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Pet owners should not panic, local health officials say, but take precautions after a rabid kitten was found in Carroll County.

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The Cook County Department of Animal and Rabies Control is urging pet owners to vaccinate their cats, dogs and ferrets against rabies after two outdoor cats tested positive for the virus in Illinois and Missouri.

(Ann Froschauer / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Six bats found in Cook County that were reported to local authorities this year, including three in Chicago, have tested positive for rabies, the Cook County Department of Animal and Rabies Control (CCDARC) said Thursday.

An outbreak of canine distemper has infected a record number of racoons in Cook County, putting dogs at risk of contracting the highly contagious virus.

A coyote in Lincoln Park, near Belmont Harbor. (John Picken)

A viewer's video, shared with "Chicago Tonight," shows his encounter with a coyote in Columbus Park while walking his two dogs. Coyote mating season has begun, which means the urban animals may behave aggressively.