In a world where exotic wildlife captivates so many of us, some people want to bring a piece of the jungle into their homes.

The cats were infected with the newer D1.1 strain, which is widespread in wild birds — and has also now appeared in a few cattle herds in Nevada and Arizona.

Books about writers’ dogs and cats are a literary staple. Now there’s a booming subset of memoirs about writers’ relationships with less domestic creatures. By Alexandra Alter Alexandra ...