DEAR READERS: The rights and welfare of animals and the protection of endangered species and their threatened habitats were never mentioned in all the various political debates I heard this year in America. Solutions to various environmental and related public health issues are deferred if jobs, local tax-yielding "development" and the GNP are threatened, and animal suffering is justified for the benefit of society.

I see no hope of significant progress until animal and environmental issues are put on the political agenda with the same level of public concern as human rights and interests. The biological deserts created by agri-industry destroying rain forests and grasslands are a testament to human ignorance and irreverence for life. Keeping animals confined and crowded in factory farms is an abomination, causing billions of animals to suffer every day. These animals become the source of epidemic diseases that threaten us year after year. Pesticides and other chemicals contaminate our bodies, air, food and water.

We should include animals in our politics and put them on the public agenda because of their many values and services to society -- ecologically, economically, emotionally and morally. Animal-protection laws and their effective enforcement are the litmus test of societal compassion and responsibility. Animals' moral value lies in our recognition and prohibition of animal cruelty and wanton annihilation of living beings and their communities because such actions are considered immoral. Immorality in any form is unacceptable in civil society. The late Cesar Chavez, president of United Farm Workers of America, wrote: "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 towards all life will we have learned to live well ourselves".

Crimes against humanity and nature and acts of terrorism against innocent peoples and other animals are of the same psychopathic currency, variously rationalized on the grounds of necessity by the executioners. A recent report by the World Wildlife Fund and Zoological Society of London shows that the world's wildlife population has dropped by a staggering 58 percent since 1970, with the greatest decline (81 percent) in lakes and rivers. This debacle, along with the billions of our 7 billion population suffering war, poverty and starvation and many indigenous cultures becoming extinct, means we must either evolve and flourish, or devolve and our humanity -- the virtue of being humane -- perish.

The antidote is living by the Golden Rule, which translates into the equality of justice for all beings, social justice and environmental eco-justice being complementary. We must establish mutually enhancing relationships with each other and other species, both wild and domesticated, as we strive to cause the least harm in meeting our basic needs and executing our planetary responsibilities. This is enlightened self-interest for us, the dominant species, to prevent accelerating deterioration of all indices of quality of life on planet Earth. We are interconnected and interdependent: one health, one environment and one wealth.

DEAR DR. FOX: My cat has started eating all kinds of fabrics in the house. She has eaten large chunks of a knitted wool sweater, nitrile gardening gloves, leather and foam gardening gloves, and cotton woven placemats. At times, I have found her gnawing on a glove before eating her canned food. Other times, she drags the object around the house and gnaws at will.

She is checked yearly by a vet and is well. She is 4 years old and indoor-only. There are five other cats and three dogs in the house, with whom she gets along well. Why is she doing this? -- S.T., Batesville, Virginia

DEAR S.T.: This behavior, called pica, is most often seen in Siamese cats. It is generally regarded as a vice or obsessive-compulsive behavior, but it should not be dismissed as purely psychological. Pica, especially in dogs, can be triggered by discomfort due to inflammation in the oral cavity and guts.

Some cats with pica improve after various dietary changes, including providing probiotics, digestive enzymes and more fiber, such as a half-teaspoon daily of soaked psyllium husks mixed in with the canned food. Transitioning onto a raw-food diet with fibrous muscle and organ tissues may help in some instances, or you can try giving your cat a daily scalded chicken wing or thin strip of gristly beef.

You need to do some detective work and get a closer veterinary checkup of her mouth and gums. Keep me posted!

(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: In early October, we came home to find a single kitten in our front yard. We searched the area and did not find the mother or any siblings. We already have a 5-year-old male cat and a 3-year-old female cat, but did not think twice about taking in this sweet, helpless kitten. We took Xena to the vet the next day and were told she was approximately 3 weeks old and weighed 11 ounces.

I've read several articles about kittens biting and scratching, and we have been trying to either give her a toy when she starts biting or scratching us, or putting her down and ignoring her. However, neither approach appears to be working.

Do you have any other suggestions on how to get her to stop scratching and biting us? We have never had a kitten from this young an age, so we're not sure if she will just outgrow this behavior, or if we can do something to get her to stop now. -- B.B., Cresco, Pennsylvania

DEAR B.B.: Most kittens do outgrow this behavior, which is most likely playful, contact-seeking behavior.

Simply seizing the kitten by the scruff of the neck, gently but firmly, will cause a reflexive inhibition, much like the mother cat carrying a kitten. This will immediately inhibit the kitten, after which you can pet her or groom her. When she tries to bite or claw you, say "No" in a firm voice, and seize the neck scruff. Be consistent. Holding the kitten in your arms firmly, called cradling, which also works well with puppies, will get her used to being gently restrained.

Be sure to engage in regular grooming with a brush, and stop when the kitten tries to bite or claw. Only allow biting and clawing with various toys, one of the best being a feather or fluffy toy tied to a string attached to a cane that you wave over her and drag along the floor to chase.

DEAR DR. FOX: Thank you for responding to my query regarding my sweet cat, Natasha (the 19-year-old who wails a lot). I was honored to see that you wrote about my question in your column. You said, "keep me posted" in your response, so here goes:

The catnip did help Natasha calm down at night at first. I think she might be used to it now because she seems to ignore it. Any food I put cod liver oil on seems to be spurned as well. The melatonin I purchased is hard to administer. The formulation I bought -- Serene -- has other ingredients in it, which makes me think I shouldn't give it to her. The guidelines are for animals 30 pounds and up, and she weighs only 7 pounds, so I wouldn't dare give her that.

My immediate concern is that we have to be away for 10 days, and I hate to leave her. She will stay in our home with my sister present, but she is so attached to my husband and my daily routine. I worry about her. -- M.T., Newtown, Connecticut

DEAR M.T.: Habituation to catnip is common, so offer it every few days. Cats are very finicky, but try canned sardines in water, and give a teaspoon daily of the fish oil. If your cat enjoys that, then crush half of a straight melatonin tablet before bedtime and put it in her food.

You do have an older cat, and senile dementia in cats is common and is often compounded by painful arthritis, both of which may be helped with a daily dose of an oily fish like sardines. Massage therapy, as per my book, "The Healing Touch for Cats," may also help calm your cat and help with the arthritis.

HEREDITARY DISEASES IN COMPANION ANIMALS

A team of veterinary researchers identified the gene mutation responsible for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in a Maine coon cat in 2005. This is the most common cause of heart disease in cats. This inherited disease is also important in humans, and is frequently responsible for sudden cardiac death. The discovery marks the first report of an identified spontaneous genetic mutation causing heart disease in a cat. The findings paved the way for development of a screening test that identifies cats carrying this genetic mutation so that they can be identified before they are bred, thus reducing or eliminating the incidence of the disease. Many more such harmful mutations have since been identified in cats and dogs. This has opened the future for breeders who can have their animals screened, as well as those whose owners have companion animals with possible hereditary diseases, some of which may benefit from early diagnosis and supportive and remedial treatments.

Embark Veterinary Inc., in partnership with the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, is launching a new comprehensive dog DNA test to improve canine health and wellness. Working with the Cornell Veterinary Biobank (a repository of DNA and medical information based at the college), Embark is able to run more than 160 genetic tests based on a single swab from the dog's mouth. For mixed-breed dogs, Embark can determine what percent of the genome comes from each breed and evaluate the dog's risks for developing associated problems on that basis. There are other companies offering similar services, but with inconsistent results when it comes to determining what breeds may be in your mutt's ancestry. Consumer beware.

(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: Flat-faced cats, like Persians and exotic shorthairs, are rising in popularity, as are flat-faced dogs such as Boston terriers and pugs. This condition, called brachycephaly, can mean a life of suffering from restricted airways, partial suffocation, chronic infections, eye problems and difficulty eating.

Over the past few years, breeders and show judges have selected extreme forms of this condition as a desired trait, with no regard for the animals' welfare. This abominable situation is being decried by the feline welfare charity organization International Cat Care, which is calling for cat lovers to speak out against such deliberate breeding of deformed animals. Under the revised Animal Protection Act in Switzerland, strengthened by regulations against intentional breeding to produce specific traits that compromise animals' health and well-being, two breeders of extreme brachycephalic cats have been successfully prosecuted.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a Pomeranian who has been suffering for a couple months, and I've been unable to help him.

He has a history of anal gland issues, and has his glands expressed by a vet every four months. Recently, he was showing signs of discomfort, so I scheduled an emergency visit for the next day. It didn't help; he still was squirming and crying a little as he tried to itch. I called for another emergency visit a couple weeks later, with the mandatory wellness check. The vet once again expressed the glands and found little fluid, and suggested we may have to remove them to alleviate my dog's issues. Again, there was no relief from his itching. I was very hesitant about a drastic step like removing his anal glands, so I started researching for alternate causes.

I think he may be suffering from a yeast infection. He has small black specks on his belly in addition to a slight discoloration of the skin. He's also been a little smelly. The symptoms described online fit what he was going through.

Here is what I am doing, as of yesterday: I changed his dog kibble (he does get high-quality food, not a supermarket brand) to a single-source protein kibble. I know that is not perfect, as you cannot bind kibble without a starch. I am looking for an alternative regarding the food, but I feel what I am giving him now is an improvement. No treats except protein. I am using an anti-fungal spray on his belly.

Is there something else I should be doing? I certainly don't want to make it worse. If I don't see an improvement shortly, I will take him back to the vet, as maybe he needs to be tested for allergies. I just wanted to try something natural first, so I don't put him through any additional trauma. I'm annoyed that the vet charged me for two wellness checks and clearly didn't check much, just jumped to a surgical option. -- G.L., Fargo, North Dakota

DEAR G.L.: You should contest the charge for a second wellness exam. I would avoid surgical removal of the anal glands. The glands have sacs that can be irrigated with antibiotics and steroids under light sedation and anesthesia. The more often they are squeezed (and often improperly at that), the more inflamed and secretory they can become.

Avoid going on the internet to find solutions. If you suspect a fungal issue, let your attending veterinarian determine that. Turmeric is messy when applied externally and is best taken internally as an anti-inflammatory supplement.

Many anal gland and chronic ear problems are related to food allergies, so try a single-protein diet with a few drops daily of anti-inflammatory fish oil in the food, or try my home-prepared recipe, posted on DrFoxVet.net. It has helped countless dogs with various health issues.

Pigment changes in the skin in older dogs can mean an endocrine problem is developing.

(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.)