H5N1 avian influenza has dropped of the media radar lately (apart from the BC ostrich farm debacle, but that’s a different story), but that doesn’t mean it’s gone away (and with the fall wild bird migration season looming, we need to stay on alert). The same applies to H5N1 infections in pets from contaminated raw diets: there hasn’t been much press about it, but it’s still an issue, as highlighted by another US FDA notification about a cat death linked to a commercial raw diet, namely RAWR Raw Cat Food Chicken Eats. The cat developed severe H5N1 infection and was euthanized. The open package of the raw diet was tested and it was positive for H5N1 flu as well, and it was a genetic match with the virus from the cat. That’s all pretty clear-cut, unfortunate and sadly not surprising.

Some raw pet food companies have tried to deflect responsibility in such scenarios by claiming an open package could have been contaminated by the cat or owner. In this case there was further investigation which included testing two additional retail (unopened, for sale) samples of a different lot of the same food, and they were also positive for H5N1 flu virus. Genetic analysis was done on one of the two, and it was also a match with the virus from the cat and the other batch of food. It’s even more concerning to have two separate batches contaminated with the same virus strain, as it either means they have repeatedly used contaminated ingredients for separate batches, or they have cross-contamination of batches during production. Both point towards risk that might extend beyond the two lots that were tested.

There’s no word about a recall and nothing on the company’s website about this incident. Affected batches have probably already been consumed (and quite likely killed other cats that weren’t diagnosed) but with sell-by dates of September 18, 2026 and October 3, 2026, it’s possible there’s still some of this food out there in pet owners’ freezers. People who have purchased this diet should check the lot numbers: CCS 25 077 and CCS 25 093 are the known affected lots (but I definitely wouldn’t rule out others being contaminated, either linked to this event or separately). Affected lots (or, really, any lots in my mind) should be discarded, preferably in a manner that also prevents them from being scavenged / eaten by wildlife or any other animals.

Raw pet foods, particularly poultry-based raw diets, will continue to be a risk for as long as H5N1 flu continues to circulate (and that might be a long time). Avoiding all poultry-based raw diets is the best avoidance measure. High pressure pasteurized raw diets should pose much lower (but non-zero) risk, and should be sought if someone’s determined to feed their pet raw poultry. If any cat (or dog) that’s eaten raw poultry develops flu-like illness, respiratory disease or neurological disease, the pet owner should consult a veterinarian ASAP.

For more information on H5N1 flu, including H5N1 infections linked to raw pet food, check out all our previous Worms& Germs posts on avian influenza.   We also have a general infosheet on raw meat based diets available on the Worms & Germs Resources – Pets page.