A Portland cat owner has filed a lawsuit in Multnomah County Circuit Court against a raw pet food company, claiming that the company’s product caused his cat’s fatal H5N1 bird flu infection. The lawsuit targets Wild Coast Pet Foods, an Olympia, Washington-based company known for its raw, “human-grade” pet food.
The lawsuit accuses the company of “unlawful trade practices” for failing to disclose the high risk of H5N1 exposure in raw chicken and the particular vulnerability of cats to the virus, according to the legal filing.
In late January, Tim Hanson of Portland fed his 4-year-old female cat, Kira, Wild Coast cat food that contained raw chicken. By early February, Kira became ill and tested positive for bird flu. She was euthanized on February 9 at DoveLewis Veterinary Hospital. Kira’s brother, Jen, also tested positive for the virus after eating the same food but has since made a full recovery.
Hanson is seeking reimbursement for the $48 cost of the cat food and the $7,952 in veterinary expenses. “What concerned me was that they knew cats were getting sick and weren’t responding,” Hanson explained.
In response to the incident, Wild Coast Pet Foods voluntarily recalled several lots of its Chicken Feline Formula and switched to fully cooked poultry recipes to eliminate the risk.
Tyler Duncan, founder of Wild Coast, has not responded to a request for comment but posted a message on the company’s website expressing sympathy. “We were devastated to learn of the passing of a beloved pet, and our hearts go out to the owner,” Duncan wrote.
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