Colorado Cats, Raw Food and H5N1: Savage Pet Recall, FDA Rules and Safer Feeding
Short answer: H5N1 can cause severe disease and death in cats, and raw animal products are a documented exposure route. Colorado was involved in the 2025 Savage Pet investigation: a Colorado cat with H5N1 had been associated with Savage Cat Food, and Colorado State University testing of sealed product packets produced a PCR result described as “non-negative.” But USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories later reported negative virus-isolation results for the tested product sample. That means the Colorado investigation should not be described as definitive proof that viable H5N1 in that specific tested packet infected the Colorado cat. The same Savage lot was later linked to H5 infections in New York City cats, and the company recalled the lot.
Colorado raw-food H5N1: verified facts
Savage Pet lot: lot/best-by code 11152026; distributed to Colorado and multiple other states.
Colorado cat: FDA's posted company announcement says the cat contracted H5N1, became ill and recovered.
CSU product test: sealed packets produced an H5N1 PCR result described as “non-negative.”
NVSL follow-up on that product sample: virus isolation was reported negative on March 6, 2025.
Recall: Savage Pet recalled affected chicken boxes on March 15, 2025; FDA now marks the recall as completed and terminated.
FDA food-safety rule: manufacturers subject to the PCAF rule that use uncooked or unpasteurized poultry- or cattle-derived materials must treat H5N1 as a known or reasonably foreseeable hazard in their food-safety-plan reanalysis.
The Savage Pet case: what happened, in the right order
February 2025 — Colorado cat investigation
Savage Pet reported being notified of a Colorado cat that had contracted H5N1 and recovered. Colorado State University Laboratory tested sealed Savage Cat Food packets by PCR; the result was described as “non-negative.”
March 6, 2025 — NVSL virus isolation reported negative
The product sample was sent to USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories for virus isolation. According to the FDA-posted recall announcement, that follow-up test was negative for viable virus in the tested sample.
March 13–15, 2025 — New York cases drive recall
Savage Pet learned of a New York kitten that became ill after eating the same lot. NYC Health subsequently linked two confirmed cat infections and a suspected third case to Savage Cat Food lot 11152026. Savage Pet converted its market withdrawal into a formal recall on March 15.
Current status — recall completed
The FDA recall page now states that the recall has been completed and terminated. That does not erase the historical investigation; it means the 2025 recall itself is no longer active.
What does “PCR non-negative” versus “virus isolation negative” mean?
PCR and virus isolation answer different questions. PCR detects viral genetic material. A positive or non-negative molecular result can indicate that influenza RNA is present, but it does not by itself prove that the sample contains live infectious virus. Virus isolation attempts to recover viable virus.
For the Colorado-associated Savage product sample, the public recall history contains both pieces of information: CSU's PCR result was described as non-negative, while NVSL's later virus-isolation result was negative. Those findings should be reported together.
The same lot was later linked to New York City cat infections
NYC Health's March 15, 2025 investigation reported H5 avian influenza in two cats and a suspected third case associated with Savage Cat Food lot 11152026. One cat became ill after eating the product. Another cat had confirmed H5N1 and had been exposed to a sick cat that had eaten the product. NYC Health reported that NVSL sequencing suggested the second cat's virus was related to virus recovered from the Savage Cat Food lot.
This New York evidence was stronger than the Colorado product sample alone and was central to the public-health warning and recall. It also illustrates why a single negative packet or subsample cannot establish that an entire raw-food lot was uniformly free of contamination.
Important correction: the “indoor cats infected by dairy-worker clothing” MMWR was Michigan, not Colorado
The previous version of this article attributed a CDC MMWR report about two strictly indoor cats to Colorado. That was incorrect. The February 2025 MMWR described two indoor domestic cats in Michigan that lived in dairy-industry-worker households.
CDC did not prove that contaminated clothing or footwear caused those infections. The source was unknown; occupational exposure of the owners and possible contamination of clothing, footwear or other objects were considered plausible routes. CDC therefore advised farmworkers to remove work clothing and footwear and rinse off animal-product residue before entering the home.
What FDA actually required from raw pet-food manufacturers
On January 17, 2025, FDA determined that cat- and dog-food manufacturers that are subject to the FSMA Preventive Controls for Animal Food (PCAF) rule and use uncooked or unpasteurized materials derived from poultry or cattle must reanalyze their food-safety plans to include H5N1 as a known or reasonably foreseeable hazard.
That is narrower and more precise than saying “every raw-food company must test every batch for H5N1.” FDA did not create a universal consumer ban or a mandatory H5N1 test for each package. Covered manufacturers must perform the required hazard analysis/reanalysis and identify appropriate preventive controls when needed.
FDA reissued the message in September 2025 during fall bird migration, and a July 2026 FDA warning letter again reminded an animal-food company of the January 2025 H5N1 hazard-analysis requirement. The regulatory issue therefore remains current in 2026.
Is raw cat food banned in Colorado?
Colorado does not treat raw frozen pet food as a categorically prohibited product. Colorado's pet-food rules specifically contain labeling and handling requirements for products containing raw frozen meat or poultry, including a “Keep Frozen” statement and safe-handling instructions.
That legal status should not be confused with veterinary risk advice. A product can be lawful to sell while still carrying an infectious-disease risk. CDC does not recommend raw pet food or treats for cats and dogs, and FDA specifically encourages owners to consider H5N1 risk before feeding uncooked meat or uncooked pet-food products.
Freeze-dried and dehydrated do not automatically mean H5N1-safe
CDC's current pet-food safety guidance classifies raw frozen, freeze-dried and dehydrated animal-protein products as forms of raw pet food when they have not received sufficient heat treatment to kill pathogens. Freezing and freeze-drying are not the same thing as pasteurization or cooking.
If a company uses a validated non-thermal process, ask what pathogen-control step is used and what evidence supports it. Do not infer “sterile” from the words freeze-dried, high pressure processed, cold processed or raw.
H5N1 raw-pet-food risk did not end with Savage Pet
The Savage investigation was not the last U.S. raw-food event. FDA later reported H5N1 in specific 2025 lots of RAWR Raw Cat Food Chicken Eats after a San Francisco cat became ill and was euthanized. NVSL whole-genome sequencing found the cat and product samples clustered together, supporting a common contamination source.
That later investigation matters for Colorado owners because it shows that H5N1 contamination of commercial raw poultry cat food remained a real national food-safety issue after the Savage recall. It does not mean the RAWR lots were specifically linked to Colorado cats.
Colorado cat owner risk-reduction plan
Avoid raw animal products
Do not feed raw or undercooked meat, raw poultry, unpasteurized milk or commercial raw pet food if your goal is to minimize H5N1 exposure.
Keep cats away from birds
Keep cats indoors and prevent hunting or scavenging of sick or dead wild birds and other wildlife.
Farm-worker biosecurity
After contact with dairy cattle, poultry or contaminated farm environments, remove work shoes/clothes and clean visible animal-product residue before close pet contact.
Save the lot code
Keep packaging or photograph the lot/best-by code. FDA emphasizes that lot numbers are essential for determining whether a product is affected by a recall and for investigating complaints.
What signs of H5N1 in a cat require veterinary attention?
FDA and CDC list signs that can include fever, lethargy, reduced appetite, inflamed or reddened eyes, eye or nasal discharge, difficulty breathing and neurologic abnormalities such as tremors, seizures, incoordination or blindness. Some cats can deteriorate rapidly.
How to check whether a cat-food recall is active
- Check FDA's Animal & Veterinary recalls and advisories rather than relying on old social-media screenshots.
- Match the brand, exact product, lot/best-by code and package size.
- Follow the disposal/return instructions in the active notice.
- Do not donate or feed a recalled product to another animal.
- If the cat became ill, keep the packaging and contact the veterinarian; product and veterinary records can help an investigation.
For historical recalls, note the status. Savage Pet's March 2025 recall is now marked by FDA as completed and terminated, so an article should not present it as a currently active recall in September 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Did Savage Cat Food definitely infect the Colorado cat?
The public record supports an association that triggered investigation, but the testing history is mixed. CSU reported a “non-negative” PCR result from sealed product packets, while NVSL virus isolation on the tested product sample was negative. It is therefore more accurate not to claim a definitive food-to-cat match for the Colorado case.
Was the Savage lot recalled?
Yes. Savage Pet recalled chicken boxes with lot/best-by code 11152026 on March 15, 2025 after additional New York cat cases. FDA now marks the recall as completed and terminated.
Were two indoor Colorado cats infected by H5N1 carried home on dairy-worker clothing?
No. The CDC MMWR commonly cited for that scenario concerned two indoor cats in Michigan. CDC considered contaminated clothing, footwear or other objects a possible route but did not establish the source definitively.
Does FDA require every raw pet-food package to be tested for H5N1?
No. FDA's January 2025 action requires PCAF-covered cat- and dog-food manufacturers using uncooked or unpasteurized poultry- or cattle-derived materials to reanalyze food-safety plans and treat H5N1 as a known or reasonably foreseeable hazard. That is not the same as a universal per-package testing mandate.
Is raw pet food illegal in Colorado?
Colorado's pet-food rules expressly regulate raw frozen meat/poultry products and require handling labels, so raw frozen pet food is not categorically banned. Veterinary and public-health agencies can still recommend avoiding raw animal products because of H5N1 and other pathogen risks.
How many Colorado cats have had H5N1?
Use USDA APHIS's live mammal-detections table for the current count. The database is updated over time and warns that data can be incomplete, so freezing a “Colorado has X cats” number into an evergreen article can become inaccurate quickly.
What if my cat ate raw food but is completely well?
Do not induce vomiting or give medication simply because of a possible exposure. Stop feeding a recalled product if applicable, keep the lot information, monitor the cat, and contact your veterinarian for individualized advice if the product is implicated in an H5N1 investigation or the cat develops compatible signs.
Keep food and veterinary records organized with Patify
Food lot · symptom timeline · vet notes
Save the food brand and lot code alongside symptom dates and veterinary notes. Those details are especially useful if a product is later recalled or investigated.
Get Patify- FDA — Savage Pet recall history, Colorado cat, CSU PCR, NVSL virus-isolation result and recall status
- NYC Health — two cat H5 infections associated with Savage Cat Food lot 11152026
- FDA — H5N1 as a known or reasonably foreseeable hazard under PCAF
- FDA — reducing H5N1 risk in cats
- FDA — later RAWR raw-cat-food H5N1 investigation and WGS evidence
- CDC MMWR — indoor-cat cases were in Michigan; possible fomite route
- CDC — H5N1 cat risk factors, signs and veterinary infection control
- CDC — raw, frozen, freeze-dried and dehydrated pet-food safety
- USDA APHIS — live HPAI mammal-detections table
- Colorado Department of Agriculture — raw frozen pet-food handling rules
- FDA — why pet-food lot numbers matter
