Pet cats in Los Angeles County are catching bird flu from raw food, milk

Residents of Los Angeles county have been warned against feeding their cats Monarch Raw Pet Food after the company's products tested positive for bird flu.

The pet food brand is sold at several farmers markets in California, the locations of which can be found on the company's website.

Recently, a pet cat that ate Monarch Raw Pet Food tested positive for H5 bird flu, according to a Dec. 31, 2024 statement from the Los Angeles (LA) County Department of Public Health. "H5" refers to a specific protein found on the surface of a related group of avian influenza, or bird flu viruses.

One virus in this group — H5N1 — has been spreading among poultry and wild birds in the U.S. since 2021, and in 2024, it was detected in dairy cows for the first time in history. In the past year, H5N1 has infected at least 66 people in the U.S., mostly individuals who were exposed to either infected dairy cows or poultry.

Related: How to avoid bird flu

The statement from LA County does not note if the affected cat was infected with H5N1, but this is the most likely culprit. Four additional cats in the same household are "presumed to have also been positive" for an H5 virus after eating Monarch Raw Pet Food.

The pet food company sells a range of products, including ground chicken, chicken feet, jerky made from dehydrated chicken hearts, and dehydrated ground beef liver. The statement doesn't note if a specific product has been implicated in these cases or if a recall has been initiated. The company's website does not make note of the recent bird flu cases.

"Residents who fed their pets Monarch raw pet food products or other raw meat or dairy products and notice their pet is experiencing symptoms should immediately contact their veterinarian," the health department advised. LA County residents with questions can call the Public Health InfoLine at 833-540-0473 between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time.

Symptoms of H5 infection in cats can be serious — they range from loss of appetite and fatigue to liver problems, respiratory issues and potentially deadly neurological symptoms. Vets working with potentially infected cats should wear personal protective equipment and be aware that the virus can be spread in bodily fluids, such as saliva, feces and mucus.

The cats who ate Monarch Raw Pet Food aren't the first to be infected with bird flu in LA.

Earlier in December, the health department confirmed four deadly bird flu cases in cats fed products from Raw Farm, LLC., a company whose products had recently been recalled due to H5N1 contamination. Among the company's products are a "raw milk pet food topper" and "pet food kefir." Officials are investigating whether additional pets have been sickened by the raw-milk products.

"The risk of H5 bird flu remains low in Los Angeles County, but these confirmed cases of the virus in pet cats are a reminder that consuming raw dairy and meat products can lead to severe illness in cats," Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, said in a statement released in mid-December.

"To avoid the spread of disease, including H5 bird flu, we strongly encourage residents and their pets to avoid raw dairy and undercooked meat products, limit contact with sick or dead animals, report sick or dead birds and keep pets or poultry away from wild animals and birds," she said.

Separately, the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) recently alerted pet owners that products from another pet food brand — Northwest Naturals — also tested positive for H5N1. The company has voluntarily recalled a product called "2lb Feline Turkey Recipe raw & frozen pet food" due to the contamination. According to the ODA statement, a house cat in Washington County had died after contracting H5N1 from the food.

As of yet, there are no known cases of people catching H5 viruses from cats, the LA County statements note.