Pet owners across America are facing a new threat to their feline friends as contaminated raw pet food has led to bird flu outbreaks in cats. The discovery of H5N1 in commercial pet products is raising alarming questions about government oversight and food safety protocols that could affect millions of American households.
At a Glance
- Multiple raw pet food companies have issued voluntary recalls after their products tested positive for bird flu virus H5N1
- Cats in Oregon and Washington have died after consuming contaminated raw pet food
- Nearly 100 domestic cats in the US have tested positive for bird flu since 2022
- Experts are warning pet owners to avoid feeding raw poultry products to cats
- No human infections related to the pet food contamination have been reported yet
Raw Pet Food Recalls Mounting as Cats Fall Ill
The Food & Drug Administration announced that Wild Coast LLC, operating as Wild Coast Raw of Olympia, Washington, has issued a voluntary recall of its frozen Boneless Free Range Chicken Formula raw pet food after it tested positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1. This marks the second U.S. company forced to pull products from shelves after Northwest Naturals similarly recalled a batch of its Feline Turkey Recipe raw frozen pet food.
The affected Wild Coast Raw products were distributed in Washington State and Oregon, where multiple cats have already fallen ill. The contamination was identified through testing by State Agriculture Departments, which linked the specific H5N1 strain found in sick and deceased cats to the raw pet food products. Pet owners who purchased the affected batches can receive full refunds, but for some cat owners, the warning came too late.
Cat Deaths Confirmed from Contaminated Food
A particularly troubling case emerged in Washington County where genome sequencing confirmed the connection between pet food and bird flu. “We are confident that this cat contracted H5N1 by eating the Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food,” Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) State Veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz said. “This cat was strictly an indoor cat; it was not exposed to the virus in its environment, and results from the genome sequencing confirmed that the virus recovered from the raw pet food and infected cat were exact matches to each other.”
“We are confident that this cat contracted H5N1 by eating the Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food,” Dr. Ryan Scholz said. “This cat was strictly an indoor cat; it was not exposed to the virus in its environment, and results from the genome sequencing confirmed that the virus recovered from the raw pet food and infected cat were exact matches to each other.”
Christine “Kiki” Knopp, a cat breeder in Oregon, experienced the devastating impact firsthand when multiple cats in her care tested positive for bird flu after consuming raw pet food. Knopp has since become outspoken about the dangers, warning fellow pet owners: “It is not safe. Immediately: do not feed raw poultry or raw chicken, raw any table scraps, to cats currently – not even raw eggs.”
Yet another recall of raw pet food for Salmonella contamination, again with a diet that was high pressure pasteurized.
Highly relevant given the concerns with H5N1 avian flu contamination of raw diets.
Link to blog post is in the replies. pic.twitter.com/1B7m8lPZLz
— J Scott Weese (@weese_scott) January 8, 2025
And the problem is spreading across the country, with reports from New York revealing how stray cats are even becoming infected.
Experts Warn Against Raw Diets as Safety Questions Mount
The USDA has launched an investigation into how tainted poultry is entering the raw pet food supply chain, but questions remain about whether current regulations are sufficient to protect pets and their owners. Veterinarians across the country are now advising pet owners to avoid feeding their animals raw meat products altogether.
“Owners should not feed their pets raw meat—especially poultry—or unpasteurized dairy products, veterinarians advised.” according to the FDA announcement.
Pet owners should monitor their animals for symptoms including fever, lethargy, inflamed eyes, respiratory issues, and neurological signs. While no human infections have been reported connected to the pet food contamination, the risk of transmission from infected pets to humans remains a concern. Health officials recommend limiting contact with sick animals, keeping cats indoors, and switching to commercially prepared canned food during this outbreak.