On 13th December, the FDA released information on how to reduce the risk of H5N1 bird flu (a strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza) in cats. It is known that cats, including both domestic and wild cats, such as mountain lions, are very sensitive to bird flu.
The first documented case of natural H5N1 infection in cats was in 2004 in Thailand, where fourteen cats died in a household. There have been 33 documented cases of H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b infection in cats in the USA since March 2024.
In Texas, 12 cats died earlier in the year from infection following consumption of raw milk. More cases have recently been reported in Los Angeles and in other states; some associated with feeding raw milk, and some not. Outside the USA, two feline cases have been reported in South Korea due to feeding raw duck meat. On 25 December 2024, Northwest Naturals in the USA issued a recall of one batch of raw turkey recipe for dogs and cats, which tested positive for H5N1. To date, one cat is infected.
The situation is worrying, not only because the virus can cause severe disease and death in cats, but also because cats may act "as a mixing vessel for reassortment of avian and mammalian influenza viruses", potentially providing a bridge that allows the H5N1 bird flu to mutate and jump to humans.
At the time the FDA has recommended that cats are not fed raw or undercooked meat from affected farms, raw milk or dairy products, or be allowed to hunt and consume wild birds.
Unfortunately, the H5N1 strain of bird flu is currently spreading globally, causing wide-scale death of poultry and wild birds. Here's a quick overview of what you need to know, and answers to some questions we have been asked:
Where is H5N1 bird flu? Is it in Australia and New Zealand?
At the moment, Australia and New Zealand are free from H5N1 bird flu. Australia has had one reported case of the virus in a human in 2024. The person contracted the virus overseas, received treatment in Australia, and made a full recovery. No cases have been reported in dogs or cats. There is concern, though, that H5N1 is likely to spread to Australia and NZ via migration of wild birds.
For our clients in the USA, unfortunately the virus is widespread in wild birds, and there have been sporadic outbreaks in commercial poultry flocks. There is an ongoing multi-state outbreak in dairy cattle. Sporadic infections in cats have been reported. The current public health risk is considered low by the CDC.
Therefore, the information in the rest of this post is relevant to cat parents in the USA, UK, and in other countries.
Are dogs sensitive to H5N1?
Although dogs can also contract highly pathogenic avian influenza, they currently appear to be less susceptible to the virus than cats. At present, HPAI has not been detected in dogs in the United States.
What signs does H5N1 cause in cats?
Cats infected with H5 bird flu may develop severe illness that can include fever, depression, loss of appetite, respiratory signs, and neurologic signs like seizures, blindness or tremours, and that can rapidly progress to death. Initially, the virus appeared to mainly target the lungs, however this seems to be changing, with high viral loads predominantly in the brain. The fatality rate in cats is currently reported as about 67%.
Can cats catch H5N1 bird flu from other cats?
Yes, it appears that they can. There have been multiple reports of cats contracting bird flu from other cats, both in zoos and animal shelters, suggesting the disease could cause repeated outbreaks among these animals.
Should I avoid feeding dairy products to my cat?
For clients outside of Australia and New Zealand, it is sensible to avoid feeding raw milk (unpasteurized) dairy products to your cat at this time. It is true that the FDA advice is to avoid feeding raw milk from affected farms, however, the virus is spreading rapidly through dairy herds in the USA, and it may be difficult to know which farms are affected and therefore which dairy products are safe or not.
Our advice is therefore to avoid feeding any raw milk or raw milk dairy products to cats at this time.
Pasteurized dairy products and milk are safe to feed your cat, if you choose to. Viral fragments have been found in pasteurized milk, however these are not able to cause disease.
Is it safe to feed my cat a raw meat diet?
Is it safe to feed raw poultry and eggs?
Previous cases of H5N1 in cats imply that there may be a risk associated with feeding raw meat from infected birds or mammals to cats. As of 21/12/24, there is one suspected case of H5N1 in a cat in Los Angeles county that had been fed two different brands of commercial raw poultry and beef diets. This cat had ataxia (loss of coordination), uveitis and bilateral retinal detachment in both eyes, and tested positive for H5N1. The investigation is ongoing and includes testing of the raw pet food diets by the FDA.
As mentioned previously, on 25 December 2024, Northwest Naturals in the USA issued a recall of one batch of raw turkey recipe for dogs and cats, which tested positive for H5N1. To date, one cat is infected. It is known that turkeys are highly susceptible to H5N1. This case is worrying because the company claims to use HPP (high pressure processing) on their raw diets; it is currently unknown how this process could have failed.
Meat from poultry (chicken, duck, turkey, geese, or other game birds like pheasant or guinea fowl) is likely to be a concern, given that two cases have previously been documented in cats in South Korea fed raw duck meat. It is true, though, that the chance of infected poultry meat being sold commercially in the USA is low, because the onset of symptoms in birds in very fast. This may not be true for all countries though, and given the risk of serious disease and death in cats, we believe it's best to be cautious at this time.
Our recommendation for clients in countries with active outbreaks is to avoid feeding raw poultry to cats at this time.
It is unknown at this time if commercial raw diets that include poultry meat and that have undergone high pressure processing (HPP) are safe to feed - more investigation into the Northwest Naturals case is needed and hopefully will be made available. Poultry meat can be cooked to a internal temperature of 75 C; this inactivates the virus. Canned diets that include poultry are safe to feed, as they have been heated to a high temperature. The virus is not deactivated by freezing or refrigerating raw meat.
With respect to eggs, it is unknown whether it is safe to raw eggs to cats. The FDA has advised that when a case of H5N1 is detected in the US, the chance of infected eggs entering the food chain is low because of the rapid onset of symptoms in poultry as well as the safeguards in place, which include testing of flocks and federal inspection programs. However, thorough cooking of eggs is still recommended.
Is it safe to feed raw beef?
As mentioned previously, there is a multi-state outbreak of the virus in dairy cattle in the USA. FSIS is currently monitoring H5N1 in meat samples from culled dairy cows, and only one sample has apparently tested positive at this time. However, the USDA recommends cooking all ground beef to an internal temperature of 71 C, and this is also what we recommend when feeding any ground meat to cats.
It is difficult to know if raw beef (from beef cattle, not dairy cattle) is safe to feed to cats at this time. To reduce your cat's risk, you may choose not to do this until we have more information available - this is what we would recommend.
Is it safe to feed other raw meats like venison, pork, or lamb?
In a recent case in Oregon, H5N1 was detected in a pig on a non-commercial farm after an outbreak occurred among the poultry housed on the same farm. Other cases have not yet been reported. At this time, it is likely that the risk of H5N1 infection in cats from feeding raw pork is low - however the situation may change. Obviously, there are other potential food safety risks associated with raw feeding, but that is not the topic of this post.
In March 2024, USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) confirmed highly pathogenic bird flu in very young goat kids on a Minnesota farm that also had poultry infected with bird flu. In May 2024, NVSL confirmed highly pathogenic bird flu in alpacas on a farm that also had poultry infected with bird flu. At this time, cases in sheep and goats seem limited, however it is difficult to know how safe it is to feed raw lamb or goat meat at this time.
Cases have not been reported in wild deer, as far as we know. There have been no naturally occurring infections of highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu in rabbits. It is not known whether feeding fish or shellfish presents any risk; these species are generally fed cooked or canned anyway. It is unknown whether feeding raw meat from other species (crocodile, kangaroo, elk, hare, wild boar) is safe; cases have not been reported. Cases in water buffalo have occurred in Asia.
We have been asked by clients in the USA if they need to stop feeding their cat a raw meat diet. This is a personal decision, however if you are a risk-averse person, and if your cat does equally well on other diet types (for example, cooked or canned diets), then you could consider pausing your cat's raw diet.
If you believe that your cat only does well on a raw diet, avoid all raw poultry, eggs and raw beef, and be aware of where your meat comes from. Monitor the situation for updates as recommendations may change rapidly. At this time, we can not recommend commercial raw diets that have undergone HPP, until more information is available.
Are raw fresh-frozen or freeze-dried diets treated by HPP safe?
At this time, we don't know. There is some research that implies that it should be adequate, however given the recent case in the USA that may be due to a raw diet treated with HPP, it is difficult to comment until more information is available.
HPP (high pressure processing) involves submerging the packaged raw meat in water, within an enclosed chamber. Pressure is then generated either by pumping more liquid into the pressure vessel or by reducing the volume of the pressure chamber. HPP kills pathogenic bacteria, parasites and viruses by causing cellular damage and/or cell death, without the need for heat.
Both the pressure generated and time for processing can vary. Typically, pressure levels used for pasteurization of meats and meat products are in the range of 400 to 600 MPa with short processing times of 3 to 7 min, at room or chilled temperature. The composition of the product can also affect the efficacy of HPP (for example, homogenised chicken breast vs. diets that include bone, fat etc).
There is one study on HPP and avian influenza that shows that application of 600 MPa of HPP at room temperature for 2 minutes results in substantial (2–6 log10) decline of infectivity of the virus - in this case, H7N7 (not H5N1). However, the results of this study are difficult to extrapolate to pet food products.
There is an Australian government report that concludes that "HPP of chicken meat is not considered to be a suitable alternative risk management measure to the heat treatments". This is because of the lack of relevant research, and also because the efficacy of HPP depends on several factors.
With respect to the Northwest Naturals turkey diet, the company has not publicly commented on their manufacturing processes, if that batch of turkey recipe was in fact treated by HPP, and/or what could have gone wrong. It is possible that despite a reduction in infectivity of the virus, H5N1 particles may have persisted, and given the sensitivity of the cat to this virus, that could have been enough to cause infection. Hopefully more information will be available on this case soon.
For now, until more information is available, we can no longer recommend commercial raw diets treated by HPP as being safe.
Should I stop my cat from hunting?
Yes. Eating infected wild birds or mice is highly likely to cause infection in cats. If you have a cat that hunts, limit their time outdoors and/or supervise their activity. If you have barn cats that hunt rodents, stay informed regarding any outbreaks in your area, and ensure that rodents have no access to raw milk.
Are commercial diets safe to feed my cat?
Canned and dry diets are safe to feed. These diets have been heated to a high temperature, which destroys the virus. Fresh-frozen diets cooked to a safe internal temperature of at least 71-75 C as per USDA recommendations should be safe to feed - if you have any doubts, ask the manufacturer.
Air-dried or dehydrated diets should be safe to feed, however they need to also reach a minimum temperature for a set amount of time during the dehydration process. Again, contact the manufacturer for more information.
Freeze-dried diets may or may not be safe to feed, as the freeze-drying process does not destroy the virus. Some freeze-dried diets may have been treated with HPP prior to freeze-drying, however it is currently unknown how effective this is. Raw commercial diets may or may not be safe, depending on the included proteins and sourcing of these proteins - there is obviously a degree of risk with any raw or freeze-dried raw commercial diet.
Summary and recommendations
H5N1 bird flu can cause serious, life-threatening disease in cats. The fatality rate appears high.
The disease is not yet present in Australia or New Zealand. This may change though.
The number of cases in cats is currently low, however cases are increasing. There are multi-state outbreaks of the virus in dairy cattle and commercial poultry flocks in the USA. Outbreaks in the UK have been reported.
Avoid feeding cats any raw milk or raw milk dairy products.
Avoid feeding raw poultry meat. This includes chicken, turkey, duck, goose, pheasant, guinea fowl, and other game birds.
Avoid feeding raw beef, especially raw ground beef.
It is unknown if HPP adequately reduces the infectivity of H5N1; at this time we can no longer recommend raw or freeze-dried raw commercial diets treated with HPP. This may change in the future as more information becomes available.
Don't let your cat hunt wild rodents or birds.
Consider cooking (to an internal temperature of at least 75C), or feeding a canned diet.
Monitor the situation for updates, as the outbreak/s are rapidly evolving in multiple countries.
Given that only one or two cases due to feeding raw diets have been reported in the USA, there will be many cat parents who will continue to feed raw homemade or commercial diets with no concerns.
However, we do know that this virus can cause severe illness or even death in cats, and that infection from raw meat is possible. We also know that there are many other nutritious ways to feed your cat.
So, again - it's a personal decision. Is the risk worth it?
If you have any questions: info@vngpets.com
I do feed my cat homemade raw and am grateful this article. The boy will need to settle for pork for awhile it seems. Hopefully the media will report is pork becomes unsafe as well.