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What to know about protecting your cat from bird flu

Los Angeles County's public health department confirmed two cats tested positive for bird flu after drinking raw milk ...

Shots Health News – Several cats have gotten sick from bird flu from eating raw pet food or drinking raw milk.

Your orange tabby might be a vicious mouser. But house cats are not wild animals, and most veterinarians advise against feeding companion animals raw food because of pathogens like salmonella and listeria.

The risks of raw diets have become even more pronounced in recent months due to the ongoing spread of the H5N1 bird flu.

Several house cats fell ill, and some died, from H5N1 after consuming uncooked meat or unpasteurized milk. This has prompted recalls and warnings by public health agencies against giving raw foods to pets.

So how serious is the risk to Kitty? Here’s what cat owners should know.

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There’ve been no known cases of cat-to-human transmission during the current outbreak of H5N1. The American Veterinary Medical Association says chances of this occurring are “considered extremely low, but not zero.”

Can my cat really get sick or die from bird flu after eating raw meat or milk?

Yes, though it’s rare, says Dr. Jane Sykes, who specializes in infectious diseases in cats and dogs at the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

Since 2022, more than 70 cats have contracted H5N1. Sykes notes that many were barn cats and drank milk from infected cattle: A study published last summer found that about half of the infected cats on a dairy farm in north Texas died from the virus.

Last month, the Oregon Department of Agriculture said that a house cat contracted the virus and then died after consuming a frozen turkey product made by raw pet food brand Northwest Naturals. It stated that “tests confirmed a genetic match between the virus in the raw and frozen pet food and the infected cat” …

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