Several cat deaths reported following bird flu exposure through raw pet food and milk

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been detected in 2 raw pet food products, resulting in several infected cats and one death. According to public health officials, additional cat deaths have been reported following infected raw milk consumption. As of December 24, 2024, more potential cases of H5 bird flu in cats are under investigation.¹

Pet food recalls and contamination

Northwest Naturals

Northwest Naturals recalled 2 lb Feline Turkey Recipe front. (Photo courtesy of Northwest Naturals)

Northwest Naturals recalled 2 lb Feline Turkey Recipe back. (Photo courtesy of Northwest Naturals)

Northwest Naturals, based in Portland, Oregon, voluntarily recalled its Northwest Naturals brand 2 lb Feline Turkey Recipe raw frozen pet food after it tested positive for H5 bird flu.^1,2 The product comes in a blue-colored plastic bag with “Best if used by” dates of 05/21/26 B10 and 06/23/2026 B1.

Distributors in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Washington in the United States, as well as British Columbia, Canada, sold the product nationwide.²

Testing was conducted by the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) and the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (ODVL) at Oregon State University following the death of a cat in Washington County, Oregon, who contracted H5N1 and died after consuming the raw pet food product.² A genetic match between the H5N1 virus found in the pet food and the infected cat was confirmed.²

“We are confident that this cat contracted H5N1 by eating the Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food,” Ryan Scholz, DVM, MPH, Oregon Department of Agriculture state veterinarian, said in a state government release.² “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.”

Clients who have bought the recalled product should discard it right away and contact the retailer for a full refund, wrote the ODA in a release.² Northwest Naturals of Portland can be contacted at info@nw-naturals.net or at 866-637-1872, Monday through Friday, between 7:00 AM and 3:30 PM PST for additional information or questions.

Monarch Raw Pet Food

Monarch Raw Pet Food. (Photo courtesy of Los Angeles County Department of Public Health)

H5 bird flu was also detected in Monarch Raw Pet Food product samples.³ Following detection, county officials from the Los Angeles (LA) County Department of Public Health are urging residents to avoid feeding their pets this product, which was sold at California farmers markets in Laguna Niguel, Orange, San Jacinto, Fountain Valley, Beaumont, Corona, and Palm Springs.^3,4

A house cat that consumed Monarch Raw Pet Food was confirmed to be positive with H5 bird flu, according to LA County Department of Public Health. “Four other house cats from the same household are presumed to have also been positive for H5 bird flu after consuming the product,” the department wrote in a news release.³

“Residents who fed their pets Monarch Raw Pet Food products or other raw meat or dairy products and notice their pet is experiencing symptoms should immediately contact their veterinarian,” they continued. “Residents should avoid consumption of all raw milk and raw meat products, and not feed these to their pets.”

Monarch Raw Pet Food released a statement on January 3, 2025, in response to the H5 bird flu claims, asserting the safety of their product. “We want to assure our customers and the public that these claims are not substantiated by any scientific evidence at this time,” the company wrote.⁵

“At Monarch Raw Food Pet Company, we adhere to the highest industry standards when it comes to quality and safety,” the company continued. “The ingredients that we purchase for our products undergo rigorous testing and quality assurance processes to ensure they are safe for pets.”

According to Monarch Raw Food Pet Company, they are monitoring the situation and will work with veterinary and health professionals to investigate the claim.⁵

Additional cases of bird flu in cats

LA County health officials are also investigating a separate case of H5 bird flu in 4 house cats. H5 bird flu was confirmed in these felines after they consumed raw milk contaminated with the virus and became sick and died, according to the department.¹

The state health department is also looking into additional potential H5 bird flu cases in 3 house cats from a different household. One cat was confirmed to have Influenza A, a rare finding in felines that suggests the potential presence of H5 bird flu, wrote the state health department.¹

The agency also reported the death of 2 more cats after a “worsening respiratory illness.” Testing is still pending, but these felines are presumed to have also been infected with Influenza A, according to the health department.

“These cats were not known to be exposed to raw milk, however public health is investigating other possible sources of infection, including raw meat,” wrote the agency.¹

The state health department published a comprehensive guidance document for veterinary practices with suspect cases of H5 bird flu in pet patients that includes guidance for communicating with clients about H5 bird flu risks, what to do in the case of a potential H5 bird flu case in a patient, and instructions for H5 bird flu sampling of animals with veterinary public health test kits.⁶ The document advises veterinary professionals to urge clients to not consume nor feed their pets raw dairy, raw meat, raw poultry, or raw pet food diets; stay informed about recalls, sharing information with clients; and more.

References

1. Public Health warns against feeding pets raw food following H5 bird flu virus detection. County of Los Angeles Public Health. December 24, 2024. Accessed January 16, 2025. http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/phcommon/public/media/mediapubdetail.cfm?unit=media&ou=ph&prog=media&cur=cur&prid=4918&row=25&start=1
2. Northwest Naturals of Portland voluntary recall of Northwest Naturals brand 2lb Feline Turkey Recipe raw & frozen pet food due to HPAI contamination. News release. Oregon Department of Agriculture. December 26, 2024. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://apps.oregon.gov/oregon-newsroom/OR/ODA/Posts/Post/morasch-meats-voluntary-recall-feline-raw-pet-food-hpai
3. Public Health warns against feeding pets raw food following H5 flu virus detection. News release. County of Los Angeles Public Health. December 31, 2024. Accessed January 16, 2025. http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/phcommon/public/media/mediapubdetail.cfm?unit=media&ou=ph&prog=media&cur=cur&prid=4923&row=25&start=1
4. Monarch Raw Pet Food. Monarch Raw Pet Food. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://www.monarchrawpetfood.com/where-to-buy
5. Monarch Raw Food Pet Company addresses allegations regarding bird flu claims. News release. January 3, 2025. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62d89ce7b18a3bef5ade55c6/67789acebe437367772eee7e_Monarch%20Statement%20v1.1%2001-03-25.pdf
6. Guidance for veterinary practices with suspect cases of H5 bird flu in pets. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Accessed January 16, 2025. http://ph.lacounty.gov/vet/docs/GuidanceForVets_H5BirdFluSuspectAnimals.pdf