NEW YORK — The New York City Health Department is urging pet owners to take extra precautions after two cats from separate households tested positive for bird flu, also known as avian influenza.
One of the infected cats was an 8-month-old kitten from the Upper West Side. The kitten had eaten raw chicken purchased from Savage Cat, a company that produces raw pet food. The kitten became seriously ill and was later euthanized.
“We took swabs and submitted them to Cornell. The kitten was admitted to the hospital, placed on 24-hour oxygen, and continued to decline,” the attending veterinarian said. “Sadly, we had to put the kitten to sleep the day after we got the positive flu result.”
Health officials are now warning against feeding pets raw food or raw milk. If a pet shows signs of illness after eating raw food, owners should contact a veterinarian immediately. Officials also recommend keeping cats indoors and steering dogs away from dead or sick animals while on walks.
Savage Cat issued a warning to its customers in February after a similar case of bird flu in a cat was reported in Colorado. That cat recovered. The company said it was notified of the Colorado case in late January and is now cooperating with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate further. Initial tests on the company’s raw cat food came back “not negative,” and more detailed testing is underway.
The Health Department is advising pet owners to watch for symptoms such as cloudy or runny eyes, coughing, sneezing, or breathing problems in cats. These could indicate a serious illness.
Despite the recent cases, officials say the risk of bird flu spreading to humans remains low.
“Bird flu viruses pose a broader public risk only if they develop the ability to spread between people — something we haven’t seen,” said Dr. Michelle Morse, Acting Commissioner of the NYC Health Department.
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