DEAR DR. FOX: I read the letter from the woman from Falls Church, Virginia, who is concerned about giving meds to her 9-year-old female cat for travel distress. I wanted to share my personal information with you, as it may help her.

Our female indoor cat is 17 1/2 years old, and doing very well. Because we’re retired, my husband and I have started to travel weekly between our home and a lake cabin two hours away. In the beginning, it was an awful trip whenever we took our cat! She yowled the entire time, and it was distressing for all of us. We didn’t like leaving her on her own for a weekend, and knew if we wanted to spend more time at the cabin, she’d have to go with us.

We tried using a regular cat carrier, then we tried a large one. Neither worked, and I was sure allowing her to be loose in the car wasn’t a safe plan for any of us, either.

One night, I decided to watch a few cat videos and came across an ad from a woman who makes fabric cat carriers. All of the reviews were very positive and I decided to order one, hoping it wasn’t a waste of money. The carrier came, we used it for the first time, and voila! It was a pleasant drive for all of us. Miss Kitty meowed once or twice but then settled down. Since then, we’ve traveled to the lake many times and have even started to bring her with us to Madison, Wisconsin (an eight-hour trip) for extended stays.

Once you check out the website (cat-in-the-bag.com), I think you’ll see why I recommend it. -- R.W., Fargo, North Dakota

DEAR R.W., Many cat owners will appreciate your affirmation of these soft, collapsible bags, which many (but not all) cats will accept as superior alternatives to carriers and crates.

I spoke with the company owner and was assured that they have a 30-day return and refund policy if the purchaser’s cat does not accept being in the carrier. They are not manufactured in America, but are made in India, such outsourcing being due to a lack of willing, able and cost-effective manufacturers in the U.S.

Getting one’s cat to the vet can be a problem, and for many cats, this soft bag carrier may be the answer.

POEM: A NEW YEAR’S WISH FOR 2018

The Circle has been broken:

The Sacred Hoop,

Earth’s cycles, life cycles.

We are too many

To live with appetites of wolves

Who save the forest for the deer.

Stones will sing again

For a humanity redeemed

With hallowing covenants,

Courage, justice and conviction

To restore the Medicine Wheel

And stop all cruelty and desecration.

-- Michael W. Fox, dedicated to the First People, native American Indians and all our relations

(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: Six months ago, my family got an 18-month-old Husky rescue. We all think he’s the world’s best dog: friendly and happy, with a great temperament. He wags his tail, greets and licks everyone (strangers included) that come near him. I’m the grandpa, and have my own apartment in the house.

Three months ago, he started loudly barking at only me, and running away as if I were coming after him with an ax whenever I came near him. I call him and walk after him with a treat, and after five minutes of barking and running away, he’ll lie down, wag his tail, lick my hand and face, and let me rub his belly for as long as I want to. Then, when I get up and walk away, the whole scenario starts again from the beginning.

This happens all day, every day, and is especially bad when I come home late at night and he wakes everyone up with his barking. I never have, never would and never will do anything to hurt him, yell at him or scare him. What can I do to fix this? -- B.K., Manalapan, New Jersey

DEAR B.K.: My educated guess is that this dog is conflicted by post-traumatic stress disorder, most probably involving abuse from a person who resembles you. The memory flares up for no apparent reason except for your presence, and possibly your body language and scent.

Try changing your scent by having all family members share the same perfume for a week to 10 days. Essential oil of lavender is a good one, with calming effects on dogs. Also put a drop or two on a bandanna around the dog’s neck. There is also a commercially available dog-appeasement pheromone, which may also help if you put some on your wrists (dogappeasingpheromone.com). Then pet, groom or massage the dog, as per my book “The Healing Touch for Dogs.” Many dogs become addicted to a good massage!

Good luck, and keep me posted.

DEAR DR. FOX: Our 3-year-old cat has a cute habit that I have never seen before in other cats who have “owned” us. Poky will put his soft rubber ball and/or little soft “mousies” into his food or water bowl overnight. When I give him fresh water and food in the morning, I can almost always be certain of little treats from him to me.

My vet thought he was marking his territory because we have an older female cat, but I like to think it is a love offering. We have two water bowls, two food bowls and two litter boxes, which I think they use randomly.

What is your take on this behavior? -- R.W.R., Jupiter, Florida

DEAR R.W.R.: Some cats are very creative in the games they engage in. A friend of mine who’s involved with cat rescue and rehabilitation has one permanent resident feline, who will take her various toys and set one at a time on the stairs -- one step for each toy. Other cats will dunk some toys in the water or food bowl, like yours does.

My interpretation of these behaviors, sometimes confirmed by the cats’ yowling and parading around first with a selected toy in their mouths, is that they are carrying a “kitten” and then they put it in or beside the food or water bowl to get sustenance. Other cats use the toy as prey, in their feline imaginations, and make a game of catching it and batting it around in the water -- or, with my cat, under a towel or throw rug on the floor.

I would like to hear from other readers about their cats’ creativity in this regard. Siamese, in particular, like to chase thrown toys and actually retrieve them. And many cats are hoarders, keeping their toys in one place as though they have a litter of kittens or stash of food to be brought out on occasion, and then to be carefully put back.

DEAR DR. FOX: I’m writing to ask you why, when I’m on the floor and face-to-face with my rescued cockapoo, he looks into my face and automatically directs his attention to my right eye. It happens all the time, to the point that I asked my optometrist to check my right eye.

I am aware that dogs are able to scent out illnesses in humans. What do you think of my dog’s behavior when we are nose-to-nose with each other? -- J.G., Washington, D.C.

DEAR J.G.: It is good that you did have a checkup with your ophthalmologist, since dogs do have uncanny diagnostic abilities, especially in the realm of scent. Since nothing was found to be wrong with your eye, your dog may be focusing on your right eye since you may favor it for close visual focus (your so-called dominant eye).

Most dogs are very sensitive to eye contact, which they use to gauge what their human companion is communicating, both verbally and with body language/hand gestures. Some dogs are more eye contact-seeking than others, a reflection of their attentiveness. For some, a prolonged direct stare can be intimidating, especially from strangers. They may break eye contact and become submissive, or become defensive and growl. With familiar people making prolonged eye contact, dogs will reciprocate attentively and then wait for what the person wishes them to do next. Making eye contact is therefore a critical part of canine communication and training.

MOTHER’S PRENATAL EXPOSURE TO DOGS MAY BENEFIT KIDS’ HEALTH

In a study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, researchers found that children whose mothers had a dog while pregnant (with at least an hour of indoor exposure per day) were significantly less likely to develop eczema as toddlers. Prenatal dog exposure was associated with lower odds of early or persistent eczema in very young children. (MedPage Today, Oct. 31)

(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: I am echoing the awareness postings in the U.K. by various groups such as the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund, hoping to highlight what their consultant veterinarian, Dr. Richard Saunders, sees as a critical health care crisis for pet rabbits.

He says the health benefits of good-quality hay are incredible, and that some of the biggest welfare problems for rabbits -- from dental and gastrointestinal disease, to obesity and fly strike -- are often caused by poor diet. Rabbit owners in the U.S., like those in the U.K., may be feeding their bunnies mainly pellets, and not sufficient hay.

Visit rabbitawarenessweek.co.uk for more details. Readers who have rabbits or are contemplating bringing one into their homes will enjoy Marie Mead’s book, “Rabbits: Gentle Hearts, Valiant Spirits -- Inspirational Stories of Rescue, Triumph and Joy.”

DEAR DR. FOX: My husband and I adopted a schnauzer/terrier mix from the Animal League, a no-kill shelter in Green Valley, Arizona, where I volunteered for several years before we moved back to New Jersey. The dog loves people and is friendly with other dogs. The only time he’s not is when he sees someone riding a bicycle. Then, he gets very vicious.

My only thought is that, before he was found tied to a post in Tucson, he may have been abused by someone riding a bike.

He is such a loving dog and we adore him, but we’re unsure how to handle this problem. Any suggestions from you will be greatly appreciated. -- J.S., Toms River, New Jersey

DEAR J.S.: Your dog’s apparent phobic reaction toward bicycles could be related to some earlier traumatic experience involving a bicycle and rider, as you say. It could also be that, from his perspective, bicycles are simply threatening, and should be chased down or defended against.

Either way, I would borrow a bicycle for a few days and bring it into the house. Spin the wheels, and sit on it and move the pedals. Such “total immersion”/exposure should quickly desensitize your dog, who will learn that there is nothing to fear.

If you have an enclosed yard, sit on the bike and let your dog habituate to seeing you or a friend sitting on the bike, and have him come up for a treat. Do several repetitions of approach-sit-reward. He will learn to associate pleasure rather than fear with being near the bicycle. If successful, maybe after three daily sessions of 10-15 minutes, keep the dog on a leash while someone rides around on the bicycle, while you have your dog sit. Give him a few treats as long as he remains quiet.

CHILDHOOD EXPOSURE TO CATS MIGHT REDUCE ASTHMA RISK

Some children who grow up in households with cats may be less likely than those in cat-free households to develop asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia and other respiratory problems, according to a study from the Copenhagen Studies on Asthma in Childhood Research Center. Researchers linked the effect to a specific gene variant, and exposure to bacteria, fungi or viruses that cats carry into the home might deactivate the gene, said study leader Jakob Stokholm. (The Telegraph, Nov. 9)

(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.)