Pet food recall linked to bird flu contamination: What you need to know

Northwest Naturals, a pet food company, is recalling a batch of its raw turkey pet food after a cat died from bird flu linked to the product.

In a press release this week, the Oregon-based company announced that its two-pound Feline Turkey Recipe raw frozen pet food tested positive for the bird flu virus.

The recall underscores growing concern about the potential for bird flu to spread between animals and humans, with recent cases reported in both cats and humans. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the risk to the general public remains low.

The voluntary recall applies to plastic bags with “best if used” dates of 05/21/26. and 23.06.2026 The product is distributed through various retailers in the US and British Columbia.

So does the Oregon Department of Agriculture issued a statement about the recall, noting that tests confirmed that a domestic cat contracted the H5N1 strain of the virus and died after consuming the product.

“We believe this cat contracted H5N1 by eating Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food,” Oregon Department of Agriculture veterinarian Ryan Scholz said in a statement. “This cat was strictly an indoor cat; she was not exposed to the virus in her environment, and the genome sequencing results confirmed that the virus recovered from raw pet food and the infected cat were an exact match.”

Pet owners who purchased the product are advised to dispose of it immediately and contact the company for a refund.

This recall follows news from the CDC last week confirmation the first US-based case of severe human bird flu in Louisiana linked to exposure to sick birds in backyard flocks. Two additional human cases were recently reported by the CDC: an adult in Missouri in September and a child in California in November, both without clear exposure to sick animals.

The bird flu is also linked to a recent recall of raw milk in California that tested positive for the virus. Two cats that consumed the milk and later died were sick with bird flu.

For more information about the Northwest Naturals recall, consumers can contact the company at info@nw-naturals.net or 866-637-1872.