Don't be afraid to kill off cats mid run

seriously. it's better to have 3 higher level cats than 4 lower level cats if that one cat just has no synergy or picks up a detrimental passive.

Rabies risking your whole party? send that cat in alone and AoE them down along with your enemies. same with COVID or even if their stats just get too low from injuries. this is a game about survival of the fittest, but you can also nudge the process along.