North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[JoanRRosenberg@aol.com]

Not to be picky, but I actually do TNR and have a rescue colony.  I am in NY.  One year we did have a round of racoon distemper, and ALL colonies on Long Island got hit.  We all lost cats (even vaccinated ones) and some of us sent biopsies to Cornell Veterinary.  After much research, Cornell came back to us with Racoon distemper which transferred to cats, not dogs, and there was no vaccination.  Every area has its own microclimate and species, and what I get here on LI will be different from Va Beach or Oregon, etc.  

I would warn you that not all cats chase squirrels.  Mine have elminated mice, rats, moles, tree shrews, rabbits.  The squirrels, raccoons, and possums remain.   They don't do much to the birds, the birds are too smart.  All they get are babies that fall out of nests.