Oregon cat dead after contracting avian flu from Northwest Naturals raw food (RECALL)

A house cat in Washington County contracted bird flu and died after eating Northwest Naturals raw frozen pet food, according to the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

The state issued an alert Christmas Eve about Morasch Meats of Portland’s voluntary recall of Northwest Naturals’ two-pound feline turkey recipe.

State veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz said the agriculture department is confident the cat contracted the virus by eating the raw pet food.

“This cat was strictly an indoor cat; it was not exposed to the virus in its environment,” Scholz said in a statement.

The food tested positive for an H5N1 strain of the avian influenza virus, and tests showed a genetic match between the virus in the raw and frozen pet food and the infected cat, according to Scholz.

The recalled food is packaged in two-pound plastic bags with “Best if Used by,” dates of May 21, 2026 and June, 23, 2026.