Oregon Cats Euthanized After Testing Positive for Bird Flu Linked to Raw Pet Food

Two house cats in Oregon were euthanized after testing positive for bird flu, which officials linked to raw pet food made from chicken.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture confirmed the virus in both the cats and their food samples.

The affected cats, from separate households, had eaten the same brand of pet food, Wild Coast Raw, before falling seriously ill.

Their owners chose euthanasia due to the severity of their conditions. Officials advised against feeding raw or undercooked meat to pets.

Wild Coast Raw primarily sources chicken from California and ensures it comes from USDA-inspected facilities, owner Tyler Duncan stated.

The company is now working with a third-party lab to screen its products for bird flu.

The outbreak, which began in 2022, has affected millions of poultry, thousands of dairy cattle, and nearly 70 people since April.

While the CDC maintains that the general public faces low risk, infections continue to spread.

Recent months have seen widespread poultry losses in California, with about two-thirds of the state’s dairy herds infected since August.

In response, the USDA has called for increased bird flu testing, especially for turkeys in Minnesota and South Dakota.

A similar case occurred last month when another Oregon cat died after consuming raw turkey pet food.

Meanwhile, Minnesota’s Board of Animal Health reported difficulties obtaining USDA data on expanded turkey testing.

Additionally, the CDC has delayed releasing a report on bird flu cases among indoor cats, raising concerns about transparency in the government’s response to the outbreak.