Another raw pet food recall is tied to illness and death in cats
Mar 18, 2025, 8:25 PM
Savage Pet large chicken box and small chicken box. This week, the company recalled one lot of large and small chicken boxes because they may be contaminated with Type A H5N1 influenza virus. (U.S. Food and Drug Administration via AP)
(U.S. Food and Drug Administration via AP)
A California pet food maker has recalled its raw chicken products after they were linked to聽聽in two cats and suspected in a third in New York City.
The recall is the latest in recent months tied to products potentially contaminated with the virus that has sickened and killed cats in several states, after racing through poultry and dairy cattle in the U.S. and causing illnesses in at least 70 people.
Savage Pet, of El Cajon, California,聽聽one lot of large and small chicken boxes because they may be contaminated with Type A H5N1 influenza virus. The boxes are cardboard and contain individual plastic packages of products. The lot code and best-by date 11152026 is stamped on products. The pet food was distributed in California, Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington state.
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Warning around Savage Pet products
New York City health officials this week urged consumers to avoid Savage Pet products because of the cats鈥� illnesses.
One cat fell ill and died this month after eating the Savage Pet products. Final test results are pending, but a preliminary test for H5N1 was 鈥渘onnegative,鈥� which indicates that a certain amount of virus was detected, a department spokesperson said.
A second cat was diagnosed with H5N1 and died 鈥� and tests suggested it was infected with a strain related to that found in the recalled Savage Pet food. However, that cat did not eat the food; it was exposed to a third cat that fell ill after eating the food from the implicated lot. That cat survived but was not tested.
The New York cases are the latest reports of cats in several states sickened and killed by H5N1. At least 115 bird flu infections in domestic cats聽聽to the U.S. Agriculture Department since 2022, with most logged since 2024. Cats can catch the virus from wildlife or contaminated milk and food.
Earlier this month,聽, of Olympia, Washington, recalled frozen boneless raw chicken cat food after it was linked to illnesses and deaths in cats in Oregon and Washington. In December, Morasch Meats of Portland, Oregon, recalled its聽聽brand of raw and frozen turkey pet food after it tested positive for the virus and was linked to the death of a local cat.
Dr. Jarra Jagne, a veterinary expert at Cornell University, said pet owners should avoid feeding their animals unpasteurized milk or raw pet food because of the risk of bird flu as well as other germs such as salmonella, listeria and E. coli.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 give my animals raw anything,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all about cooking.鈥�
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