U.S. cats euthanized after testing positive for bird flu

The owners of the cats, which lived in separate households, decided to euthanize them because of the severity of their illnesses. (File, Pexels)

Two house cats in Oregon were euthanized after testing positive for bird flu linked to their consumption of pet food made from raw chicken, state agriculture officials said on Friday.

The virus has infected millions of poultry since the nation’s worst-ever outbreak began in 2022, along with thousands of dairy cattle and almost 70 people since April. The CDC has said the risk to the general public is low.

Both cats that tested positive ate the same brand of pet food, Wild Coast Raw, before becoming ill, Oregon’s agriculture department said. Testing confirmed the presence of bird flu in the cats and food samples, according to the department.

The owners of the cats, which lived in separate households, decided to euthanize them because of the severity of their illnesses, the department said. It advised people not to feed undercooked or raw meat to pets.

Wild Coast mainly sources its chicken meat from California and only buys human-grade poultry manufactured in facilities inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, owner Tyler Duncan said. The company is working with a third-party lab for internal screening of bird flu in its food, he said.

Millions of chickens and turkeys have been wiped out by the virus in recent months in California, while about two-thirds of the state’s dairy herds have been infected since the end of August.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture last month recommended increased testing for turkeys in Minnesota and South Dakota, following the death of another cat in Oregon that contracted bird flu after eating pet food made with raw turkey.

The Trump administration has disrupted the U.S. response to bird flu as the outbreak has worsened, sources have told Reuters.

Minnesota’s Board of Animal Health said it has struggled to get information from USDA about the increased testing program for turkeys, while the CDC has delayed the release of a report that describes the first bird flu infections among cats that had no access to the outdoors.

(Reporting by Tom PolansekEditing by Bill Berkrot)