How to keep your cats safe as bird flu affects West Coast felines

By Midge Raymond

Twenty big cats at the Wild Felid Advocacy Center in Shelton, Washington, died from bird flu in November and December of this year, the New York Times reports. The sanctuary is not sure how the virus infected the cats — whether from wild bird droppings or the animals’ food — and are in the midst of an extensive cleaning process.

Also in the news, a house cat in Portland is dead after eating raw food contaminated with the virus, and the Portland-based company Northwest Naturals (owned by Morasch Meats) is recalling its “Feline Turkey Recipe” raw frozen food after samples tested positive for H5N1.

And in Los Angeles County, California, two cats have died and three more appear to have been infected. As The Guardian notes, “Cats are considered highly susceptible to bird flu.” The Los Angeles County department of public health issued a statement advising residents to avoid feeding their pets raw meat and dairy, also noting that the Oregon Department of Agriculture has confirmed a house cat contracted bird flu and died after consuming the recalled raw frozen pet food.

The statement reads, in part, “Residents should avoid consumption of all raw milk and raw meat products and not feed these to their pets. Raw dairy, meat and poultry products can harbor harmful bacteria and viruses, including H5 bird flu, which can pose serious risks to your health and the health of your pets. While consuming raw milk and meat products is never advised from a public health standpoint, the risk is especially concerning at this time, given the ongoing spread of bird flu virus among dairy cattle and following recent multiple detections of the virus in raw milk products.”

While most of these incidents have occurred in our neighboring states, the recalled pet food is sold nationwide, and we all need to take good care of our feline family members to keep them safe as this virus is spreading. Click here for more on the recall and additional tips for keeping your cat safe from bird flu.

Questions? Comments? Email me at CattyCornerAshland@gmail.com. 

Ashland resident Midge Raymond is co-founder of Ashland Creek Press and author of the novels “Floreana” and “My Last Continent” and co-author of “Devils Island.” Email suggestions and questions for Catty Corner to her at CattyCornerAshland@gmail.com.