Cats Are Uniquely Vulnerable to Bird Flu, Says Humane Society

Cats should not, under any circumstances, be fed raw meat or dairy products, warns the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society.

This PSA will undoubtedly strike many cat owners as old-fashioned common sense. Of course a healthful diet, free of uncooked or undercooked food, is crucial to cats' survival. But there's a reason the Humane Society is making a fine point of this. Avian Influenza, or "bird flu," has sent too many felines to an early grave.

According to the Humane Society, a domestic cat in Oregon died on Christmas Eve after ingesting Northwest Naturals Feline Turkey Recipe, which tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus. The product, formerly carried by retailers in a dozen states, has since been recalled.

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Meanwhile in the Puget Sound area, a wild cat sanctuary has lost 20 cats to the H5 virus. And of the eight cats in Southern California who contracted the virus after ingesting unpasteurized milk, only three survived.

A separate case in Los Angeles County resulted in the "humane euthanization" of two indoor cats who experienced respiratory failure after consuming raw poultry and beef. One of the deceased apparently tested positive for bird flu.

Cats are particularly vulnerable and in need of shielding from raw food, especially in light of the disquieting surge in bird flu cases on the West Coast. But dogs are also susceptible, according to the Humane Society.

Risk factors include: "contact with sick or deceased cats and wild birds, backyard flocks or poultry farms; contact with dairy farms or backyard dairy producers; consumption of raw meat and dairy products; [and] known exposure to other animals or people infected with avian influenza type A (H5N1)."

Cat owners are should take precautions "if ANY of the following are observed in a cat or group of cats: Unexplained death, neurologic signs...clinical signs of respiratory disease that is unusual or severe (e.g., advanced pneumonia), signs that look like rabies infection. Do not handle any cats with these symptoms without wearing full PPE." Neurologic signs include "circling, tremors, seizures [and] confusion."

For more information, refer to the AVMA Guidelines.