DEAR DR. FOX: In your book “Supercat: Raising the Perfect Feline Companion,” you mentioned that young cats should have lots of different experiences to develop their intelligence. One of them is to experience the outdoors. Then later in the book, you say to keep the cat indoors.

I have had indoor/outdoor cats in the past, and currently have indoor-only cats. When I introduced my previous cats to the great outdoors, I could not keep them in the house. They would bolt out the door to enjoy outdoor adventures. My current cats have never been outdoors, so I do not have that issue, and they don't know what they are missing.

So my question is, how can you recommend taking young cats outdoors to develop their smarts and then say later that cats should be kept indoors? Don’t you think that it is cruel to keep them inside once they have experienced the joys of being outdoors? -- T.H., location withheld

DEAR T.H.: Thank you for asking for clarification, and I am sorry that my advice seemed confusing, even contradictory, in this detailed book about how best to live with and understand cats.

On page 68, where I discuss the importance of environmental enrichment for kittens, I state clearly that they should “always be under a parental eye” and that “a kitten should never be allowed to roam free and unsupervised, or be encouraged to wander alone outdoors.”

Later in the book, I write about always keeping cats indoors, and that some can be trained to enjoy short outdoor walks wearing a harness and leash. Another option is an outdoor enclosure, popularly called a “catio” today.

You are correct that once young cats get outdoors alone to roam free, they usually want to do so whenever possible. So, I agree with you it would be inhumane to deprive them of the great outdoors after experiencing it. Therefore, I advise all owners of kittens, right from the start, to never let them outdoors by themselves. They should only be allowed out on a leash and harness, or to access a catio enclosure via a door or window flap and covered walkway. They can also be carried to the outdoor enclosure, some designs of which I detail in the book.

I am glad that you are keeping your cats indoors and agree with you that they “don’t know what they are missing.”

AVIAN INFLUENZA TRANSMISSION BETWEEN PETS AND PEOPLE

The highly infectious H5N1 avian influenza that has been sickening and killing poultry, wild birds and various mammalian species is also transmissible to cats, researchers have found. There is no sign yet that the virus has developed the ability to jump from person to person, but finding it in domestic cats raises the question of whether their owners may be at risk. It is rare, but not impossible, for people to contract avian flu from pets or other animals, experts say. (Full story: sciencenews.org, May 31)

Cats that developed H5N1 avian influenza infections after drinking raw milk at a dairy farm developed lethargy, signs of neurological illness, discharge from their eyes and noses, and blindness, researchers reported in the CDC’s Emerging Infectious Diseases. Veterinarian Jurgen Richt, director of the Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases at Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, said he would neither drink raw milk nor feed it to cats, dogs or calves. (Full story: Ars Technica, April 29)

To reduce the risk of this virus evolving to jump from cats to people, cats should not be allowed outdoors, where they may eat infected birds and small mammals, nor should they be fed raw milk or poultry.

WHY DOES MY DOG EAT GOLDENROD LEAVES?

Every spring, like other dogs, my dog Kota eats grass and later poops it out. But she also likes to eat the leaves of goldenrod plants. I checked out the possible health benefits of this herb, to which many people are allergic when it blooms.

According to one article from the Mount Sinai Health System (mountsinai.org/health-library/herb/goldenrod), “A few animal and test tube studies suggest goldenrod may help reduce inflammation, relieve muscle spasms, fight infections and lower blood pressure. It does seem to act like a diuretic, and is used in Europe to treat urinary tract inflammation and to prevent or treat kidney stones. In fact, goldenrod is often found in teas to help 'flush out' kidney stones and stop inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract.”

I would like to hear from readers whose dogs select particular plants to eat. Such readers might also find this study interesting: “The origins of zoopharmacognosy: how humans learned about self-medication from animals” by Mezcua Martin Alvaro et al., published in the International Journal of Applied Research in 2019.

(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: I urge all veterinarians, and people with young dogs who are not yet neutered, to read this recently published study: “Assisting decision-making on age of neutering for German Short/Wirehaired Pointer, Mastiff, Newfoundland, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Siberian Husky: associated joint disorders, cancers and urinary incontinence,” by Lynette Hart, et al., published in April in Frontiers in Veterinary Science.

The report states: “Spaying female and castrating male dogs, hereinafter referred to as neutering, is a U.S. convention for the first year in the dog’s life. Research on 35 breeds of dogs revealed that early neutering increases risks of joint disorders, such as hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia or cranial cruciate ligament tear, or cancers, such as lymphosarcoma, mast cell tumor, hemangiosarcoma or osteosarcoma, for some breeds. Joint disorder risks are heightened for some larger breeds and for mixed-breed dogs weighing more than 20 kg. Some breeds had elevated risks for cancers.”

My advice has always been not to neuter until full physical maturity. This is an issue with animal shelters, where the policy is an early spay/neuter for all pups prior to adoption. That should be revised with the new findings about adverse consequences in certain breeds, since mixed breeds may also be adversely affected later in life.

One option for shelters is to vasectomize male pups and perform hysterectomies on females, leaving the ovaries intact. (Testicles and ovaries can be removed later in life if desired, after veterinary consultation.) This practice could reduce urinary incontinence, for example, especially in young female dogs -- a condition that may lead some owners to put their dogs up for adoption.

DEAR DR. FOX: I am familiar with some of your writings about animal sentience, and I wonder if you have read this book about plants. It is an eye- (and heart- and mind-) opener! It’s called “The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth” by Zoe Schlanger. -- C.F., San Francisco

DEAR C.F.: Thank you for informing me about this new book, which represents a major contribution to the advancement of our appreciation for other members of the planetary life community.

It is very interesting and significant that at this critical time in our evolution, and in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss and rising extinctions, there is more discovery and integration of information about other sentient beings, including plants. We are realizing their contribution to our own well-being, along with viruses and bacteria, without which we would not exist. With this realization -- and with the ethical call of reverence for all life -- the Anthropocene era is being transcended by what my friend the late Father Thomas Berry called the Ecozoic era (which I call the Ethicocene). It is a paradigm shift, indeed!

HUMANE PIG CARE OPPOSITION

In his May 26 Star Tribune article "Farm bill brings more division in D.C.," reporter Christopher Vondracek writes about the proposed $1.5 trillion Farm Bill, which includes a provision to nullify the California hog welfare law passed in 2018. That initiative, known as Proposition 12, stipulates humane production standards for all pig products sold in California. Among other things, it requires pork producers to give each sow (mother pig) at least 24 square feet of space.

Now, some members of Congress are trying to nullify that law and prevent similar measures from passing. Speaking for his Minnesota pork-producing constituents, who fear economic loss of sales in California, Republican Rep. Brad Finstad calls Proposition 12 the “use of political science to mandate wrongheaded protection standards.”

Political science? Hardly. It is based on behavioral science -- the understanding of animal sentience -- and the ethics of compassion. Finstad needs to get an education. The provision to nullify Proposition 12 should be removed when the Farm Bill gets to the Senate.

PET FUR CONDITIONER RECALLED

Spectrum Brands Pet Care has recalled FURminator deShedding Ultra Premium Dog Conditioner due to potential contamination with Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. The product was sold online and in pet supply stores in the U.S. and Canada. (Full story: cpsc.gov, June 6)

(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: Please see the following post from Project Coyote (projectcoyote.org):

“We’ve got exciting news to share. On May 22, more than 16 members of the House of Representatives introduced the Prohibit Wildlife Killing Contests Act of 2024, sponsored by Rep. Steve Cohen. This act would prohibit wildlife killing contests on more than 500 million acres of U.S. public lands.

“Since our inception, Project Coyote has remained steadfast in its commitment to exposing and ending wildlife killing contests nationwide. Last year, in collaboration with coalition allies, we achieved two significant victories: in Oregon and New York, where statewide bans on killing contests were enacted across both states. We also continue to push for more state bans, including in Illinois and New Jersey.

“The introduction of today’s federal legislation is an important step in building on our efforts to permanently end killing contests from coast to coast. Join us in calling for an end to wildlife killing contests on federal public lands.”

THE ANIMAL AND VEGAN ADVOCACY SUMMIT

The Animal and Vegan Advocacy Summit (AVA) is a nascent movement linking actions to reduce climate change and factory-farmed animal suffering by promoting compassion and the environmental and health benefits of plant-based diets. Close to 1,000 people from different countries attended the fourth-annual summit in May in Washington, D.C. They networked and planned how to better address the many facets of responsible planetary care, joining environmental, animal and people care under the banner of One Health.

AVA International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a world in which animals are taken out of the food system. Fiscal sponsorship for AVA International is provided by the Humane America Animal Foundation. Visit avasummit.com for more details and involvement opportunities.

GOOD NEWS FOR GREYHOUNDS

On May 9, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed SB 132, making Connecticut the 43rd state to outlaw dog racing. Five days later, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu signed Senate Bill 363 to prohibit remote gambling on greyhound racing in that state.

Advocates will continue working state by state, but ultimately hope to pass the U.S. Greyhound Protection Act to make it a federal crime to engage in commercial dog racing nationwide. H.R. 3894 also bars U.S. gamblers from betting on foreign races and blocks the export of American dogs for racing elsewhere. For more information on these efforts, visit grey2kusa.org.

DESANTIS ERASES 'CLIMATE CHANGE' TERM FROM STATE LAW

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed legislation that deletes more than 50 lines of previous state statutes dealing with climate change, and specifically removes many instances of the phrase “climate change” itself. (Full story: Florida Phoenix, May 25)

This initiative to protect the fossil fuel industry should be flagged as yet another a crime against humanity and nature.

ROUNDUP (GLYPHOSATE) MAKES TOXIC ALGAE FLOURISH

Potentially toxic algae growing in fresh water, notably the blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) in Florida’s canals, can sicken, and even kill, humans and animals. Certainly climate change is playing a role, but so can lawn and garden herbicides, in addition to run-off from agriculture. Many dogs, livestock and wild animals have been poisoned from drinking water contaminated with cyanobacteria.

For details, see the study “The mechanism of different cyanobacterial responses to glyphosate” by Wei Lin and associates, published in the Journal of Environmental Sciences, 2023.

(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.)