Officials in Oregon and in Washington State determined that the illness stemmed from contaminated lots of raw pet food produced by Wild Coast Raw in Olympia, WA. Both cats were humanely euthanized due to the severity of illness, the press release stated.

“Companion animals, and especially cats, are 100% a public health risk in terms of the risk of zoonotic transmission to people,” said virologist Angela Rasmussen, who studies disease progression in emerging viruses at the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization.

"Cats appear to be particularly susceptible to severe illness, often resulting in death," the AVMA said in a statement.

The thought of cuddling your pet cat after a long day may offer comfort, but what if that same feline could unknowingly harbour a dangerous virus? Recent research has raised concerns that our beloved domestic cats might serve as carriers of the H5N1 bird flu virus,

Veterinarians are warning pet owners to stay away from raw pet food. It comes after 14 in cats in Colorado contracted bird flu.

Given the number of cats in the U.S. and the close contact with people, there is definitely a need to understand the potential risk,” said Dr. Diego Diel