• Posted September 5, 2025

Raw Cat Food Linked to H5N1 Virus After Infected Cat Is Euthanized

Federal health officials are warning cat owners about certain lots of RAWR Raw Cat Food Chicken Eats after a pet cat in San Francisco became infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus and had to be euthanized.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that two lots of the product tested positive for the H5N1 virus. Health officials in San Francisco later confirmed that the same strain was detected in both the food and the infected cat.

This is the first reported case of an H5N1 infection in pet cats linked to raw pet food since March. So far, nearly 70 cats nationwide have tested positive for the virus this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

Experts say many of these infections are connected to eating raw pet food or raw milk contaminated with H5N1.

The FDA says the affected lots of RAWR Raw Cat Food Chicken Eats include:

• Lot CCS 25 077 — sell-by date Sept. 18, 2026

• Lot CCS 250 093 — sell-by date Oct. 3, 2026

The products are sold in frozen 2.5-pound resealable bags containing 40 1-ounce sliders of food. RAWR food is distributed nationwide and online.

Although the FDA has not issued a recall, the company says it removed the affected lots from circulation weeks ago, The Associated Press said.

The USDA confirmed the presence of the virus through genetic sequencing, showing the strain matches one that was circulating late last year but is no longer active.

H5N1 can cause illness and death in birds, poultry and mammals, including cats. While the virus has not been found in dogs in the U.S., fatal infections have been reported in other countries, The Associated Press said. 

Animals that are very young, elderly or immunocompromised are at higher risk of the illness.

No human infections have been linked to handling raw pet food in the U.S., but health officials warn that people can still become infected if the live virus enters the eyes, nose or mouth.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the current bird flu situation.

SOURCES: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Sept. 3, 2025; The Associated Press, Sept. 3, 2025