H5N1 keeps cats, raw pet food, and exposure history in focus

As H5N1 avian influenza continues to circulate across U.S. wild birds, poultry, and dairy cattle, veterinarians are being asked to think more broadly about companion animal exposure, especially in cats. What began as a wildlife and livestock story has increasingly become a small animal practice issue, with federal agencies documenting infections in domestic cats and linking some cases to contaminated raw diets and raw milk. (aphis.usda.gov)

That shift has been building over the past two years. Cats have long been recognized as susceptible to H5N1, but the current U.S. outbreak changed the risk landscape by introducing new exposure routes tied to dairy cattle, commercial raw pet food, and household spillover from agricultural work. CDC described indoor domestic cats in Michigan dairy worker households infected in May 2024, highlighting the need for veterinarians to ask about household occupational exposure when cats present with respiratory or neurologic signs. AVMA’s Veterinary Vertex podcast added more context on the outbreak’s pace and scale, noting that USDA had documented nearly 70 domestic cat infections in 2024 alone and roughly 200 U.S. cat cases since late 2021, with case activity rising again alongside avian migration patterns. (cdc.gov)

Regulators have also moved from warning to action. In January 2025, the FDA said manufacturers covered by the Preventive Controls for Animal Food rule and using uncooked or unpasteurized poultry- or cattle-derived ingredients must reanalyze their food safety plans to account for H5N1 as a known or reasonably foreseeable hazard. The agency said it was tracking cases in domestic and wild cats associated with contaminated food products, and noted that cats are particularly vulnerable to severe illness and death, while dogs generally show milder disease. (fda.gov)

Since then, real-world product events have reinforced the point. FDA and state agencies linked H5N1-contaminated raw pet food to illness and death in cats, including the Wild Coast Raw recall tied to infected cats in Oregon and an FDA notice involving RAWR Raw Cat Food Chicken Eats. AVMA’s recall notices and FDA updates show how food safety, disease surveillance, and client counseling are now intersecting in companion animal medicine. AVMA podcast coverage of the California raw-food-associated cat deaths added another useful detail for practitioners: contaminated raw chicken diets stored frozen or refrigerated may remain hazardous for long periods, with one implicated product carrying a sell-by date into 2026. (avma.org)

Clinical guidance is becoming more concrete, too. CDC says possible signs in cats and other exposed animals can range from mild illness to severe neurologic disease and rapid death, and recommends precautions for veterinarians, veterinary staff, and animal caretakers working with suspected or confirmed cases. AAHA’s pet-facing guidance similarly points to raw diets, infected birds and rodents, and contaminated milk as key exposure routes, reflecting how quickly prevention messaging has evolved for small animal practice teams and pet parents alike. AVMA’s recent discussion of companion animal risk also emphasized that predation remains important because infected wild birds and small mammals such as house mice continue to create exposure opportunities for cats. (cdc.gov)

Outside formal agency guidance, veterinary infectious disease commentary has been blunt about the food risk. Worms & Germs, written by University of Guelph veterinary internist Dr. Scott Weese, has repeatedly warned that untreated raw poultry diets are a major concern for H5N1 exposure in cats and has argued that the recent recalls likely represent only part of the problem. That perspective isn’t regulatory guidance, but it aligns with FDA’s hazard-based approach and the pattern seen in confirmed food-linked cases. (wormsandgermsblog.com)

Why it matters: For veterinarians, this is now both a diagnostic and communication issue. Cats with acute respiratory distress, fever, conjunctivitis, or neurologic signs may warrant H5N1 risk assessment if there’s any history of raw feeding, raw milk exposure, hunting behavior, outdoor access, or contact with people working around poultry or dairy cattle. Clinics may also need to revisit PPE, isolation workflows, staff exposure protocols, and client education, particularly as pet parents ask whether commercial raw diets are safe. The recent AVMA discussion is a reminder that this is not just a theoretical food safety concern: companion animal cases continue to accumulate, and contaminated products may pose risk well beyond the date of purchase if they remain in home freezers or refrigerators. (cdc.gov)

What to watch: The next phase will likely center on whether additional companion animal cases are identified through food investigations and whether federal agencies or industry groups issue more prescriptive testing, sourcing, or labeling expectations for raw pet food manufacturers. Seasonal changes in wild bird activity may also matter, given the apparent link between migration patterns and renewed case activity in poultry and mammals. (aphis.usda.gov)