DEAR DR. FOX: We are planning a 14-day overseas trip this April, and I do not have anyone I can ask to stay in my house with my cat Toby (who will be 15 in March) for the duration. I can't imagine that having someone come in for an hour or two a day will be helpful. He is alone much of the time since our other cat, Morticia, died last March at 18 years of age.

I am beside myself with concern about what to do. I have never boarded any of my cats. There are several "cat hotels" that I've researched that seem to be good. I know I need to visit them in advance, but a cat Toby's age, who has never been away overnight, who is very spoiled by me, loved beyond belief -- will he be able to handle a two-week boarding? I know he'll survive it, but when I get him home, will he be the same? Will he forgive me?

I know this sounds ridiculous, but the planning of the trip is nothing compared to my stress over this issue. -- G.C., St. Louis

DEAR G.C.: It is always a problem having one or more animals who may not take well to a boarding facility when you wish to go on vacation, and have no one to housesit or visit twice a day to feed, clean the litterbox, groom and play with the animals.

A pet sitter may be the best option to explore. There are licensed and bonded professional sitters who will spend time with your cat, and a few will stay overnight.

Cats generally do not do as well as dogs going to a boarding facility, but for both species I highly recommend having your animal spend two nights away, then pick him up. The next time he goes, he may not then feel that he is being abandoned. Take along familiar toys, his regular food and an unwashed T-shirt smelling of you -- and if possible, his cat bed or blanket with his own scent on it.

The boarding facility should have an open space where your Toby can get out of the enclosure for some activity at least twice a day, and his holding cage or pen should have plenty of space so he does not have to nap in his litterbox. Too many cat boarding facilities that I have visited have enclosures that are too small with no shelf or perch for the cat to get on or box to hide in, which many cats need because they are fearful in strange surroundings.

The place should be quiet; soft music has a calming effect and serves as a sound barrier. Toby should be regularly handled, groomed and allowed out to play if not too recalcitrant. With two cats used to each other, they should be kept in a double-sized enclosure, and better cat facilities have windows so the cats can see outdoors, often at an array of bird feeders. There should be no barking dogs to terrify them in any adjacent boarding kennels.

So go visit the facilities available in your area with these pointers in mind. The boarding operation will probably insist on Toby having blood tests for feline viral leukemia and immunodeficiency virus, as well as up-to-date vaccinations. The latter may not be needed if they accept blood titre results indicating he does not require shots other than the mandatory anti-rabies vaccination. If vaccinations are needed, be sure they are not given at the last minute, but three to four weeks before Toby goes into the facility.

STRESS MIGHT CAUSE DOGS TO GO GRAY EARLY

A study of 400 dogs found fear of loud sounds, unfamiliar people and animals was associated with gray hair on and around the muzzle. Premature graying in dogs under 4 years of age may be a possible indicator of anxiety, fear or impulsivity issues. The findings were reported by Dr. Camille King and associates at Northern Illinois University in the December 2016 edition of Applied Animal Behavior Science.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 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: My 12-year-old cat eats grass -- I mean like a sheep eats grass! She eats it for about 15 minutes every day when I take her out in our enclosed backyard.

She always ate some grass, but seems to do so constantly now. A hairball shows up every third day or so. I've tried hairball products, but she hates them so much that she spits them out or vomits them up almost immediately. Do you have any advice on this? -- S.N., Washington, D.C.

DEAR S.N.: Your cat is displaying her biological wisdom, consuming a small amount of "cat tonic" grass, and I wish that more cats had such opportunity. A few pots of sprouting wheatgrass for indoor cats can be a daily delight.

Like dogs and other animals, cats will eat grass and various herbs when they feel the urge, which may be stomach or intestinal irritation from a hairball or parasites, or nausea from chronic liver, kidney or other health issues. Such behavior may be innate and reinforced by the animal feeling better after consuming the selected plant. I have also seen puppies and kittens engaging in observational learning, trying out eating grass after seeing their mothers or an older animal munching away.

This behavior calls for caution: Cats nibbling on lilies and other potentially harmful plants put themselves at risk, possibly because they want to eat something green like grass, which is safe. As for manufactured cat foods and treats that are supposed to help rid the cat of hairballs in the stomach, I would go for the grass instead. For some cats, a teaspoon of fresh catnip or cat mint herb will evoke vomiting. For cats with a hairball problem, this can be a good weekly purging if the sprouted grass does not trigger emesis (vomiting).

DEAR DR. FOX: We lost our beloved 17-year-old cat just before Thanksgiving. Now that the holidays are over, we are thinking of adding to the family again.

We are a family of four with two children ages 3 and 9. The cat that passed away was an “only child” from the time she came home, but we have read that two kittens can adapt better than one. What do you recommend? -- L.T., Fargo, North Dakota

DEAR L.T.: I strongly urge that people keep two cats rather than just one cat, who is likely to be alone in the home all day, becoming bored, depressed, obese, anxious and stressed by becoming hypervigilant in the empty place.

Ideally, adopt kitten littermates. They will already be bonded. Otherwise, adopt one young cat and then introduce the second following the steps posted on my website article “Introducing a New Cat” (in your case, a second cat).

I urge all people with just one cat to consider doing this. Socially bonded cats care for each other, grooming and playing and being generally more active and healthier than those who live just with people.

DEAR DR. FOX: We have a situation that you have probably seen before, but we haven't.

We adopted a 7-year-old poodle from an animal shelter about a year ago. He is a joy to have, well behaved, friendly -- we love him. We have worked with him on housebreaking and have found out he was in the shelter because he wouldn't potty-train for his former owners.

When we are gone, and even when we are home, he goes into the carpeted bedroom and urinates. We take him out often and reward him for good behavior. Sometime he gives a signal that he wants to go out, but most of the time he sneaks into the carpeted bedroom and does his thing.

We won’t give up on this little guy; however, we would like to solve this problem. -- B.P., West Palm Beach, Florida

DEAR B.P.: This is a place-fixation habit that is not easy to break. Your dog may be choosing the bedroom carpet to mark as a way of affirming his bond with you, just as a dog will often urinate over the urine mark of a buddy dog. Such "marking over," as I call it, is a way of giving a signal to other dogs that "we are together." Some degree of anxiety or insecurity may be an additional motivating factor.

If making your bedroom inaccessible to the dog during the day or laying down a sheet of plastic to try to break the habit does not work, discuss with your veterinarian -- after ruling out any question of cystitis and chronic kidney disease -- about prescribing a short course of treatment with Prozac.

But first, I would try the natural supplement called @-Eaze, which can help take the edge off an anxiety condition with elements of compulsive behavior and help calm your dog. For details, visit petzlife.com -- and keep me posted on your results!

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 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: Pet food safety advocate Susan Thixton has been battling with pet food regulatory agencies for the past 10 years to try to improve pet food quality and safety through her websites truthaboutpetfood.com and associationfortruthinpetfood.com.

Each year, she puts out a list of pet foods that she trusts to feed her own pets as a fundraiser for her advocacy work. She just released her 2017 list. If you’d like to learn more about it, visit truthaboutpetfood.com/the-2017-list.

She writes: “Selecting a pet food should be just like selecting your own food. Pet owners should be able to depend (on the fact) that the image of roasted chicken or grilled steak on the label is used in the pet food. And pet owners should be able to read the ingredients and nutrient information on pet food, just like they do with their own food. Unfortunately, selecting your pet’s dinner is nothing like selecting your own dinner.

"Unlike with human food, the (Food and Drug Administration) allows pet food to violate law. The agency allows pet food to ‘recycle’ some highly inferior ingredients, everything from diseased animal material to rotting, molding foods -- with no warning to the pet owner.

"Truthaboutpetfood.com and associationfortruthinpetfood.com are dedicated to improving pet food quality and safety for the good of all, including those better manufacturers in the 2017 list.”

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a terminally ill 10-year-old female bouvier. She has inoperable osteochondrosarcoma on her skull.

I opted to do a course of palliative radiation treatment, which just ended. I am not confident that she is not experiencing pain, even though she is not exhibiting the classic signs (panting, pacing and not eating). She sleeps all day, but eats enthusiastically.

I have received very little information or guidance from our oncologist, and I do not know what to expect or whether she will be or is in pain. Any insight you can offer me to help make the end of her life as comfortable as possible would be very much appreciated. How do I know when the end should come? I do not want things to be dire for her. -- B.B., Madison, Virginia

DEAR B.B.: I am sorry that you and your poor dog have gone through this ordeal of bone cancer treatment. With your vet, discuss providing cannabis medication for your dog. For more information, and to purchase, visit cannaforpets.com.

I am sending you a short article with a quality of life assessment, which I will be posting on my website in the near future, and which you may wish to share with your veterinary oncologist, who should be providing you with some palliative or hospice care guidelines.

You can also go online and find a set of guidelines by Dr. Alice Villalobos at pawspice.com/q-of-l-care/new-page.html. Quality of life determinations are an essential part of caring for terminally ill animals and for others with various conditions. The veterinary profession is beginning to address quality of life in a systematic way, animal pain and suffering being difficult to objectively determine in many instances.

POSSIBLE THIAMINE INADEQUACY PROMPTS CAT FOOD RECALL

A number of 9Lives, EverPet and Special Kitty canned cat foods have been recalled because they may contain inadequate levels of thiamine. Over time, thiamine deficiency can develop in cats that do not consume enough of the vitamin, causing serious neurological issues.

Follow @AVMARecallWatch on Twitter to stay up to date on pet food recalls and alerts and, learn more on AVMA's website, avma.org.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 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.)