DEAR READERS: In India, dozens of Muslims have been killed, and many more injured, by extremists calling themselves “cow protectionists” while the police simply stand by, according to the recent BBC TV documentary, “India’s Cow Vigilantes.”

Traditionally, Muslims and low-caste Hindus (Dalits) ate the meat of cows and working bullocks; the dominant Hindu populace does not consume beef for religious reasons, but consumes a lot of cows’ milk. Now, spent cows and exhausted bullocks, food for many people, instead go to “cow shelters.” In many of these shelters -- as my wife, Deanna Krantz, and I documented in our book “India’s Animals: Helping the Sacred and the Suffering” -- the animals slowly starve to death or die from injuries and infections due to a lack of proper veterinary care.

The government that claims to provide feed for all these impounded animals is riddled with corruption, the shelter cattle being worth only their skin and bones. Poor people cannot afford feed for their family milk cows or goats.

The Hindu veterinarian whose work we help fund (and whose name we will not give, for his own safety) writes:

“Humane slaughter is highly preferable and must be practiced. Changing food habits by enforcing law is unacceptable and will jeopardize the very secular nature of the country, constituted as a ‘Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic with unity in diversity.’ Many Muslims and others are vegetarian, and many Hindu men eat beef when away from home.”

This is the first instance to my knowledge where animals regarded as sacred have been made to suffer on such an enormous scale because of politico-religious fundamentalist bigotry. The Indian government should outlaw violence in the spurious name of cow protection, and recognize the ecological and economic good that comes from recycling the cows who gave them milk and meat. After all, India is the world’s second-largest exporter of beef (primarily from water buffalo). For more details, visit drfoxonehealth.com.

I should add that vegetarian Hindus and Jains caring for captive carnivores, from lions to eagles, have crippled and starved them, forcing them to accept a lacto-vegetarian diet. Imposing such dietary restrictions on obligate carnivores because of religious beliefs and customs is clearly unethical and culturally absurd.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have an 11-year-old female cat, Tina, who started to lose weight over the last four months. At first, I did not notice, as she is a fluffy cat and sleeps most of the day in my room.

Last week, I was petting her and felt her bones. I called my vet, and he came to check her out. He took blood and palpated her neck and showed me a lump on her thyroid. The blood test confirmed that she has hyperthyroidism. We immediately ordered thyroid medicine from a pharmacy, but it will take five days to be delivered.

What can we do in the meantime? I have been giving her dry food all day, and wet food two to three times a day. Is there a recommended food for cats with hyperthyroidism? I can supplement her food with eggs, meat, etc., but I would rather give her something with vitamins and minerals geared towards caloric intake.

She was 12 pounds in October. Now, she is 8.2 pounds. I am afraid that she will continue to lose weight and suffer. -- K.I., Freehold, New Jersey

DEAR K.I.: Your cat is one of thousands with this disease.

The domestic cat is the modern-day canary down the mineshaft, sharing with us the same environment and exposure to harmful chemicals in our air, food and water. Many of these chemicals cause cancer in cats, dogs and their caregivers, as well as the general population exposed to the DNA-damaging fallout from the Age of Chemistry. The incidence of many cancers in children is also increasing.

The definition of “progress” must now be recalibrated from the perspective of One Health, though disease prevention is politically unpopular and financially threatening to responsible parties. The political influence of the pharmaceutical industry, with its exorbitant, seemingly unstoppable price hikes in the U.S., is evidence enough that we, the public, must become more responsible for maintaining our own health and that of those we care for.

It is too late to turn the clock back for your cat, but you can help improve her condition -- which is often associated with increased irritability, appetite and anxiety with excessive fur-pulling and grooming -- by offering her a pinch of catnip, which most cats like for its arousing, then calming, effect. I call it “cat Valium.”

If she’s not allergic to fish, I would give your cat a canned sardine daily, and feed her a high-quality, grain-free canned or freeze-dried cat food.

Your cat may otherwise be healthy enough for treatment with a radioisotope that destroys the tumor and the thyroid gland, which is the most effective treatment when available and affordable.

AN OUTSTANDING BOOK

In the emerging field of One Health that recognizes the benefits of caring relationships between us, animals and the environment, we have a very valuable contribution by Carol Novello with Ginny Graves. They have written the outstanding book “Mutual Rescue: How Adopting a Homeless Animal Can Save You, Too” (Grand Central Publishing, 2019).

The beauty of this book is not only in the personal accounts of the physical, emotional and spiritual benefits that animals provide, but also in the referenced documentation of scholarly articles that validate these claims. There is no sentimentalizing or anthropomorphizing in this book, but some parts may make readers cry.

Those who have not yet experienced the affection and trust of an animal, or who, for various reasons, are disconnected from realizing the many profound benefits of having animals in their lives, should be given this book, as should all high-school students, whose education and well-being will be enhanced. Helping rescue or foster animals, walking neighbors’ dogs and volunteering at the local animal shelter or wildlife rehabilitation facility are antidotes to “climate grief” -- the paralyzing and depressing anxiety over the state of the environment. Becoming activists for good causes can improve mental health.

(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 DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR DR. FOX: I read a recent statement about socializing feral cats and caging them. My parents raised applehead Siamese cats when I was younger, and I’ve had a multi-cat household ever since. My parents caged cats for breeding and showing purposes, and I have caged cats for behavior issues, food allergies, and for the safety of feral cats and the rest of my clowder (group).

My observation is that the cats, even the ones that must be caged for food allergies, become very attached to their cages or their own personal space. Right now, I have an 18-year-old cat with food allergies that is caged at night, while I’m away from the home and when I clean. And I have two feral cats caged about 90 percent of the time due to behavior issues and the safety of other cats. But even when the doors are open, they are usually found in their respective cages.

I believe this is like a dog that has been properly crate-trained; the crate/cage becomes a safe haven, not a punishment. Their food and water are there, along with a litter box, toys and bed, providing a safe zone.

Unrelated: When will an animal behaviorist be a standard part of a veterinarian’s practice? I mean an individual that specializes in behavior, not just a few classes that the vet took at school.

And finally, I don’t have to tell you that your daughter Camilla is amazing, but she is! Her Project Coyote is dear to my heart. Education is the best defense for these beautiful creatures. I live in Indiana and the hunting is cruel. I support her nonprofit organization, and share her website regularly. -- T.S., Indianapolis, Indiana

DEAR T.S.: Your observations about some of your cats staying in their cages when the doors are open, and that they regard it as their den, confirm what I have long advised. I encourage cat owners to put a small cat-carrying crate in a low-traffic corner with a soft towel or blanket inside, and put in treats on occasion, including catnip. Keep the door open at all times and encourage the kitten or cat to use it as a den. This would make life so much easier and far less stressful for the cat when a veterinary appointment is due.

On the topic of behaviorists, there is an American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (see their recent book “Decoding Your Dog”), but regrettably they are few in number. I am one of the founders of applied veterinary ethology, advocating for decades to have related courses that are required, not elective, for students in all veterinary paths (companion animal, farmed animal, “exotic” animal, laboratory animal and zoo animal).

According to veterinarian Dr. Karen L. Overall: “Most colleges of veterinary medicine have historically lacked, or still lack, full-time programs in veterinary behavioral medicine led by board-certified veterinary specialists” in applied ethology or behavioral medicine. This is unacceptable. Any creature with a broken spirit can never fully recover from physical illness or injury. Ethology, the science of animal behavior, essentially studies animals’ ethos -- their spirits, so vital to determining and providing for their well-being and quality of life.

I am so glad that you know of my daughter Camilla’s Project Coyote. I am very proud of her dedication and recent successes getting coyote-killing contests outlawed and exposing and stopping the practice of setting dogs onto them while they are in cages. These efforts take endurance and the support of people who care. I do not fund her, since what we have to spare goes to two veterinarians working in India, where my wife, Deanna Krantz, once ran an animal refuge and 24/7 in-field veterinary service. (For details, check my new website, drfoxonehealth.com.) The region in India is one of the last wild preserves left for elephants, tigers and leopards. Human and livestock encroachment is relentless.

(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 DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR DR. FOX: The USDA is rushing ahead with its “modernization” plan for the slaughter of pigs, turning over key inspection responsibilities to the industry it regulates.

We should all be concerned. While current regulations allow slaughterhouses to kill a staggering 1,106 pigs per hour -- or one pig every three seconds -- apparently that’s not fast enough for the pork industry. The Trump administration’s new regulations, to be rolled out as early as May, will actually remove that cap. That means meat packers killing 90 percent of the nation’s pigs will be given the go-ahead to operate at unrestricted line speeds, killing pigs as fast, and as recklessly, as they want.

This move is on the heels of a new Trump administration decision to increase processing line speeds for some poultry plants from 140 to 175 birds per minute. In addition, the USDA is working to deregulate slaughter inspections in the beef industry. These irresponsible changes put consumers, workers and animals at grave risk.

Increasing already exorbitant line speeds is being achieved by replacing qualified USDA meat inspectors stationed in the plants with the slaughterhouses’ own personnel, who are “trained” at the discretion of the plants, and subject to disciplinary action if they “impede” meat production. The result of the fox guarding the hen house is the fact that the nation’s large hog plants will increase their line speeds by about 12 percent, and their annual profits by millions of dollars per plant.

The public will be put at risk, as the responsibility for detecting diseased and contaminated product will be delegated to, or shared with, company employees. Workers will suffer the consequences, as injuries and illnesses like carpal tunnel disorder will likely increase dramatically. And animals, the nonexistent concern in most slaughterhouses, will pay the highest price.

When my book “Slaughterhouse” was published in 1997 and updated in 2006, my investigations with the Humane Farming Association (HFA) revealed that pigs at high-volume plants were routinely dragged, beaten, excessively prodded, inadequately stunned, bled, and immersed in the scalding tank (for hair removal) all while fully conscious. This happened because employees at high-speed plants routinely resort to brutality as they struggle to keep the production line moving at ridiculously high speeds. -- Gail Eisnitz, Humane Farming Association, San Rafael, California

DEAR G.E.: Many readers will appreciate your expert testimony on a serious issue where money takes precedence, yet again, over animal welfare and public health and safety. Several years ago when I was investigating slaughter practices, I was told by a government meat inspector that the inspection was termed “organoleptic” -- meaning eyeballing the slaughtered animals as they flew past on the conveyor. I also saw some pigs and poultry hanging by shackles and struggling before being “processed,” not having been stunned and killed beforehand. I should add that meat condemned for human consumption from animals diseased, dead, dying and debilitated (called 4-D meat by the industry) go into many pet foods, with better brands indicating “Organically Certified” and “human-grade quality.”

Your dedicated investigations and documentation should be accessed by all involved, and used to stop such insanity.

DEAR DR. FOX. What is your advice about feeding feral cats? About two years ago, four feral cats were hanging around my neighborhood. I called our animal control unit, and they recommended capturing, neutering and releasing them. To make a long story short, all four had already been neutered. It was hard for me to see hungry animals, and I began feeding them -- basically just dry food in the morning outside on our deck.

Something happened last summer to one of them, and now there are three. We have been away for vacations a few times, and I worry about what will happen to them, but they always seem to find their way back to our house.

What do you recommend doing? My husband is not a cat lover and would never agree to capturing them and trying to make them indoor cats, but I find it hard to ignore their hungry stares. -- A.P., Trumbull, Connecticut

DEAR A.P.: You are a “captive of your compassion,” as my wife and I say about each other. At least I have a supportive partner. Perhaps your husband has never known a rescued feral cat’s love, which can eventually be won with patience, empathy and understanding. Read “Most Feral Cats can be Rescued and Recovered from the Wild Outdoors,“ posted on my website (drfoxonehealth.com). Might your husband consider setting up a large enclosure for them, if he does not wish to take on the challenge of bringing them into your home?

Outdoor cats’ lives are generally short, ending with injury, illness or being killed by a larger animal or vehicular traffic. In your situation, the cats are still going to catch, maim and kill small mammals and birds, so feeding them may help reduce their predation. Also, provide fresh water and insulated boxes for shelter. We use an electric heating pad in a large box during cold Minnesota winters, and eventually trap them. After appropriate veterinary attention, we provide foster care for these cats until we find “forever homes” for them. On occasion, they become permanent members of our own family, current status being one rescued dog and one recently rescued cat!

(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 DrFoxOneHealth.com.)