowhere. I came in and had the most peaceful feeling ever, knowing my King was still here with me. -- P.C., St. Charles, Missouri

DEAR P.C.: Many skeptical readers, the latter-day doubting Thomases of instrumental rationalism, will have something to think about when they read your account of your beloved dog's communication with you after life. I have added your letter to the many that I have received to my website DrFoxVet.net, under "Animal Spirits." This subject is important because it adds a dimension to understanding the nature of reality, where perception is reality and seeing is believing! Letters on this very personal subject from other readers are always welcome.

(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.)