Pet Food Recall: Cat Dies Of Bird Flu From Food Distributed In GA

GEORGIA — Pet food distributed in 12 states, including Georgia, was recalled after a cat died of bird flu contracted through the food, according to authorities.

Oregon-based Northwest Naturals is voluntarily recalling its 2-pound Turkey Recipe raw and frozen pet food after it tested positive for the H5N1 strain of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, the Oregon Department of Agriculture announced Thursday. The cat that died lived in Washington County, Oregon.

The recalled food is packaged in plastic bags with best by dates of May 21, 2026 (B10), and June 23, 2026 (B1). It was sold nationwide through distributors in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Washington, as well as British Columbia in Canada.

Customers who bought the recalled food should throw it away and contact the place of purchase for a refund, according to the department.

“We are confident that this cat contracted H5N1 by eating the Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food,” State Veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz said in a department news release. “This cat was strictly an indoor cat; it was not exposed to the virus in its environment, and results from the genome sequencing confirmed that the virus recovered from the raw pet food and infected cat were exact matches to each other.”

No human cases have been linked to the incident, according to the department.

More than 60 people in eight states have been infected with H5N1, mostly with mild illnesses, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One person in Louisiana had been hospitalized with the nation's first known severe illness caused by the virus, health officials said last week.

California officials have declared a state of emergency over the spread of bird flu, which is tearing through dairy cows in the state and causing sporadic illnesses in people.

To avoid the spread of the bird flu, according to the department, experts strongly encourage people and pets to:

• Avoid consuming raw or undercooked meat or dairy;
• Limit contact with sick or dead animals;
• Wash hands after handling raw animal products or contact with sick or dead animals;
• Report sick or dead birds to authorities;
• Keep pets or poultry away from wild waterfowl.

For more information on the recall, email info@nw-naturals.net or call 866-637-1872 from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time from Monday through Friday.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.