01/10/2025
My friends feeding raw, please take a moment to expose yourself to the facts. Most of you are using quality, human-grade poultry (Viva, Darwin’s, RawPaws, etc).
1. The case regarding Northwest Naturals is the result of a spurious correlation (the bag tested was not an unopened bag, but rather the opened bag brought in by the pet family. The cat was not an indoor only cat. No other unopened NW naturals bags from the same lot tested positive. No other NW Naturals-related cases have been reported.)
2. The Shelton, WA wildlife sanctuary big cats who died were not fed a quality raw diet, but were more than likely simply exposed to infected migratory birds (these animals were not indoor only house pets).
3. The primary mechanism of infection is not through consumption of human grade tested poultry, but rather through respiratory secretions and bird-to-bird contact and can also be contracted by carnivorous mammals that ingest birds or other products.
4. The CDC & the FDA are silent on the recent reported cases. No edict has been issued
We have continued to feed all of our cats raw with meat procured from our local butcher in Olympia, WA. We have also served Raw Paws & Viva. We have had no deaths. The only caveat is that most of the meat we have served was purchased and frozen prior to Christmas. We keep two freezers full at all times in case of a situation like this. I am optimistic given the lack of cases actually linking the reported cases logically. Currently, the connection between raw diet and bird flu is a weak one.
Stray and outdoor cats are definitely at risk. Your Masterpieces enjoying the view of the outdoors from behind a window are in all likelihood, quite safe.
Check out the YouTube video for more facts.