A Californian pet company has recalled a number of cat products over fears they could contain bird flu.
Savage Pet of El Cajon, CA is recalling 66 Large Chicken Boxes 84 oz. and 74 Small Chicken Boxes 21 oz. with the lot code/best by date of 11152026 because it has the potential to contain H5N1, also known as bird flu .
Savage Cat Food Large Chicken Boxes and Small Chicken Boxes were distributed to retailers in California, Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington.
Pet owners have been warned that if they fed cats the recalled products they should watch 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. People with cats exhibiting these signs after feeding this product should immediately contact their veterinarian.
While no human infections have been identified among people handling raw pet food products, humans can become infected if live virus gets into a person’s eyes, nose, or mouth. People should wash their hands while handling raw products and sanitize contact surfaces. People who handled the recalled products should watch 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. People exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare provider and local health department.
In February, Savage Pet was made aware of one cat in Colorado who contracted H5N1, got sick and recovered. Colorado State University Laboratory tested sealed packets of Savage Cat Food using PCR testing for H5N1. The PCR test results were “non-negative”. The product with “non-negative” PCR results was sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa for virus isolation testing.
The product in question was removed from the market while awaiting final test results. On 02/17/25 every retailer who may have received the lot code in question was contacted and informed to return it for proper destruction.
On 03/06/25 the NVSL virus isolation testing results confirmed the virus to be negative.
On 3/13/2025 Savage Pet was made aware of an additional case in New York of a kitten that was feeding lot 11152026 who contracted avian flu. Further testing is ongoing.
To ensure maximum safety we are modifying our market withdrawal to a recall.
The product with lot code/best by date of 11152026 was distributed in November 2024. The boxes are cardboard and contain individual plastic packets inside. The lot code/best by date is stamped on the bottom and on each packet.
Do not feed the recalled product to pets or animals. Do not sell or donate the recalled products. Consumers who have purchased this lot code are urged to immediately return it to their retailer for proper destruction and a full refund.
More information can be found on the US Food & Drug Administration website. Click here to view
