Chinese turn to social media to feed stranded pets in virus city

A cat by the window of a cat restaurant in Beijing. The hashtag 'save the pets left behind in Wuhan' became the third-most searched term on the Twitter-like Weibo platform on Feb 3, receiving millions of views from those unable to return to the city, where the virus is believed to have originated, and others willing to help. — AFP

BEIJING: China's unprecedented quarantining of virus-hit Wuhan has separated millions from their families – and many from their pets, prompting worried owners and kind strangers to take to social media to ensure left-behind animals are looked after.

The virus that has killed more than 360 in China emerged during the Lunar New Year when hundreds of millions were travelling across the country, and the subsequent lockdown on Wuhan and central Hubei province has left many stranded.