DEAR READERS: The current deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in the U.S. is psychotically dehumanizing, as agents act with reckless impunity. Ask Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff for policy, about compassion. Recall Elon Musk asserting last spring that “the fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy.”

From that state of mind, then, comes the MAHA movement (Make America Healthy Again), which paradoxically encourages the consumption of beef, butter, lard and tallow -- all linked to cardiovascular risks. The U.S. imports billions of tons of beef each year, much of it from Brazil and Argentina, where there is massive destruction of rainforests, grasslands and wetlands.

Here at home, genetically engineered corn and soybeans, both saturated with pesticides, are grown under federal subsidies. Per USAFacts.org, "In 2024, the government provided $9.3 billion in subsidy payments to farmers for commodity crops. Subsidies made up 5.9% of total farm earnings that year, with the most funding going to corn, soybeans and cotton."

Such crops are largely used to feed polluting aggregations of livestock and poultry in factory farms. It was in one of these animal factory farms that the H5N1 avian influenza virus first evolved. The impact of this virus on wildlife, on the poultry industry and, to a lesser extent, the dairy industry, has been devastating. So far, very few people have been infected (and one pig). As I detail in my book “One Health: Veterinary, Ethical and Environmental Perspectives,” the H5N1 virus is anthropogenic, and could lead to another pandemic.

In the new America, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, as honest economists are reporting. The entire executive branch is hell-bent on get-rich schemes, promoting cryptocurrency and putting public health at risk in many ways. Besides promoting beef and animal fats, our leaders are burning more coal, oil and gas while denying climate change; cutting federal funding of alternative, "green" energy sources, which are urgently needed for proliferating data centers; dismantling the Environmental Protection Agency; and gutting the Endangered Species Act.

From a rational, holistic perspective, all these initiatives amount to an empathy-deficit disorder of increasing severity and impairment. This is exemplified by the closure of USAID, which helped millions in need around the world. This needs to be quickly rectified in order to recover a free, democratic society.

DOG ON PEACE WALK ACROSS U.S. WITH BUDDHIST MONKS

A group of Buddhist monks are walking 2,300 miles from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, D.C. to spread peace and compassion. They are joined by their rescue dog, Aloka -- a former stray from India. Aloka began following a group of monks who were there on a 100-day journey and has stayed with them ever since, now joining them on their peace walk across the American South.

Aloka is about 4 years old and is likely an Indian pariah dog, according to the monks. He receives regular veterinary checkups along the journey, and he rests when he needs to. "Aloka the Peace Dog" now has hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, helping fulfill the monks' goal of spreading contentment, love and peace.

DEAR DR. FOX: My partner and I want to thank you for writing about the benefits of having two cats. We adopted a kitten from an animal shelter, and then my partner read your recommendations. We went right back to the shelter a few days later and adopted the kitten’s young mother, who was still there.

It was wonderful to see how the two greeted each other. Now they play together, groom each other and entertain us with their antics! -- H.W., West Palm Beach, Florida

DEAR H.W.: I wish more animal shelters would wise up and encourage people to adopt two kittens from the same litter, or a mother and one or more kittens. I detail the emotional and physical benefits for cats, and provide other insights, in my book “Cat Body, Cat Mind: Exploring Your Cat’s Consciousness and Total Well-Being.” It is regrettable that some animal adoption staff feel that cats bond better with people when they only take one 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.)

DEAR READERS: See this summary statement from Nature, posted in December:

"During the first year of Donald Trump’s second presidency, his administration fired thousands of government scientists, cancelled tens of billions of dollars in research grants and took steps to exert unprecedented control over universities by withholding federal funding.

"'The Trump administration is committed to cutting taxpayer funding of left-wing pet projects that are masquerading as "scientific research" and restoring the American people's confidence in our scientific and public-health bodies,' said administration spokesperson Kush Desai in a statement to Nature.

"Critics of the administration see these actions as part of a broader plan to bend science for political purposes. 'The attack on science must be seen as one component of a larger attack on information, on facts, on independent analysis,' says physicist John Holdren, who worked as the science adviser to former U.S. President Barack Obama. 'I think Trump sees science as the fortress of the opposition.'" (Full story: nature.com/articles/d41586-025-04051)

Trump’s proposed closing of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, his deleting all references to climate change from federal websites and his dismantling of protections under the Endangered Species Act all help clear the way for fossil fuels and associated industries. This includes agribusiness and chemical giants such as Bayer and Monsanto, which Trump is seeking to protect by having thousands of lawsuits over the harms caused by glyphosate (Roundup) nullified.

GOOD NEWS FOR CHINA’S WILD BIRDS

China is now policing and prosecuting the widespread, illegal capture of songbirds for domestic and export markets. All countries need to crack down on wildlife harvesting and traffic, which is an added contribution to catastrophic biodiversity losses around the world.

BOOK REVIEW: 'EARTH ON FIRE'

This apocalyptic and prophetic book by Dr. Evaggelos Vallianatos informs and empowers all who have agency to make a difference for the good of humanity -- and for the good of the planet. It calls us to transition from the calamitous and toxic industrial agriculture that has spread worldwide, contributing to climate change, loss of natural biodiversity, animal suffering and escalating public health issues. It is a concise, eloquent and well-documented review of the human condition, and all who care should read it.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have taken in my elderly sister’s cat because pets are not allowed at the assisted living facility she has gone to. She used to let the cat, Marigold, eat whenever she wanted from a kibble dispenser.

Marigold is overweight, and I wonder what is best to feed her. I am home with her all day. -- G.L., Winston-Salem, North Carolina

DEAR G.L.: It is very regrettable that too many assisted living places refuse to take in companion animals. Those that do allow pets have a responsibility to contract with veterinarians to ensure the animals’ health; this is also for the benefit of all residents and staff, because some diseases are transmissible.

I abhor the use of self-serve cat food dispensers. Such ad hoc feeding can lead to many dry kibble-related health issues. Instead, when setting out portions of food for Marigold, think "mouse-sized."

I feed my ex-feral cat, Fanny, five times a day: Three feedings consist of two tablespoons of wet, canned food, while the other two are a tablespoon of kibble each time. She became as regular as clockwork once she learned the schedule. She knows the time and will sit in front of me and stare until I feed her!

ANOTHER IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF DOMESTIC CATS ON WILDLIFE

Please see this overview of the study "A global synthesis and assessment of free-ranging domestic cat diet" by Christopher Lepczyk et al., published in Nature Communications in 2023.

"Free-ranging cats (Felis catus) are globally distributed invasive carnivores that markedly impact biodiversity. Here, to evaluate the potential threat of cats, we develop a comprehensive global assessment of species consumed by cats.

"We identify 2,084 species eaten by cats, of which 347 (16.65%) are of conservation concern. ... Birds, reptiles and mammals constitute (roughly) 90% of species consumed, with insects and amphibians being less frequent. Approximately 9% of known birds, 6% of known mammals and 4% of known reptile species are identified in cat diets. ... Our results demonstrate that cats are extreme generalist predators, which is critical for understanding their impact on ecological systems and developing management solutions.”

All owned cats should be prevented from going out and killing wildlife, especially birds, which are dwindling in numbers everywhere. If catnip does not stimulate your indoor-only cats, try adding powdered silver vine to their toys. Many cats love silver vine, which helps enrich their indoor environment.

(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 READERS: Interoception -- being aware of one's body’s needs and responding appropriately -- is an essential aspect of physical and mental health. How many people are lacking this awareness, I wonder? I further wonder if such a lack runs parallel to the absence of exteroception -- perceiving reality as it is, and being cognitively and empathically open to nature and all sentient beings.

The healthful blossoming of infantile narcissism into mature, empathic consciousness is expressed by living with reverence for all sentient beings. Indeed, some people who might be called hyper-empathic are challenged by living in this world of suffering and chaos. See the study "The hyper-sentient addict: an exteroception model of addiction" by Samuel J. DeWitt et al., published in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse in 2016.

As a child, other creatures held me in awe and wonder. As I matured, I sensed a part of myself in them -- especially their fear of me and my trepidation with some of them, along with the playful affection and loyalty of my canine companions, whose virtues and company I preferred over my scrappy, snotty schoolmates.

Also, whenever I was in nature, be it around a pond, wetland, meadow or orchard (now all obliterated by suburban housing), I felt I was a visitor; an intruder. I treated all with respect while affirming my curiosity and attention. Nature taught me many things, and set me on this life-path as a veterinarian and bioethicist.

The human spirit, and our innate love for nature, can prevent our extinction and enhance our evolution into a more empathic, creative species. The power of this love -- which the late Harvard entomologist, E.O. Wilson, called "biophilia" -- puts us in alignment with the words attributed to Chief Seattle: “Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself."

As Oglala Lakota leader and medicine man Black Elk advised, “Nothing will be well unless we learn to live in harmony with the Power of the World as it lives and moves and does its work.” The world-soul is, according to several systems of thought, an intrinsic connection between all living things on the planet. That connection relates to the world in much the same way that the soul connects to the human body. Therefore, we may consequently state that this world is indeed a living being, endowed with a soul and intelligence: a single, visible, living entity, containing all other living entities.

We must realize that we are all related. Only then can we evolve from this Dark Age -- not into some materialistic, technocratic "golden age" for America or any other country, but an age where the golden rule of peaceful co-existence is guaranteed. Where there is love and understanding, there is no hatred for those who are ignorant -- only the desire to help them see the light of their common humanity and kinship with all life.

EAT MORE MEAT, GET MORE HEALTH ISSUES

In a worldwide assessment, higher meat consumption was associated with higher Type 2 diabetes incidence. This was a global, individual participant-based meta-analysis. The current findings support the notion that lowering the consumption of unprocessed red meat and processed meat could benefit public health by reducing the incidence of Type 2 diabetes. Uncertainty remains regarding the positive association between poultry consumption and the incidence of Type 2 diabetes, and this association should be further investigated. See the study "Meat consumption and incident Type 2 diabetes: an individual participant federated meta-analysis," published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology in 2024.

VET WARNS ABOUT HISTOPLASMOSIS RISK TO OUTDOOR CATS

Veterinarian Rebekah Hartfield is warning pet owners about Histoplasma, a fungus found in soil and in droppings from birds and bats. Cats that inhale Histoplasma spores can contract histoplasmosis, which causes lethargy, weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea and respiratory issues. Hartfield advises regular veterinary checkups, limiting cats’ outdoor time and monitoring cats for signs of illness. (Full story: KOTV-TV, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Dec. 19)

This is yet another reason to not allow cats to roam outdoors, or to dig up soil from the yard to use as cat litter indoors.

(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.)