American pet food sold in B.C. recalled after a cat died of bird flu
Northwest Naturals is voluntarily recalling its 2 lb. Feline Turkey Recipe raw frozen pet food
Northwest Naturals, an Oregon-based pet food company, is recalling a batch of its two pound (one kilogram) Feline Turkey Recipe raw frozen pet food after a cat that died of H5N1 avian influenza was linked to the product.
The recalled pet food was sold in British Columbia and several American states — including Oregon, Washington and California — and lists the best-before dates as between May 21, 2026, and June 23, 2026, the Portland company said in a press release on Tuesday.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed one house cat in Washington County, Ore., became infected with H5N1 and died after eating the pet food, the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) said in a statement on Thursday.
"We are confident that this cat contracted H5N1 by eating the Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food," said ODA State Veterinarian Ryan Scholz. "This cat was strictly an indoor cat; it was not exposed to the virus in its environment."
In an interview with CBC News on Friday, Scholz said his office had to conduct a necropsy on the dead cat to find out how it had died.
"It was an indoor-only cat, lived in an apartment in a moderately sized town, really didn't have any unsupervised access to the outdoors," he said.
"So I started digging a little further and found that the cat ate commercial raw pet food that's produced here in Oregon."
Scholz said that, since the statement had been released, his department had been receiving reports of more cats that are sick, but hadn't yet connected them to the specific pet food that has been recalled.
The Oregon Health Authority said, as of Thursday, there are no human cases of infection related to this pet food, and the risk of transmission to humans remains low.
A spokesperson for Health Canada said in a Friday statement that, should anyone in Canada have the recalled pet food, they should follow the recall instructions provided by the manufacturer.
"If it is determined that the product could pose a human health risk here in Canada, Health Canada will take action, which may include publishing a recall on the Recalls, Advisories and Safety Alerts site," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that the agency does not recommend feeding pets raw food, including raw meat from poultry or game birds.
The H5N1 form of avian influenza remains a virus mainly found in birds, but in 2024, it was reported in mammals like cattle and, in isolated incidents, in goats and one pig.
While human infections are rare, Health Canada says symptoms can range from mild to severe, potentially leading to pneumonia or organ failure.
It recommends staying away from wild birds, avoiding contact with infected animals and washing your hands after being in an area where birds and other wildlife are nesting.
The national health department also recommends keeping pets away from birds, wildlife and their feces.
Last month, B.C. health officials said one teenager was in critical condition after contracting the virus.
It's not clear how the teen became infected, but a B.C. Centre for Disease Control investigation found no additional cases or evidence of human-to-human transmission.
With files from Pinki Wong