The USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) has confirmed the presence of viable bird flu virus (H5N1) in a sealed sample of Wild Coast Raw frozen Boneless Free Range Chicken Formula raw pet food for cats, according to a spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA).
As a result of this finding—the first time viable bird flu virus was confirmed in a previously sealed container of raw pet food—the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended a product recall.
On March 1, 2025, Wild Coast LLC complied with the FDA’s request and recalled six batches of Wild Coast Raw frozen Boneless Free Range Chicken Formula raw pet food for cats (Lots #22660, #22653, #22641, #22639, #22672 and #22664), all with a Best Buy date of 12/25.
The timeline
On February 14, 2025, the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) advised the public of two confirmed cases of bird flu in domestic cats from two separate households in the state.
Both cats had been fed Wild Coast Raw cat food, manufactured in neighboring Washington state. Both cats were euthanized due to the severity of their illness.
The WSDA sampled and analyzed the two implicated batches of cat food using PCR to detect the viral nucleic acid. Upon finding evidence of the H5 antigen (referred to as a “non-negative” or presumptive positive result), the WSDA issued a “stop sale” order for both batches and submitted the samples to the NVSL for confirmation.
On February 26, 2025, the WSDA reported on two confirmed cases of bird flu in domestic cats from two separate households in Washington state. One of the cats was euthanized due to the severity of its illness; the other was under veterinary care.
On March 1, 2025, Wild Coast LLC announced its product recall.
The significance
This is not the first instance of domestic cats contracting bird flu after being fed a commercial raw poultry-based diet.
A recent prior incident involving Northwest Naturals (an Oregon company) did not result in a product recall, as the NVSL was unable to confirm the presence of viable bird flu virus in the samples of pet food that had been submitted to the lab.
This abortive confirmation of a “non-negative” result led some commentators to suggest that the whole thing was a tempest in a teapot.
That interpretation is no longer valid.
The bird flu virus (H5N1) now has been confirmed in domestic cats from four separate households in two different states.
- All four cats were confirmed to have been infected by the virus.
- All four cats were fed the same brand and variety of raw cat food.
- Viable bird flu virus has been confirmed by the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory to be present in sealed containers of the implicated cat food.
The outstanding question is how viable bird flu virus entered the cat food which, according to the manufacturer, was made using “USDA-passed and inspected poultry meat.”
The company’s response
In addition to the recall, Wild Coast LLC has taken several steps to respond to this situation, according to a Letter to Customers posted on the company’s website. These include:
- market withdrawal of all Feline Poultry SKUs due to the uncertainty surrounding USDA-passed and inspected poultry meat and the serious impact of HPAI on cats.
- transition to fully cooked poultry recipes to eliminate any potential risk. The new recipes will be in place indefinitely.
The company has pledged to work cooperatively with WSDA, the FDA and other regulatory bodies as the investigation proceeds.
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