Two New York City cats have died of avian flu. This includes one 8 month old kitten who died just a week after being rushed into the Upper West Side veterinarian.
Both infected cats were pets, but health department officials were confirmed to the post office to be from separate households.
At least one died after eating raw food contaminated by the H5N1 virus.
The 8-month-old kitten was rushed to brilliant veterinarian care on Amsterdam Avenue on March 2 after a high fever, Dr. Deborah Bayazait told the Post.
The cat's health deteriorated rapidly to pneumonia, and its eyes were cloudy with preliminary stimulation. “This is generally the red flag of viral disease,” Bayazit explained, but kittens consistently tested negative for typical suspected diseases such as leukemia and herpes.
The veterinarian placed his fateful cat in antibiotics and ultimately oxygen before making the tough decision to euthanize a poor kitten on Tuesday.
“He just wasn't responding. It was really sad,” Bayazit said.
The next day, the results were born. The kitten was suffering from the bird flu.
A brief investigation by Bayazit's office determined that the kitten was eating raw foods sold by the Savage Cat brand. I remembered the product after the potential link For another infectious disease, it later proved negative.
The kitten lived with two other adult cats who prefer canned and cooked meat meals and do not eat savage cat products.
“This kitten loved the food. The owner feels very bad. The whole thing is just tragic. She feels terrible. She feels like she killed a cat. The owner of the food company feels terrible. There is no winner in this situation,” says Bayazit.
Oudrey Brady, owner of Savage Cat, said he was in contact with the kitten owner, but emphasized that the company's materials have undergone USDA testing and are being monitored for the H5/H7 virus.
“We are very sad to hear that the kitten has passed away. We are currently working with the FDA and are gathering information related to this case,” Brady said in a statement.
At least 85 cats across the United States have contracted for the avian flu since 2022. This includes people who were euthanized in the first case of New Jersey last month.
It is not clear whether the second New York City cat infected with the avian flu also consumed contaminated food or contracted it from the infected bird, but health officials have confirmed it has died from the disease.
According to Bayazit, the bird flu contract is not a death sentence for a cat, but it requires action relatively quickly.
If the kitten's office could confirm that the kitten was infected earlier, the kitten could have been rescued with Tamiful Shot. They suspected it a few days later, but they had to send a sample to Cornell and wait for a response. Unfortunately, it came after the kitten fell asleep.
“We didn't know. There was no diagnosis,” explained Bayazit, adding that the kitten's symptoms were presented in a different way than would be expected for avian flu infection.
“The Health Department said that outdoor cats that typically take the flu from eating wild birds that the cat was not present didn't have either, like respiratory coughing, sneezing, etc.”
“All of this is unusual. It's a new evolution, so there's not much data to say, 'Okay, this is how a cat with the flu looks.' ”
Uncertainty could also mean that there are many cases of avian flu that have not been reported, especially in cats in five boroughs. Especially if you are lost – there is no way for the caretaker to tell you which lost child was killed by the H5N1 without transporting and running it to the vet.
As the virus continues to ramp out across the country, Bayazit has warned pet owners to avoid raw foods and milk, including fried foods in the freezer.
