- Published: Mar. 31, 2025, 11:40 a.m.
By
Samples of a popular cat food have tested positive for avian flu and are being recalled by the manufacturer, according to the New York State Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Savage Pet of El Cajon, California, is recalling 66 Large Chicken Boxes and 74 Small Chicken Boxes with the lot code/best by date of Nov. 15, 2026, because they have the potential to contain H5N1, also known as bird flu.
0:05
/
1:51
Mudra Link Wearable Device | Review
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.
Savage Pet was notified on March 13, 2025, of a kitten in New York that contracted avian flu after eating the recalled food.
The FDA said that in February samples of the cat food tested negative for avian flu after being taken off the shelves.
In addition to New York, the recalled chicken boxes were distributed to retailers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, West Virginia, Wyoming and Washington, D.C.
Consumers should not feed the recalled product to pets or animals and should return it to their retailer for a full refund, the FDA said.
People who fed cats the recalled products should watch for symptoms of bird flu. These 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, according to the FDA.
People with cats exhibiting these signs after feeding this product should immediately contact their veterinarian, the FDA announced.
While no human infections have been identified among people handling raw pet food products, humans can become infected if the live virus gets into their eyes, nose, or mouth.
People should wash their hands while handling raw products and sanitize contact surfaces, the FDA advises.
Those who handled the recalled products should watch for symptoms of bird flu. Symptoms include eye redness or irritation, cough, sore throat, sneezing, runny/stuffy nose, muscle/body aches, headaches, fatigue, fever, trouble breathing, seizures, rash, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting.
People exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should reach out to their health-care provider and the local health department, the FDA advised.
Exposing the Big Game 