One thing that'd be nice with new editions is stating exactly how much of the game is available/to expect. I assume the full game will be at least 2 weeks, given the email.
I won't say anything about the cable game, since you self-admitted it's broken on the main page, but I'd suggest toning down the shock punishment, as it's very much overkill right now IMO.
Balance wise (time vs money earned) I do not think you made Sponges or Bagging garbage as very worthwhile activities in their current state.
The Power Wash really needs a better way of spotting areas that haven't been cleaned yet.
I don't want to be too harsh on the writing, since it's self-described as being weird, but I think 6 month is an absurdly short time frame for events to play out like that. They'd probably still be trying to work out what happened, not mass-manufacturing pills and companies selling claw manicure products! Look at Hurricane Katrina as an example. Sure, they'd need workers if they intended to keep everything functional, but I could realistically still see hospitalization in places.
Less critical and arguably not in need of explanation, but what exactly does "merged" mean? Did they draw in an animal like a magnet and literally fused together? It would explain why it's mostly people-located animals like cats and dogs, but wouldn't that require the pigeon family to have been very lucky in all being located right next to a pigeon? Do people not miss their pets that merged with them? I'd definitely miss my cat if I merged with him and "killed" him in the process.
Couldn't you technically merge with another person, given that humans are also animals?
The lack of any kind of curative or restoration to the affected being mentioned can be viewed as an answer in itself, but again, the time frame is counter to that, since 6 months is really nothing when it comes to unknown phenomena.
I would ask about the pills more, but I think a better question would be if more than one ending is planned?
Again. I don't want this to be seen as harsh on your style, since I do like the weird tone you have, though I might not be the mental type this thing is aimed at, lol.