Cat Food Recall Prompted by Discovery of Bird Flu — What To Know
Don't feed your pets until after you've learned which foods are being recalled.
Published Dec. 26 2024, 3:14 p.m. ET
Pet parents are on high alert after the raw pet food brand Northwest Naturals announced a voluntary recall of its product, which has been sold throughout the U.S. and in certain parts of British Columbia.
The recall was prompted by the death of a house cat that had eaten the product, which later tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus, or H5N1 bird flu.
You can get details about the voluntary recall below, including information on what you should do if you have this pet food at home.
Per the American Veterinary Medical Association, bird flu has no specific treatment and can be fatal to domestic animals, so this product recall should not be ignored, especially if you have cats at home who frequently eat raw food.
In 2024, cat food was voluntarily recalled after being linked to bird flu.
Northwest Naturals, owned by Morasch Meats, voluntarily recalled its Feline Turkey Recipe product after a batch tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu.
The company shared the details in a news release posted to its website on Dec. 24, 2024, explaining that the product in question was sold in a 2-pound size and features "best if used by" dates of 06/23/2026 B1 and 05/21/26 B10. According to the release, this product line was sold in multiple states including Florida and Pennsylvania.
Additional packages were sold in British Columbia. A full list of locations can be found on the company's website.
According to CNN, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Oregon State University conducted testing on the product to confirm the cat's cause of death, revealing that the food indeed tested positive for bird flu.
The Oregon Department of Agriculture also shared the news in a statement, explaining that the organization made a positive genetic match between the infected animals and the virus detected in the pet food.
"We are confident that this cat contracted H5N1 by eating the Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food," state veterinarian Ryan Scholz said.
Scholz went on to explain that the indoor cat would've had no other way of contracting the virus and that officials had begun monitoring everyone who came into contact with the cat for symptoms of bird flu. As of the time of publication, no human cases had been reported.
The organization explains that it's very rare for humans to catch bird flu after interacting with an infected animal, but that it can still happen.
Here's what you should do if you have purchased recalled cat food.
Northwest Naturals is telling customers to immediately toss their products in the trash. Those who are looking for a refund should reach out to the company directly so that they can get their money back.
Anyone who needs more information or who has questions about the voluntary recall is being asked to send an email to info@nw-naturals.net or to call 866-637-1872 during regular business hours.
Of course, this article isn't meant to substitute medical or veterinary advice, and if you have concerns you should reach out to your healthcare provider or vet.