DEAR DR. FOX: I hope that you can give me some insight into recent "catfrontations."

My husband and I returned from our service as Peace Corps volunteers in March. During our two-plus years of service, our two cats (ages 12 and 9 and both spayed females) were fostered and adjusted well.

We returned to the U.S. and moved to a new state. The two cats seemed to adjust well to our new home for many weeks. Then suddenly the younger, meeker one began to engage in continuing fights with the older one. This morning, I found one of the cats had urinated and defecated on their food and water mat. Any recommendations? -- R.P., Longmont, Colorado

DEAR R.P.: Felines can be fickle, fastidious and feral in their behavioral range. No peace in your two-cat family after your Peace Corps service is ironic. That they adapted well initially to the new home with you, and the sudden incidence of aggression, calls for some detective work.

These spats could be caused by a free-roaming cat outdoors who your cat sees, hears or smells as the cat enters and no doubt spray-marks your property. Allowing indoor cats to go outdoors at any time, unsupervised and roaming out of their owners' properties, should be prohibited in every community. Such cats are the most common cause of indoor cats becoming extremely disturbed, house-soiling, attacking each other (so-called redirected aggression) and developing stress-related health problems such as cystitis. Others may show displacement behaviors such as excessive self-grooming and self-mutilation.

See if there is a cat entering your property; if you can locate the owner, have them keep the cat indoors. Try the cat pheromone product Feliway in the room your cats congregate in with you. Put a few drops of essential oil of lavender where your cats sleep, give them catnip, groom them together regularly and engage in interactive games.

DEAR DR. FOX: Thank you very much for your quick and thoughtful response, Dr. Fox.

Perhaps you are prescient: There is a neighbor with a female calico who has wandered into our backyard and riled our younger female cat. We will try your suggestions. -- R.P.

THANKSGIVING TURKEY PARDON US

Conforming to tradition, President Obama gave the sign of the cross, or some semblance thereof, as he "pardoned" a turkey, meaning that its life would be spared from the mass slaughter of turkeys for America's Thanksgiving celebration. But should we not perhaps consider a Thanksgiving that embraces all creatures in gratitude for how much they have contributed to society, to the economy, to our emotional and spiritual well-being and especially to ecological integrity and environmental health? Perhaps the next president might express a different sentiment to the ceremonial turkey presented to him or her and pray for all of us to be pardoned for what we have done to Mother Earth and all who dwell therein.

(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: Out of the blue, my 12-year-old cat had a grand mal (tonic-clonic) seizure. Our vet did blood work, checked her sugar level and sent us home for observation. Our cat had four more large seizures in a 24-hour period. The blood work came back negative, and because she has no other medical problems, she was prescribed phenobarbital. That was 10 days ago, and she has had only two minor seizures since. The vet suspects a brain tumor, but without further testing, we are not sure.

Dr. Karen Becker for Mercola.com wrote about a bizarre seizure disorder in cats in the U.K., Tom and Jerry syndrome, triggered by everyday noises. Do you have any thoughts on this, or any idea what could be causing the seizures? She eats a grain-free diet, and until the seizure activity, we were giving her diluted tuna juice to get her to drink water. She also begs for a vitamin E treat a day.

What do you think about putting her through an MRI, a spinal tap and possible surgery? -- P.J., Chesapeake Beach, Maryland

DEAR P.J.: Your cat may be suffering from what has been termed feline audiogenic reflex seizures (FARS), according to a survey by veterinarian M. Lowrie and associates published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.

This condition, identified primarily in older cats, is triggered by sudden noises, and the cats go into a grand mal seizure, with drooling, evacuation, extension and paddling of the feet after falling over on to one side. In many instances, the louder the sound, the more intense the seizure. Some cats were helped when the particular sound was identified and controlled. Phenobarbital proved less effective in reducing the severity or frequency of the seizures than Levetiracetam.

I would advise veterinarians try a change in diet for these (and all) cats to avoid possible neuroexcitatory additives in many manufactured cat foods. Some better options include home-prepared food or some commercial freeze-dried, frozen and an increasing number of dry and canned commercial formulations.

Cats afflicted with FARS -- and cats with other conditions -- may show improvement when no corn is in their diets. This would reduce their exposure to hepatotoxic and potentially neurotoxic aflatoxins and other fungal toxins present in corn, which is still widely fed to cats. These aflatoxins account for frequent, high-volume pet food recalls. There can also be high iodine content in fish-based cat foods, and mercury, which is harmful to the nervous system, in fish such as tuna.

In addition to looking at the diet of older cats suffering from this seizure abnormality, I would also look at their environments: Do they live alone most of the day and develop a state of hypervigilance? Might this condition be associated with the feline endocrine epidemic of hyperthyroidism? Increasing their dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids and tryptophan, and giving melatonin around the time seizures most often occur, early in the evening, may prove fruitful. Hyperesthesia syndrome may also have some association with FARS and the factors that contribute to its manifestation as a recognized clinical condition in the feline population.

DEAR DR. FOX: Our neighbors a few doors away adopted a rescue dog. We are dog lovers who think getting rescues is a great way to go, and we're glad this dog has a nice home.

However, this dog actively dislikes my husband. Whenever he walks by their house, the dog throws herself at their storm door and shows her teeth. Once, she burst out and charged him; fortunately, our neighbor was taking her out for a walk and already had the leash on her. My neighbor is athletic and held her with great difficulty as she lunged toward my husband with teeth bared. Our neighbor acts embarrassed about her targeting my husband (who is a very nice guy and kind to animals), and said she usually isn't so aggressive.

Maybe this dog was mistreated by a man or men; perhaps she associates a deeper voice with malice. We don't want her hauled away, but we don't want my husband attacked, either. She is a very strong bully mix, so we're talking a serious risk if one of their teens accidentally opens the door at the wrong time. I'm considering getting him some pepper spray! What do you suggest? -- C.S., Washington, D.C.

DEAR C.S.: Pepper spray may be a good idea until the dog is under control. The owners need to understand that their dog is out to get your husband or men who resemble him, which triggers attack behavior (possibly because of post-traumatic stress disorder). However, a sturdy walking stick may be preferable, and it can be used as a bite stick to redirect an attacking dog and help ward the dog off from attacking your own dog.

Because of the risk, your fear and their liability, your neighbors must seek immediate consultation with a veterinarian, who can refer a good behavioral therapist to help the poor dog. Your husband could play a role (under the supervision of the good dog therapist) in helping this dog overcome conditioned attack behavior triggered -- no doubt -- by prior cruelty.

Dogs are our mirrors in many ways, and it is a sad reflection on us when dogs like this finish up in animal shelters that lack the professional resources, space and funds needed to reduce euthanasia rates by investing in behavioral therapy.

PET FOOD RECALLS

-- According to a notice recently posted at PetSmart retail stores, Hill's Science Diet is in the process of conducting a voluntary market withdrawal of some of its canned cat and dog food products for unspecified reasons. To learn which products are affected, please visit your pet store or point of purchase, or visit DogFoodAdvisor.com for more information.

-- Blue Buffalo Company is voluntarily recalling one lot of its Cub Size Wilderness Wild Chews Bones because it has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella. Visit fda.gov/Safety/Recalls for more information.

(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: Since about 2002, we have been rescuing both cats and dogs. This started with my cat Callie. She is 15-plus years old, and dropped from 6.2 pounds to 4.9 pounds in the last six months. She has been on Hill's Prescription y/d since she was diagnosed with thyroid issues a couple of years ago. The diet has kept the thyroid issue in check without meds. Now her blood work came back as positive for kidney disease. She has been put on the k/d food. I feel helpless as I understand that there is nothing I can do to help her. I have been feeding her the wet k/d food every two or three hours (small amounts with water added), and she does appear to be stronger.

Is there anything else I could do for her to make her more comfortable or to slow down the destruction of her kidneys? Also, I do not know the signs that the situation is in its final stages. Can you help me understand this disease? -- T.J.W., Lanham, Maryland

DEAR T.J.W.: I am sorry to hear about your cat's double whammy -- chronic kidney disease preceded by hyperthyroidism. Fortunately, it was caught early enough for a special diet to help control it. High levels of iodine and fluoride in some cat foods -- along with thyroid-harming environmental contaminants, notably flame-retardant chemicals in home and household dust and BPA in the inside lining of food cans -- put cats at risk.

Kidney issues can be associated with dental problems, so it is imperative that a thorough oral exam be given to all cats during their regular wellness examination.

For details about helping cats and dogs with chronic kidney failure, see the article "Care for Dogs and Cats With Renal Failure" on my website, DrFoxVet.net.

DEAR DR. FOX: I read a recent letter about a dog being terrified during car rides. Our dog acted similarly, to the point where one of us sat in the backseat with her to try to keep her calm. I noticed that her fright was generated when the GPS or phone made clicking sounds. We did a number of experiments and turned the sound completely off of all digital devices. Now she is relaxed and calm again in the car.

Please tell your readers to try this. It was so sad to see the desperation of our dog before we discovered this source of her problem. -- E.G., St. Louis

DEAR E.G.: I applaud your investigative initiative of sitting with the dog to see what might be triggering the adverse reactions while traveling in the car.

Sudden sounds and high-frequency noises, some inaudible to the human ear, are part of the noise pollution of this electronic age. These can be stressful to us as well as to other animals, as can electromagnetic fields, stray voltage and the flicker of various light fixtures.

Thanks for finding and offering one solution!

APPLAUSE FOR VETERINARY COLLEGE

Wisconsin Companion Animal Resources, Education and Social Services (WisCARES) is a program started by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Schools of Veterinary Medicine and Social Work for local pet owners who are homeless or precariously housed. The program's ultimate aim is to protect the human-animal bond by providing disadvantaged pet owners with free veterinary care and emergency boarding if needed and social services support, including housing resources.

(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.)