Experts are urging cat owners to refrain from feeding their pets raw meat or unpasteurized milk after the bird flu virus was detected in two indoor domestic cats in Michigan.
The Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory said cats appear to be highly susceptible to the HPAI A(H5N1) strain of avian influenza and “increased vigilance is needed to both protect cats from infection and to better understand virus transmission between animal species.” The two cats that were infected with the highly pathogenic strain of bird flu both lived with dairy workers who had no known direct exposure to the virus, according to a CDC report. They had both consumed either raw meat or unpasteurized milk, as well.