New virus that causes ‘staggering disease’ discovered in US - and it can kill pet cats and those in the wild

karashta@lemm.ee to News@lemmy.world – 286 points –
New virus discovered in US that can kill pet cats and those in the wild
independent.co.uk

The American Veterinary Medical Association said symptoms to watch for include a staggering gait, the inability to retract claws, extreme sensitivity to touch, tremors, and seizures. The illness usually lasts for a few days to a few weeks, but can also linger for more than a year.

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Even more unpopular opinion.

Sprawling suburbs are much more damaging to the ecosystem than cats.

It's not an either/or thing. Outdoor cats are causing an ecological disaster when it comes to birds. The big solution is to spay and neuter as many as possible, especially pets. Even indoor ones can escape.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_predation_on_wildlife

The added benefit is that when there are few enough cats that there are loving homes for most of them, then the percentage of kitties with humans to take care of them increases drastically.

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