Feeding our fur babies is one area where humans take no chances: our pets deserve the best. The ultimate goal is keeping them happy and healthy for as long as possible, and good food we can trust is one way to do that.
However, things don’t always go according to plan, and there are sometimes things that are totally beyond our control. Beginning last month, for example, two popular raw pet food brands issued voluntary recalls for their products. Apparently, they’ve been contaminated with bird flu.
Northwest Naturals Feline Turkey Recipe Raw
The first brand to issue a voluntary recall is an Oregon-based pet food company, Northwest Naturals. The recall is specifically for the 2-pound plastic bags of their Feline Turkey Recipe, with best by dates of May 21, 2026, and June 23, 2026. The packaging looks like this:
The product is sold at some retail stores and on Amazon, and it was distributed nationwide. If your product has the correct best-by dates, you should immediately discard it and contact the place you purchased it from to refund you. If something goes wrong in the refund process, you can contact Northwest Naturals directly at info@nw-naturals.net or 866-637-1872.
The issue was discovered in late December, when a cat in Washington County, Oregon went to the vet for signs of H5N1, or bird flu. He didn’t make it, but genome sequencing on the affected cat and the affected food confirmed a match for the virus, leading to this large-scale voluntary recall. It is the second time Northwest Naturals has had to issue recalls in recent weeks: the first was more localized to the PNW, but now they’ve identified it as a nationwide issue.
Monarch Raw Pet Food
In neighboring California, there is another raw food brand that was accused of being contaminated with bird flu: Monarch Raw Pet Food. This food is sold primarily at farmers markets in Los Angeles county, and testing was done that the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health says is consistent with infection of H5N1. A California house cat fell ill with the virus, prompting the investigation.
No official recall has been issued at this time, and Monarch Raw Pet Food have a statement posted on their website. In part, it reads,
“At Monarch Raw Food Pet Company, we adhere to the highest industry standards when it comes to quality and safety. The ingredients that we purchase for our products undergo rigorous testing and quality assurance processes to ensure they are safe for pets. There is currently no credible evidence to suggest that our raw food products are linked to avian influenza or any other health risks.”
Testing and further investigation is ongoing, and you can still find Monarch’s Raw Pet Food at farmers markets for now. These two instances have prompted a much larger investigation nationwide, and not just where pets are concerned: many places are increasing testing on all raw meat/dairy products.
If your cat has eaten the affected pet food (or raw food in general) and you’re concerned about bird flu, speak to your vet. Some signs of infections include:
- Discharge/crusty eyes or nose.
- Lethargy.
- Loss of appetite.
- Seizures or tremors.
After you throw away your affected food, you should continue to monitor your cat closely for a few weeks: bird flu symptoms can take days to show up, and it’s highly contagious. So far, however, no people who came in contact with infected food (or allegedly infected food) have come down with the virus, but you should continue to monitor your own symptoms as well.
