DEAR DR. FOX: Yours is a voice in the wilderness regarding cat problems. Many of us who are trying to address the overpopulation of feral cats appreciate you very much.

I have been doing some research related to cats' effect on bird populations. We often speak only in general terms, but local effects are important. Here are a few paragraphs from an article I have recently had published locally that speak to the situation both nationally and here in New York:

"The effect of the feral domestic cat on wildlife is, to use appropriately chosen words, catastrophic and cataclysmic; it appears on the world list of 100 worst invasive alien species. With evidence gathered from a wide number of resources, researchers estimate the number of birds killed by cats annually in the United States at 1.3 to 4 billion and the number of mammals at 6.3 to 22.3 billion. This represents an average of 750,000 annual bird kills per county, or 800 per square mile. There are, of course, many causes of wildlife mortality, but, compared with other human-related causes, cats represent far and away the major killer...

"... (W)hile we should certainly be concerned about wind turbines, this places their effect in proportion with the effect produced by cats. We have regional evidence that strongly correlates with this drastic situation."

The U.S. Geological Survey June Breeding Bird Surveys are carefully replicated annual counts along designated routes, and they offer a stark population comparison between the 1960s and the 2010s. New York has 99 of these routes. Overall bird numbers for New York state are down 35 percent. Meadow birds that nest on or near the ground and are especially susceptible to cat predation are far worse off, with these specifics: thrashers down 79 percent, towhees 83 percent, meadowlarks 91 percent, vesper sparrows 74 percent, field sparrows 80 percent and grasshopper sparrows 97 percent. Henslow's sparrows are gone; in the 1960s, there were an average of 31 counted each year, but the last was recorded in 2006. It is quite easy to come up with similar data for any state by going to the Survey files. -- G.R.R., distinguished teaching professor emeritus at State University of New York, Buffalo

DEAR G.R.R.: I know that I am not alone in expressing appreciation for your in-field research on the impact of domestic cats on wild bird populations. This has been a long and contentious issue in my syndicated newspaper column. I do not wish to continue to alienate those cat lovers who support releasing neutered cats to live outdoors and kill wildlife, but to help them expand their circle of compassion to embrace all creatures and not just cats, whom I love and respect. In fact, my wife and I have rescued and rehabilitated many to become happy and affectionate indoor cats.

Your findings may help convince cat owners and municipalities that cats belong indoors, just as with our dogs, and apply appropriate laws to help ensure the same. Habitat loss, widespread use of herbicides and insecticides, and climate change are additional factors that harm wild birds and other wildlife, which society must address with nothing less than regional and planetary CPR -- conservation, preservation and restoration.

Social progress demands that we examine the truths we live by, our values, actions and cultural traditions, including the sons of princes, presidents, kings and tycoons who trophy hunt and kill beautiful rare species, the not-so-rich who capture birds and other wildlife for the international market, so many dying in the process, and the English in my original homeland, who put their cats out at night and bring them in with the morning milk and newspaper from their doorsteps, where their cats often deposit the night’s kill -- a nursing field mouse or a mother wren!

HAPPY OWNERS MIGHT MEAN HAPPIER DOGS, STUDY FINDS

A study published in PLOS ONE found that dogs and their owners influence each other's personalities and ability to cope with stress, and humans have a particularly marked effect on dog behavior. Heart rate and cortisol levels were recorded and interpreted alongside survey results, revealing that dogs are sensitive to the emotional states of their owners, and dogs may adjust their behavior in response.

Several decades ago, I termed this phenomenon "sympathetic resonance," and this study confirms how empathic and vulnerable our canine companions really are.

(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: I have a 13-year-old domestic shorthair cat, Gabby. She is always an indoor cat.

The vet says that she needs a vaccine booster shot every year. Her booster shot is coming up. Does she still needs a booster shot at her age? I asked the vet, and he said that she still needs it.

The vet is also a little concerned about my cat having pancreatitis. She is gradually losing weight, going from 12.5 pounds three years ago to 10.7 pounds today. She is still very active and alert most of the time. She does sleep a lot, but she seems to be resting peacefully during those times.

I give Gabby fresh, cold water at least three times a day; I feed her Royal Canin Selected Protein Adult PR wet food and Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Selected Protein dry food multiple times a day; and I give her a capsule of Cosequin mixed in with her food to help with her joints. -- J.B., Naples, Florida

DEAR J.B.: I realize how much you care for your older cat and commend you on your attention to your feline companion's quality of life.

First, your cat should not need booster vaccinations -- except for the mandatory anti-rabies shot -- and the protocol is never to vaccinate any animal who is showing signs of illness, which she is since she is losing weight. The veterinarian should first focus on this.

I advise against giving cats municipal tap water. I use a ZeroWater filter for my cats.

Your cat could have a thyroid issue or problem digesting food. First, I think more food is needed. Give her a sardine in water every day and an extra meal in the early afternoon. Most cats, and especially older ones, do best on four to five small meals a day.

VACCINATION PROTOCCOLS GO INTERNATIONAL

Veterinarians in the United Kingdom are being urged to adopt the vaccinations of cats and dogs against “core” diseases (excluding rabies) advocated by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association to its 86 member countries. The protocol is similar to the one that I and other veterinarians in the United States and Canada have been advocating for the past 15 years, and more on the basis of sound science -- including advances in vaccinology, immunology and blood titer testing -- rather than personal opinion, to optimize the benefits and minimize the risks.

The core vaccinations against canine distemper virus, canine adenovirus and canine parvovirus Type 2 are all given to pups at 6, 12, 16 weeks or older, and either 26 or 52 weeks. They should not get another until 4 years, then 7 years, and finally 10 years of age, with the option of serum testing and then not revaccinating if antibody titers show good immunity.

The core vaccinations against feline parvovirus, feline herpesvirus Type 1 (rhinotracheitis) and feline calicivirus are given to kittens at 8, 12, 16 weeks or older, and either 26 or 52 weeks. Then for low-risk cats who live indoors, this combination of vaccines is recommended to be given at 4 years, 7 years, and finally 10 years of age, with the option of revaccinating against only feline herpesvirus Type 1 and feline calicivirus if the serum titer readings are high for feline parvovirus immunity, indicating continued effective immunity.

In sum, these core vaccinations need not be given annually. Other vaccinations (non-core) may be called for depending on the region, outbreaks of infections and associated exposure risks.

CALIFORNIA CAT TURNS UP IN ONTARIO

After four years, BooBoo the cat will soon be back with her original owner in Watsonville, California, after being found and brought to a shelter in Ontario, Canada. The staff at Guelph Humane Society found BooBoo's family through the cat's microchip.

(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: We have a cocker spaniel who is quite active. When he was 3 years old, he tore the ACL in his right leg. We opted for surgery, although I was a pastor and money was tight.

We paid on the installment plan, and, yes, it was about $3,500 total. He wasn't overweight, but our surgeon insisted he still lose weight and take a short course of meds. Of course, he tore the ACL in his other leg a year later. Same price. We followed the surgeon's orders regarding running and jumping, and he wore an Elizabethan collar to keep him from going after the sutures.

He is now 9 years old. The only medication he takes is Dasuquin, which we get by mail order. He's kept the weight off and has had no further problems, happily.

I love to watch him run. He is walked daily, except when it's icy. He is pain free. He can jump up without any problems.

Many people felt we should have had him put down. I'm so happy we didn't. When I lived in Washington, D.C., we went to a great clinic that was willing to accept payments on the installment plan. It was worth every penny. -- S.M., Crownsville, Maryland

DEAR S.M.: Thanks for confirming the benefits of corrective surgery for this common canine problem, along with documentation of the expense and the accommodating payment plan your veterinarian set up with you.

Your dog was young and not a heavy-bodied breed; older dogs are poor candidates for this kind of surgery. Still, losing some weight was important. This is one factor that makes dogs prone to tearing their cruciate ligaments, as is lack of regular exercise and sudden activity after a long winter indoors. I advise people to keep their dogs from being too active when they get outdoors and are still in poor physical condition.

DEAR DR. FOX: My elderly father lives in a two-story house. He has recently become disabled, and he may have to live in the downstairs area only. There is one small bathroom on that floor.

The problem is that we currently use that bathroom as the location for his cat's litter box. Further, this 14-year-old cat uses the entire bathroom to eliminate, frequently going on the floor and foregoing the litter box, even when it's clean. The cat has been doing this for years, and we cannot seem to break him of his most undesirable toilet habits.

Since this is the only bathroom that my father will have access to, we have to find a new location for the cat's litter box. My father and his nursing aides will not possibly be able to share this bathroom with a cat who makes a daily disaster out of it. What's the best way to acclimate a cat to a new litter box location, and how do we get him to use it 100 percent of the time? Otherwise, we're going to have to find a new home for this cat; I am unable to take him. -- R.A., Newark, New Jersey

DEAR R.A.: This is a challenge for an older cat! Your best hope is to buy a large wire dog crate, 4-by-5-feet or larger, and put the cat inside in the new "room," along with a bed, food, water and litter box. Clean up the bathroom with Nature's Miracle enzyme cleaner. Let the cat out, supervised, as often as possible for play and grooming, but never allow him back into the bathroom. The cat should adapt quickly to using the litter box in the confines of the cage, which can eventually be left open so the cat can come and go freely or be kept most of the time in the closed room with as much human company as possible, and being let out and closely monitored at other times.

(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.)