DEAR DR. FOX: More fur could fly! Unmentioned thus far in your column regarding feral cats is the well-meaning but poorly advised habit some residents have of leaving cat food outside in bowls. Cats are not the only critters attracted to cat food. Raccoons, coyotes and rodents like rats and mice are, too. And these animals are fairly abundant here in western Prince William County, Virginia, and perhaps in your area, too.

A lot of the residents in my neighborhood leave trash, including meat and bones, in thin plastic bags on the curb for the twice-a-week trash pickup, rather than utilizing the solid plastic bins everyone was provided. The homeowners association, strict on many things, has been lax in this regard. When I walk my beagle around the neighborhood, I see many of these trash bags ripped open with bones strewn about, perhaps the work of cats or other wild animals. The bones could cause choking in animals, and they attract flies.

Eventually, the coyotes will catch on that there are free meals from these trash bags and cat food bowls. Once they catch on, it's just a matter of time before small pets and perhaps even toddlers start disappearing, as has happened already in the western United States. Maybe then something will be done. -- D.V., Bristow, Virginia

DEAR D.V.: Yes, it seems that the fur must fly before people wake up and act responsibly on many fronts.

I have addressed the issue of people putting food out for free-roaming cats in earlier columns. It is one of many human activities that, as Dan Flores emphasizes in his excellent book "Coyote America," create ideal conditions for some wild species to proliferate so the war on wildlife will continue.

All garbage should be put in raccoon-proof containers; these masked bandits are the most dexterous of species in opening containers and spreading the contents out for all to share. More than one dog has died from eating the bones out of the garbage, but coyotes, by all accounts, seem to handle such potentially hazardous fare just fine.

Those good-hearted people who put out food for stray cats and end up feeding raccoons, opossums and the occasional coyote -- who will happily make a meal out of a cat -- must realize that their concern for cats amounts to misguided altruism and does more harm than good, as you point out in your letter. Such feeding encourages cats to congregate and multiply. Even neutered "community colonies" of cats pose a serious threat to wildlife and to public health.

Real concern calls for responsible action, and with free-roaming cats, that means humane trapping, neutering and holding in quarantine or group housing in sanctuaries where rehabilitation and socialization can lead to many becoming friendly and adoptable.

DEAR DR. FOX: Several years ago, you gave us excellent advice about our cat's low neutrophil level. We followed your vitamin and food regimen, and Jacky Paper remains an active cat.

I'm writing because Jacky has always had a weird fetish. A friend recently suggested that it could be diet- or vitamin-related, so we're turning to you once again. The cat has an obsessive need to gnaw on plastic, rubber bands, twisty ties, ribbons, bows and any substance that is plastic or rubbery. For example, when we bring home bottles of Gatorade held together by plastic rings, Jacky hears us separating the bottles and comes running into the kitchen, jumps on the counter and tries to bite the plastic. When we throw the rings in the garbage, she claws at the can to try to get at them. It's like she has a cat version of pica.

A few weeks ago, we were awakened at 4 a.m. to the sound of Jacky Paper choking. I jumped up and was horrified to see that she had just vomited up a piece of plastic about 4 inches long by about 1 inch wide. We discovered that we had inadvertently left a plastic bag of oranges in the fruit bowl -- we just forgot to take out the fruit and throw the bag away. Of course, she zeroed in on the bag and chewed it up and swallowed the plastic.

What can we do to curb her plastic fetish? -- B.K., Arlington, Virginia

DEAR B.K.: I always advise close examination of the animal's oral cavity to rule out inflammation or infection that can make some animals want to chew things to help alleviate the discomfort.

The second consideration is possible digestive or inflammatory bowel issues or internal parasites. All of these are possible triggers for pica, or abnormal appetite. But if there is no identifiable physical cause and only specific materials are chosen to consume, I would diagnose addictive behavior triggered by one or more substances.

In the case of plastic materials, extracts of animal fats (stearates) are used as a softener, and some animals may detect the odor or taste and find it irresistible. Some cats like to hoard and chew paper money, which is treated with a finishing coat containing animal fat extract.

Once a cat develops an addiction to these kinds of materials, the only things to do are to keep vigilant and store such items out of the cat's reach. Plastics, including those on food packaging, contain phthalates, which disrupt the endocrine system, along with bisphenol A (BPA), which is still used as a lining in canned foods for human consumption as well as in most cans of pet food. So many chemicals have been put into the environment and into the food chain with limited, if any, knowledge about their safety or concern. A coalition of health-care professionals and scientists have posted a call-to-action statement called Project TENDR (Targeting Environmental Neuro-Development Risks) in the scientific journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

(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 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.)