DEAR DR. FOX: You have indicated that there are things to be aware of -- which seemed to be negative -- regarding Savannah cats as they get older. I’m interested because I now have a pair of 2-year-old Savannah brothers.

When I got them at the shelter in Marin County, I was told they were American shorthairs. But as they grew, they looked different from other cats, and I finally established that they are Savannahs. (I had never heard of them until I Googled "orange kittens with pointy faces and transparent ears"! I’ve read about them since then.)

These two are quite wonderful. They are inside-only because I live on a nasty road. I am planning to put in a catio so they can get more exercise. They do thunder through the house, and are impressive to watch.

My concern is: What should I be aware of as these boys get older? -- J.M., Sebastopol, California

DEAR J.M.: Good for you for adopting these two shelter cats in need of a home. As I emphasize in my book "Cat Body, Cat Mind," cats seem healthier and happier when they are kept not as single pets, but as a pair of littermates, as you have (or as a mother-and-kitten pair).

A catio, or outdoor enclosure that is escape-proof and bird-proof, will be an excellent provision of environmental enrichment for your feline companions.

My concern over Savannahs is not age-related, but more about their origin, as they are a variety of wild cat crossed with a domestic cat. First-generation hybrids can be challenging to raise and are often surrendered to rescue organizations, while subsequent generations bred with domestic cats are generally more easygoing (as per my website: drfoxonehealth.com/post/exotic-hybrid-cats-neither-propagate-nor-purchase).

Some cat fanciers might advise you to feed your Savannahs raw cat food, but I would not -- especially at this time, since many cats have died from avian influenza after consuming infected poultry or having contact with an infected bird or small mammal outdoors. Rather, feed them a good-quality canned cat food, and if you are up to it, try my home-prepared cat food recipe, posted at drfoxonehealth.com.

SOMETHING TO BEEF ABOUT

While the lone star tick is the primary species linked to alpha-gal syndrome -- a reaction to a tick bite that triggers an allergy to red meat -- other tick species may also spread it. The lone star tick, primarily found in the Southeast and the lower Midwest, carries alpha-gal, a sugar molecule that causes the syndrome. But according to new case reports in the CDC’s Emerging Infectious Diseases publication, the deer (or black-legged) tick and the western black-legged tick may also carry it. The syndrome affects about 500,000 people in the U.S. (Full story: NBCNews.com, March 21)

CWD: A HEALTH CRISIS FOR CERVIDS AND A RISK TO PEOPLE

Chronic wasting disease has spread to deer, elk, moose and reindeer in 36 states in the U.S., as well as parts of Canada, Scandinavia and South Korea. Epidemiologist Michael Osterholm says referring to CWD as “zombie deer disease” understates the risks of a cruel, fatal disease that poses an existential threat to wild cervids. Scientists are also concerned about the potential for the disease to spill over into humans, especially as more people consume infected venison, and as long as diseased carcasses are disposed of in landfills and feedlots remain in operation. (Full story: The Guardian, March 20)

Deer, elk and reindeer farms are especially at risk for CWD, and can be a primary source of infection for wild cervids. This calls for the farms' closures, or at least for the prohibition of transporting live animals from one farm to another. Pet food manufacturers using any ingredients from these species should test for this prion-based disease and indicate that their products test negative to avoid possible transmission to cats, dogs and all carnivores in zoos.

FLORIDA TO CREATE AN ANIMAL CRUELTY REGISTRY

A Florida bill would create a public registry of animal abusers to prevent them from adopting pets. The registry would include the names of those convicted of animal cruelty or who plead guilty to it, and it would be available on the website of the state's law enforcement department. (Full story: WKMG-TV, Orlando, Florida, March 18)

All states should follow this initiative -- not only to improve animal protection, but because animal cruelty can be a symptom of mental health issues. It can also be associated with in-family violence and sociopathic behavior.

(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 this writeup from PetFoodIndustry.com regarding an upcoming industry convention. Angelique Myburgh, a development specialist at Montego Pet Nutrition, will discuss the suitability of South African game meat as a protein source for pets.

Myburgh spoke with Lisa Cleaver of PFI ahead of the conference. Cleaver writes:

"As pet food manufacturers seek sustainable protein alternatives, African game meat from South Africa -- with its rich nutrient profile and eco-friendly production practices -- is emerging as a promising solution for enhancing pet nutrition while supporting sustainable development initiatives. ...

"As a novel protein, African game meat offers hypoallergenic properties, making it ideal for pets with dietary sensitivities to traditional meat proteins.

"'Because these animals roam freely and feed on natural vegetation, the meat is organic and free from artificial additives,' added Myburgh." (For details, see petfoodindustry.com/news-newsletters/pet-food-news/article/15739400/african-game-meat-emerges-as-a-sustainable-protein-for-pet-food.)

DR. FOX HERE: I say expanding our exploitation and killing of wildlife for commercial purposes, including pet foods, is ethically and ecologically untenable.

Two examples that should be curbed: kangaroo meat, which is an increasingly popular protein source in Australian pet food, and venison. Using venison in pet foods poses the risk of spreading chronic wasting disease, along with lead poisoning from hunters’ lead shot.

Dogs thrive on properly formulated vegan foods. A study conducted by PLOS One found that dogs on vegan diets had fewer health issues than those on conventional meat diets. (See "Vegan versus meat-based dog food: Guardian-reported indicators of health" by Andrew Knight et al., published in PLOS One in 2022.)

Dogs, like us, are flexible omnivores and do not need meat. Both dogs and people can thrive on vegan and vegetarian diets. Companies like Wild Earth, Evolution Diet and V-Dog are producing fully plant-based offerings for dogs, and the movement is gaining momentum.

Vegan cat foods, however, are not biologically appropriate because cats are obligate carnivores: They need meat. Until the production of cultivated meats via cellular bio-fermentation scales up and is affordable for manufacturers, they must rely on animal sources. Often, those sources are discards from factory pig, beef, poultry and fish farming systems -- the output deemed unfit for human consumption. (The inclusion of nutrients from farmed insects in pet and human foods, as a more humane and ecologically regenerative resource, is yet to expand.)

Cat owners indirectly support these inhumane animal industries; many are aware of the dilemma and desire an alternative. There is an opportunity here for cat food manufacturers to facilitate the processing of humanely raised animals -- fed organically certified foods and not given antibiotics and other production-enhancing drugs -- into their products. My veterinary and environmental health colleagues are calling for increased corporate responsibility in protein sourcing for cats.

Choosing instead to include wild game in pet foods endorses unsustainable "wildlife farming" practices. Harvesting wildlife, including sea life, contributes to climate change and biodiversity loss, and it must end. The economically driven scale of exploitation is not ecologically sustainable or regenerative.

(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: All who care about our shared planet are suffering varying degrees of despair and disbelief about current events. Take, for instance, the COP30 climate summit scheduled for November in Belem, Brazil. Ironically and nonsensically, a massive highway is under construction -- through protected Amazon rainforest -- to accommodate the estimated 50,000 attendees.

Then we have the executive branch of the United States government, which is opening millions of protected acres in Alaska, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, to mining and drilling for oil and gas. This is being opposed by Indigenous peoples and environmental protection organizations like the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The Environmental Protection Agency, which plays a vital role in public health, is being dismantled. The Department of the Interior has moved to free the mining and petrochemical industries from any legal liability for polluting the environment and killing wildlife.

In March, a North Dakota jury found environmental advocacy group Greenpeace liable for defamation and ordered it to pay more than $660 million in damages to the Texas-based Energy Transfer oil company. The lawsuit stemmed from Greenpeace's role in the 2016-17 protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline -- one of the largest protests against fossil fuels in U.S. history. "Greenpeace, which vowed to appeal, said last month it could be forced into bankruptcy because of the case, ending over 50 years of activism," reported the BBC. (Full story: BBC.com, March 19)

Clearly, our justice system is out of phase with reality in its dedication to serve corporate interests, regardless of the risks and harmful consequences.

In defense of this new status quo of unbridled harm to the natural environment and everything in it -- and to discredit the validity of rising public concern -- the term "Trump derangement syndrome" has been coined. This is a derogatory phrase used to dismiss criticism of, and negative reactions to, President Trump’s statements and political actions.

But when we frame our perceptions objectively, as per my new book “One Health: Veterinary, Ethical and Environmental Perspectives,” we bear witness to the empathy deficit disorder in this administration. This deficit is evidenced in how it treats all immigrants as criminals; how it fires public servants, who had been serving the common good, from federal agencies; and how it strips legal protections from wildlife, including endangered species.

Elon Musk’s response to all this was to say, in a podcast interview, “The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy. ... They’re exploiting a bug in Western civilization, which is the empathy response.”

America can surely regain its diplomatic role as a global peacemaker, rather than engaging in disruptive trade wars and siphoning public funds -- needed for social services and environmental protection and restoration -- into the military-industrial complex. It is tragic that so many countries are investing trillions of dollars into weapons of defense and mass destruction rather than uniting to save the planet and humanity.

Those of us who care must bear witness to this ethical and spiritual corruption in America. This is a critical time for humankind to evolve, spiritually and empathically, for the benefit of generations to come, or else risk burdening them with the ravages of climate change, suffering and extinction. The core principle of equalitarianism, of treating each other and all living beings with respect and compassion, is the ethos of a truly democratic society.

EMPATHIC MICE: MORE COMPASSIONATE THAN SOME PEOPLE

Mice have been observed rendering a form of first aid. As summarized on Nature.com:

"Mice that find another mouse unconscious will attempt to resuscitate it in a similar manner to people giving first aid. Researchers found that if a mouse encountered an anaesthetized friend, it would begin a grooming routine focused on the head. If that didn’t rouse their companion, the rescuer began to bite around the mouth and pull at their tongue. This behavior was more forceful in mice that had spent more time with the unconscious individual, and resulted in a quicker recovery time." (See full study: "Reviving-like prosocial behavior in response to unconscious or dead conspecifics in rodents" by Wenjian Sun et al., published in Science, February 2025.)

So think twice before using a glue trap to catch a mouse in your home! My cat Fanny caught one in my kitchen recently, holding it unharmed between her paws so I was able to grab the mouse in a towel and take it outside.

(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.)