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Bird Flu Concerns Rise as Cat Infections Linked to Raw Pet Food
Concerns about bird flu, also known as avian influenza, were far from Tim Hanson’s thoughts when he provided his feline companions with specialized raw chicken pet food.
“At the pet store, it was presented as a premium, uncooked food option,” he stated. “Its finely ground texture seemed, in my view, to be easily digestible for my cats.”
However, in early February, Kira, one of his cats, developed a fever and lost her appetite. Veterinary testing confirmed bird flu. Kira’s state declined rapidly – she became listless and experienced labored breathing within a matter of days.
After multiple visits to veterinary clinics and an emergency animal hospital in Portland, Oregon, Hanson’s residence, he made the heartbreaking choice to euthanize Kira.
“She was the most joyous cat I’ve ever known,” he recounted. “Whenever you passed by, she would playfully flip onto her back, inviting a belly rub. Even in the hospital on her final night, she weakly rolled onto her back so we could stroke her belly.”
Wild Coast Pet Foods, the manufacturer of the pet food Kira consumed, subsequently initiated a recall of specific batches of the formula due to potential avian influenza contamination.
Earlier this month, Hanson initiated legal proceedings against the company, asserting a failure to disclose the bird flu risk associated with its raw pet food. He is seeking approximately $8,000 to cover Kira’s veterinary bills. Wild Coast did not offer an immediate response to requests for comment. In a client advisory, the company affirmed it had “shifted to exclusively using cooked poultry recipes to mitigate any possible danger.”
Growing Number of Cat Bird Flu Cases
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that 126 domestic cats in the U.S. have been diagnosed with bird flu since 2022. Approximately half of these instances have been recorded this year, with numerous cases traced back to exposure through tainted nourishment or milk.
“We are observing persistent reports of feline bird flu infections across the nation, and these have shown a steady increase in recent months,” noted Suresh Kuchipudi, a professor specializing in infectious diseases and microbiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health.
In cats, avian influenza infections often progress swiftly and prove fatal. While the overall danger to indoor cats remains limited, experts like Kuchipudi, who study and identify these infections, suggest the threat is intensifying. The widespread of bird flu among poultry and cattle creates continuous possibilities for viral entry into the raw food supply chain. Although current evidence does not indicate cat-to-human bird flu transmission, this potential escalates with rising feline infections.
“Absence of evidence isn’t evidence of absence; the lack of confirmed cases doesn’t preclude past or future occurrences,” Kuchipudi cautioned.
Pet Food Recalls Highlight Raw Food Concerns
Standard pet food processing involves heat treatment to eliminate pathogens prior to packaging. However, bird flu can persist in raw food derived from infected poultry sources – for example, chickens culled because of an outbreak.
According to Laura Goodman, an assistant professor at Cornell University’s Baker Institute for Animal Health, “Depopulated animals could potentially infiltrate the pet food chain. The inclusion of substandard meat in pet food isn’t unusual.”
Recent months have seen at least three pet food manufacturers issue recalls for batches containing raw poultry. In January, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning for manufacturers utilizing uncooked meat to reassess their food safety protocols in light of recent feline illnesses and mortalities.
Beyond contaminated pet food, some cats have contracted bird flu on dairy farms, most likely from consuming raw milk from infected cows. In certain scenarios, outdoor cats have contracted the virus directly from deceased wild birds.
A February report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also detailed instances of two indoor cats, residing with dairy farm workers, that contracted avian influenza. Kimberly Dodd, dean of the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine and co-author of the report, proposed that “Individuals in dairy work or milk transport may inadvertently carry the virus into their homes via clothing or footwear, subsequently exposing domestic cats.”
Active bird flu surveillance in healthy cats is not routine, suggesting potential underreporting of cases. A study involving stray cats in the Netherlands revealed nearly 12% tested positive for bird flu antibodies.
Kristy Pabilonia, director of veterinary diagnostic laboratories at Colorado State University, stated, “Our testing efforts likely focus on the most severely ill cats or a single cat per household. It’s plausible that numerous cases exist where veterinary care wasn’t sought or diagnostic testing wasn’t performed.”
Pabilonia oversaw the diagnostic analysis for Leonardo DiCaprio, a hairless cat diagnosed with bird flu in January. Steve Werfelmann, Leo’s owner, confirmed his cat had consumed chicken-based raw pet food from Savage Pet, a company which initiated recalls for numerous batches earlier this month.
“This food was recommended upon adoption,” Werfelmann explained, “due to his delicate skin. However, subsequent veterinary consultations indicated a lack of robust scientific support for raw food’s purported superiority.”
Savage Pet directed NBC News to an online statement asserting, “All poultry components are USDA inspected and cleared for human consumption.”
The current bird flu strain, which emerged amongst wild birds and poultry in the U.S. in 2022, frequently induces severe neurological symptoms in cats, including seizures and visual impairment, alongside respiratory distress and discharge from eyes and nose.
“Affected cats might exhibit circling behavior, head tilting, or marked behavioral abnormalities. Some of these clinical indicators resemble those observed in rabies,” Dodd clarified.
Leo’s symptoms were primarily fever, lethargy, and appetite loss, with mild hind leg wobbliness, but no significant neurological signs, Werfelmann noted.
“We genuinely feared he would not survive,” Werfelmann admitted.
The Colorado Department of Agriculture recently reported 11 domestic cat bird flu cases in the state, all linked to raw poultry or pet food. Leo was the sole survivor among these cases.
Raw Milk and Bird Flu Transmission
Scientists are still investigating the high virulence of bird flu in cats. While highly lethal to birds, the virus appears to affect cats more severely than several other mammals. Canine cases are significantly less frequent, and although nearly 1,000 dairy herds have been impacted, the illness tends to be milder in cattle. Among humans, only one fatality has been recorded among 70 U.S. cases.
Kuchipudi’s research has revealed receptors throughout feline bodies that enable infection from a wide array of influenza viruses, including H5N1.
“Post-mortem examinations reveal systemic viral presence throughout affected animals’ bodies,” he explained. “It induces a widespread infection that can be extremely severe.”
Joseph Journell experienced the loss of two cats, Alexander and Tuxedo, to bird flu within days of each other in November. He had been feeding them raw milk, believing in its enhanced nutritional value. Big Boy, a third cat, also fell ill after consuming the milk and reached critical condition.
“It became clear that Big Boy’s ailment mirrored that of Tuxsie and Alexander,” said Journell, residing in San Bernardino, California. “The raw milk was the common factor.”
Big Boy’s bird flu diagnosis was confirmed in December through urine analysis. He has since fully recovered.
According to Journell’s legal representative, the raw milk originated from Raw Farm LLC, a California dairy. Following positive bird flu findings in samples by California health officials, the farm issued a recall. Raw Farm did not respond to requests for comments, but in a prior online statement, labeled the recall as “unfounded,” asserting “no evidence of adulterated product linked to any consumer health issues.”
Similar to Hanson in Oregon, Journell initiated legal action. His lawyer sent a letter in January to Raw Farm’s owner, signaling Journell’s intent to recover over $16,000 for veterinary expenses, lost income, and Big Boy’s caretaking costs. They hope to negotiate a resolution with the company outside of court but are prepared to litigate if necessary.
Potential Human Health Implications
Hanson recounted that upon learning of Kira’s raw food diet, the veterinary staff immediately suspected avian influenza.
“They promptly donned PPE,” Hanson recalled. “I was taken aback.”
While some evidence suggests potential cat-to-cat bird flu transmission, no current data confirms feline-to-human virus transmission. Nevertheless, expanded viral circulation in cats increases opportunities for mutation, potentially enhancing transmissibility to humans. Kuchipudi suggests outdoor cats could function as a transmission “bridge” spanning wildlife to domestic animals or humans.
In 2016, a veterinarian at a New York City animal shelter tested positive for a distinct bird flu strain, H7N2, after interacting with infected cats.
“We must maintain vigilance regarding these ongoing viral circulations, which could complicate disease transmission dynamics and introduce potential human health risks,” Kuchipudi emphasized.
Hanson mentioned he tested negative for bird flu following Kira’s death. During his cat’s final days, he wore an N95 respirator and laundered his clothing immediately after returning home from the animal hospital.
He intends for his experience to serve as a cautionary tale for other cat owners.
“I hope to prevent further feline fatalities,” he concluded. “Hopefully, Kira’s passing can offer a valuable lesson.”