Bird flu in cats: How to protect your pet after food recall
CA declared an emergency, how serious is bird flu?
Bird flu in California continues to threaten birds and cattle 34 people in the state have tested positive for the bird flu, but health agencies continue to stress that the risk to the general public remains low. LiveNOW's Christina Evans breaks down the latest with Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert.
A cat's death in Oregon and a recent pet food recall highlight growing concerns about bird flu risks to household pets as the virus continues to spread in livestock across the U.S.
Health officials traced the Oregon cat's illness to frozen raw turkey pet food, marking a new development in the ongoing bird flu outbreak that began affecting U.S. dairy cattle in March.
Signs your cat might have bird flu
Veterinarians say watch for:
- Loss of appetite
- Lethargy
- Fever
- Reddened or inflamed eyes
- Breathing difficulties
- Tremors or seizures
How to protect your pets
Dr. Michael Q. Bailey, president-elect of the American Veterinary Medical Association, advises:
- Keep cats indoors
- Avoid raw meat in pet diets
- Keep pets away from wild birds
- Skip unpasteurized dairy products
What to know about the pet food recall
Northwest Naturals recalled its 2-pound Feline Turkey Recipe raw frozen pet food with "best if used by" dates of May 21, 2026 (B10) and June 23, 2026 (B1).
The Portland-based company sold the affected products in 12 states - Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Washington - plus British Columbia, Canada. State officials report the recalled food tested positive for the same H5N1 strain that killed the Oregon house cat.
Why bird flu concerns are growing
More than 60 bird flu infections in people have been reported in the U.S. since March, with cases spreading through dairy herds across 16 states.
Bird flu latest: California declares emergency as US reports 1st severe human case
While most human cases remain mild, a patient in Louisiana recently became the first severe U.S. case after handling backyard birds, CDC officials reported. As of December 19, 2024, the virus has infected 865 dairy herds, with nearly 650 cases in California alone, prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency.