Look Beyond the Ears for Cause of Infections

The change in diet I recommend for your dog is on my Web site, http://www.doctormwfox.org. Giving your dog one teaspoon of cod-liver oil in her food every day might also help. Several readers have told me that they use Wally's Ear Oil on themselves and that it has helped their pets' ear problems, too. Essential oils such as tea tree are in this as well as other good eardrop formulations, a selection of which you can find at the Only Natural Pet Store Web site, http://www.onlynaturalpet.com.

Dear Dr. Fox:

As a faithful reader of your column, I am writing in hopes you will be able to explain the strange behavior of one of my cats.

Malachy is a 9-year-old neutered tabby. About a year ago, he began picking up pens and bringing them into the kitchen. After a few months, he graduated to my husband's socks. He would drag them near the kitchen door to the garage. In the past several months, he has been dragging my husband's polo and T-shirts. Sometimes he pulls them off hangers or from the bed or chair. He seems to prefer the brightly colored shirts. Sometimes he will drag three to four shirts, a pair of underpants, swim trunks and even a cotton hat. He does this mostly when we are out during the day, but sometimes when he wants attention in the evening when we are watching TV.

After he has created a pile of clothing, he might sit on or near it, or retire to his box and sleep. When dragging these things in his mouth, he cries the most pitiful, half-muffled meows. Our other cat just watches him and does not participate in his strange behavior. What is this all about?

S.L.

Naples, Fla.

Dear Dr. Fox:

Our cat Roxy has taken an extreme liking to a small ball of yarn that was tossed on the floor a few years ago. She carries it around in her mouth and, mostly at night, howls over it as if she's in some type of reverie. She leaves it around the house but often brings it into our bedroom at night. We have taken to calling it her "yarn baby" or "love child." My husband uses earplugs at night because of her incessant howling.

What is going on? Is it really a substitute baby? Is she just going through a phase? Why doesn't my other cat even look at the yarn ball? Should I just use earplugs and not worry?