The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a recall on cat food for possible contamination with bird flu, also known as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1.

On March 15, the FDA initiated the recall, saying that Savage Pet of El Cajon, Calif., has recalled 66 Large Chicken Boxes 84 oz. and 74 Small Chicken Boxes 21 oz. because it has the potential to contain bird flu. The impacted products have the lot code and best by date of 11152026 and were sold in cardboard boxes containing individual plastic packets inside.

The products included in the recall were distributed to retailers in California, Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington. If you’ve been feeding your cats the recalled products, the FDA advises you to watch out for symptoms of bird flu, including fever, lethargy, low appetite, reddened or inflamed eyes, discharge from the eyes and nose, difficulty breathing, and neurological signs like tremors, stiff body movements, seizure, lack of coordination, or blindness. If your pet exhibits any of these symptoms, contact their veterinarian immediately.

In February, Savage Pet was made aware of one cat in Colorado who contracted H5N1 and got sick but recovered following consumption of the companies cat food products. Colorado State University Laboratory tested sealed packets of Savage Cat Food using PCR testing for H5N1, which were “non-negative”. These results were sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, for virus isolation testing, according to the FDA.

The product that made the cat in Colorado sick was removed from the market while awaiting final test results, and on February 17, retailers who sold the product included in the testing were contacted and informed to return it for proper destruction.

On March 6, the NVSL virus isolation testing results confirmed the virus to be negative. However, on March 13, Savage Pet was made aware of another case in New York of a kitten who had consumed the product in question and contracted bird flu. While further testing is still ongoing, to ensure maximum safety, the recall was initiated.

The FDA ensures pet owners that no human infections have been identified among people handling raw pet food products, it’s possible that you can become infected if the live virus gets into a person’s eyes, nose, or mouth. The administration advises you to wash your hands while handling raw products and sanitize contact surfaces.

It’s also important to monitor yourself for symptoms of bird flu, including eye redness or irritation (conjunctivitis), cough, sore throat, sneezing, runny/stuffy nose, muscle/body aches, headaches, fatigue, fever, trouble breathing, seizures, rash, diarrhea, nausea, and/or vomiting. If you experience any of these signs following contact with the recalled products, you should contact your healthcare provider as well as the local health department.

The FDA is urging pet owners to not feed the recalled product to pets or animals. Instead, return it to the retailer for proper destruction and a full refund. For more information, you can contact Savage Pet at info@savagecatfood.com or by calling 619-270-0295.