Another cat food brand recalled amid possible bird flu contamination fears

It is the third time in three months that a pet food brand has issued a recall over bird flu concerns

A cat food brand in the US has been recalled due to possible bird flu contamination. Large and small boxes of Savage Pet’s raw chicken cat food were recalled because it potentially contains H5N1 - also known as bird flu.

Cats who feasted on the product, which has now been swiped from supermarket shelves, are at risk of developing bird flu symptoms including burning eyes, difficulty breathing, tremors, stiff body movements, seizure, or blindness.

The stark warning was issued by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after a kitten who was feeding on the product contracted avian flu and another cat contracted bird flu and got sick but recovered.

While the recall currently doesn't apply in the UK, it is the second brand of cat food in the US to be pulled from shelves over bird flu fears.

While no human infections have been identified among people handling raw pet food products, humans can become infected if live virus gets into a person’s eyes, nose, or mouth.

People who handled the recalled products should watch for conjunctivitis, cough, sore throat, sneezing, muscle/body aches, headaches, fatigue, fever, trouble breathing, seizures, rash, diarrhoea, nausea, and/or vomiting.

People should wash their hands while handling raw products and sanitize contact surfaces. It is the second time in less than a month that a cat food brand has vanished from stores due to bird flu fears.

Wild Coast LLC dba Wild Coast Raw announced a recall on its frozen Boneless Free Range Chicken Formula raw cat food at the end of February over concerns from the FDA that the pet food was contaminated with bird flu.

And in December, another US pet food company - Northwest Naturals - issued a North American recall after a cat died from consuming a batch of their cat food, which was found to be contaminated with bird flu.

The current recall is for 66 of the company’s large 84-oz boxes and 74 of the company’s small 21-oz boxes. They have a lot code/best-by date of 11152026.

The affected products come in cardboard boxes with handles that make the shape of a cat’s head. The chicken one is indicated by the colour yellow outlining the company’s logo on the box.

The FDA warned those who may have purchased the affected cat food to not feed it to their pets or donate it but instead to return it to the retailer in exchange for a refund.

Since 2022, more than 70 cats have been infected with H5N1, with many being barn cats that drank milk from infected cattle. Vets strongly recommend sticking to conventional pet food as the safest option.

The American Veterinary Medical Association had previously issued a warning about bird flu affecting cats, with the Record previously detailing how common bird flu is both internationally and in the UK.