Bird Flu and Raw Feeding for Cats: What’s the Situation?

Raw Feeding

Dec 30

Written By The Little Carnivore - Coline

Update 1st of January 2025: Added the recall on Monarch Raw Pet Food from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on the 31st of December 2024.

Avian Flu: What is it?

The avian influenza, also called simply bird flu or avian flu, is caused by the influenza
A virus, and notably the H5N1 strain of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus. It is a disease in birds that can be transmitted to other mammals such as cats. Cats seem to be particularly sensitive to this disease with a mortality rate between 50 to 71%.
The symptoms in cats include neurologic signs such as seizures, lack of appetite, fever, and respiratory symptoms such as nasal and eye discharge.
Since 1997, outbreaks of the avian flu H5N1 have been regular in various parts of the world. The risks for humans remain low with extremely rare cases of person-to-person spread of the virus. Additionally, there have been no cases of cats-to-human transmission of this H5N1 avian flu.
There is currently an outbreak in the USA since late 2021 with a recent increase in 2024. However, because outbreaks are often linked to migrating wild birds they are often seasonal. The current outbreak in the US is the main focus of this article, as the death of a cat after consuming a commercial raw diet has rightfully caused widespread concern.

What’s currently the situation in the USA?

Raw Dairy Recalls

The H5N1 virus has spread to dairy cows in the USA, leading to two recalls of raw dairy products, as well as the death of at least 5 cats in December 2024. In Los Angeles County, two cats died following the consumption of the Raw Farm, LLC recalled products. Investigations are still ongoing regarding the 3 other cats; these cats, however, were not exposed to raw milk. (Update 1st of January: It’s likely that this is the Monarch Raw Pet Food recall.)
There are currently two recalls of raw dairy (raw milk and cream) for the avian flu in the USA.

On December 3, 2024, all sizes of raw whole milk and cream products produced by Raw Farm, LLC after November 9 were recalled by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. While not recalled, the California Department of Public Health recommends not to consume any products produced by Raw Farm, LLC, including their raw milk pet food topper and pet food kefir.
You can find here a list of the retailers who sold these products: http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/phcommon/public/media/mediapubhpdetail.cfm?prid=4892

On December 14, 2024, the California Department of Food and Agriculture issued a recall for all “Valley Milk Simply Bottled Raw Cow Milk” and “DESI Milk Raw Cow Milk” distributed in quart (32 oz), half-gallon (64 oz), and one-gallon (128 oz) plastic jugs with a code date marked on the container of DEC 23 2024 through DEC 30 2024.

Northwest Naturals recall

Since December 24, 2024, there is an ongoing recall of the 2lb Turkey Recipe raw & frozen pet food from the brand Northwest Naturals from Portland, Oregon, following the death of one cat eating this raw food. It was confirmed that the raw meat tested positive for the H5N1 virus and was genetically matching the virus of the infected cat. The cat was an indoor-only cat, so contamination from wild birds wasn’t possible.
The recalled product is packaged in 2-pound plastic bags with “Best if used by” dates of 05/21/26 B10 and 06/23/2026 B1. The product was sold through distributors in AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, MD, MI, MN, PA, RI, and WA in the United States, and British Columbia in Canada. If you have purchased the recalled product, you should immediately discard the product and stop feeding it.
Northwest Naturals is a brand that uses HPP (High Pressure Processing), a process that should have killed the H5N1 virus. This poses questions about the supposed efficiency of this process as a safety measure regarding the avian flu, or if some cross-contamination happened after this step.
Additionally, Northwest Naturals is a brand using meat from USDA-inspected facilities and made in a USDA-approved facility; however, contamination in USDA facilities hasn’t been reported.
So this case opens some questions, and I hope that we get more information on this subject. In the meantime, you can find here the FAQ from Northwest Naturals: https://www.nw-naturals.net/recall-faqs/

Monarch Raw Pet Food

On the 31st of December 2024, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health advised not to feed Monarch Raw Pet Food as H5N1 bird flu virus was detected in samples. One cat that ate this product contracted the avian flu, and it is presumed that the 4 other cats of the household also contracted it.
Monarch Raw Pet Food is a product made of “human-grade USDA free-range” chicken.

Previous outbreaks in the world

Here are some of the previous outbreaks of avian flu reported in cats. It’s important to note that the consumption of raw meat isn’t the only risk factor, as cats with outdoor access might hunt or eat infected wild birds.

One of the first cases of a cat dying of the avian flu was in Thailand in 2004 following the ingestion of an infected pigeon carcass by a cat with outdoor access.

In France, a single cat was contaminated by the avian flu at the end of 2022 following contact with a neighboring affected breeding duck farm.

In 2023 in Nebraska, USA, three outdoor cats died due to the avian flu, likely contracted from infected wild birds.

In 2023 in South Korea, in two shelters, around 38 cats died following the consumption of a commercial raw duck diet infected by the H5N1 virus. However, the diet recalled was also fed in 286 households without reported issues.

In 2023 in Poland, 25 cats died of the bird flu. However, it's unclear what the vector of infection was, as some cats ate raw chicken, while others had outdoor access and were fed a commercial cooked diet.

In Kansas and Texas in March 2024, cats in several infected dairy cattle farms died, likely following the ingestion of raw milk and colostrum from infected cows. It’s likely that the cows were initially infected following the ingestion of feed contaminated by the feces of wild birds infected with the HPAI. Further transmission from cow to cow might have been possible during transfer between herds.

Where the virus can be found

Poultry Meat

When birds are infected by an HPAI virus, the infection spreads to the whole body, and so the virus can be found in the meat, as well as the eggs and eggshells.
Poultry meat is susceptible to being contaminated by the virus, such as:

Chicken
Turkey
Quail
Duck
Guinea Fowl
Pheasant
Goose
Eggs and eggshells

However, currently, there hasn’t been any recall in the human food chain due to avian flu in poultry meat. The USDA indicates that the chance of infected poultry meat entering the food chain is low, as a highly pathogenic avian influenza response plan should prevent infected birds from entering the food supply. Poultry flocks are tested for H5N1 and are inspected before and after slaughter, which is guaranteed by the seal “Inspected for wholesomeness by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.”
Currently, the outbreaks in poultry flocks are designated as “sporadic” in the US.

Other Raw Meats

Because bird-to-mammal contamination is possible, the virus can be found in mammal meat. However, at the moment, the USDA indicates that no H5N1 virus has been found in retail ground beef samples from the states in which dairy cattle herds have tested positive for the H5N1 virus.
Since September, dairy cows are tested at slaughter so that contaminated meat doesn’t enter the human food supply.
One case of swine contamination has been reported in the USA; however, it was in a non-commercial farm and not destined for the food supply.
The detection of H5N1 in mammals is designated at the moment as “sporadic” in the US.

Raw Milk & Dairy

The H5N1 virus has been found in dairy cattle, and as a consequence, raw milk and dairy products from infected cows can also carry the avian flu virus.
A National Milk Testing Strategy was put in place in December 2024 in order to test unpasteurized milk for the avian flu.
The outbreak in dairy cattle is designated as an “ongoing multi-state outbreak” in the US and is the most concerning at the moment.

Wild Birds

Wild birds, and in particular aquatic birds and waterfowl (such as gulls, terns, shorebirds, ducks, geese, and swans), are the natural hosts of the avian flu. They are often asymptomatic. Outbreaks in domestic poultry are often linked to contact with infected wild birds.
Many cases of avian flu in cats may have been caused by contact with wild birds. That’s why it’s recommended to keep cats indoors or prevent them from hunting in areas with infected wild birds.
Currently, the avian flu detection in wild birds is widespread in the USA.

What should you do?

Cooking

The virus is inactivated by cooking beef at an internal temperature of 145°F or 63°C, and it is recommended to cook poultry at an internal temperature of 165°F or 74°C. Canned food and kibbles are cooked and heated at high temperatures, so they are safe to feed.
Switching to a homemade cooked diet is the easiest and safest measure to put in place if you are currently feeding a homemade raw diet.
However, feeding a homemade cooked diet has some differences from a homemade raw diet. Here is an overview of the major changes.
For a simple way to feed a cooked diet, you can use a meal completer as explained in this article.

Taurine

Because taurine is water-soluble and has a reduced bioavailability after cooking, it's recommended to add taurine to a cooked diet. You can find more information in this article on taurine.

B-vitamins

Many B-vitamins are sensitive to heat, so it's important to make sure that a supplement providing B-vitamins is included in the diet. It could be nutritional yeast or a B-complex with an appropriate dosage.

Raw Meaty Bones

Raw meaty bones shouldn't be cooked, as cooked bones are prone to splintering and are harder to digest than raw bones. So raw meaty bones will need to be replaced in a cooked diet.
Possible supplements are:

Calcium carbonate
Bone meal
Calcium citrate
Finely ground eggshell powder (and previously cooked)
Calcium Hydroxyapatite
Lithothamnium or red algae calcium

The dosage and appropriateness of each calcium supplement depend on your cat’s profile and recipe.

Commercial raw diet

Not all commercial raw diets can be safely cooked as they can contain bones, which aren’t safe to cook, especially if they're not very finely ground. In addition, cooking can also change the nutritional value of the food, so it’s not guaranteed to remain complete and balanced.
Before cooking a commercial raw diet, enquire from the brand if it can be safely cooked and what is the recommended process.

HPP

HPP (high pressure processing) is a pressure-based food processing method used to kill bacteria and viruses in raw meat while keeping the food raw. It's a process that many raw pet food companies use to ensure the safety of their food.
According to two studies, HPP is a process that should be efficient against the HPAI virus, but it wasn’t specifically tested on the H5N1 strain. However, because of the recall of the Northwest Naturals brand that used this process, I would recommend not considering it efficient as long as we don't have further information on the causes of the contamination in this recall.

Pasteurization

Pasteurization is a process in which raw milk is very quickly heated, killing bacteria and viruses, making it safe to be consumed. Studies have shown that pasteurization is efficient against HPAI viruses.
Additionally, one experimental study has shown that simple homemade recipes, such as yogurt and cheese, inactivated the H5N1 virus.

Freeze-Drying

Freeze-drying is a process often used to stabilize and preserve viruses for studies or in the context of vaccine formulation. So freeze-dried raw meat should be considered like raw meat; however, freeze-dried cooked meat is safe as it was cooked before being freeze-dried.
If you have freeze-dried treats or food, inquire from the brand if they were cooked before the freeze-drying process, in which case they are safe to feed.
Otherwise, you can use boiling water to cook the freeze-dried meats (do not cook freeze-dried bones) above 165°F or 74°C, making it safe to feed.

Freezing

Freezing is not efficient against the H5N1 virus, so frozen raw meat is not considered safe.

Outside the USA

If you are not located in the USA: Do not panic!
Check the situation of the avian flu in your region or country. The epidemic is currently active in the USA, but it doesn’t mean that it’s an issue in your country. For example, Australia is currently free of the H5N1 virus.
Additionally, check the safety measures in your country regarding food safety and avian flu prevention, as they can influence the probability of infected meat ending up in the food supply chain.

In France, where I’m located, the risk was classified as “high” in November 2024, as outbreaks were detected since August 2024. France was then classified as indemn on 17 December 2024, as no outbreaks were detected for a month. However, on the 27th, an outbreak was detected in one region.
The safety measures in place depend on the classification of the risks to ensure the safety of the food supply. When the avian flu is detected in a flock, the entire flock is culled and incinerated. A safety and protection area is also instituted around the specific location. Because of these safety measures, the probability of contaminated meat entering the human food supply is low.

In Summary

In doubt: Feed a cooked diet. If you are currently feeding a commercial raw diet, inquire with the brand if it can be cooked.
If, despite the risks, you choose to continue feeding a raw diet, carefully source your meat from USDA-inspected facilities and avoid poultry meat. Keep away from commercial raw diets, particularly those that cannot guarantee the origin of their meat.
Monitor the situation and how it evolves in your region.
Because of the Northwest Naturals case, it’s unclear if HPP is a sufficient safety process against the avian flu.
Do not panic: Contamination of cats remains rare despite the avian flu being present for decades.
Keep your cats indoors in areas where the epidemic is present in wild birds.