A house cat in Washington County contracted bird flu and died after eating Northwest Naturals raw frozen pet food, according to the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

The state issued an alert Christmas Eve about Morasch Meats of Portland's voluntary recall of Northwest Naturals' two-pound feline turkey recipe.

State veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz said the agriculture department is confident the cat contracted the virus by eating the raw pet food.

"This cat was strictly an indoor cat; it was not exposed to the virus in its environment," Scholz said in a statement.

The food tested positive for an H5N1 strain of the avian influenza virus, and tests showed a genetic match between the virus in the raw and frozen pet food and the infected cat, according to Scholz.

The Oregon Health Authority and local public health officials are monitoring the household members who had contact with the cat for potential flu symptoms. So far, no human cases have been linked to the infected cat.

The recalled food is packaged in two-pound plastic bags with "Best if Used by," dates of May 21, 2026 and June, 23, 2026.

Morasch Meats, a Portland-based company, sold the food nationwide.

Pet owners are urged to check their supplies and dispose of the product.

To avoid the spread of the disease, state and federal officials encourage people and their pets to avoid consuming raw or undercooked meat, raw dairy, limit contact with sick or dead animals and report sick or dead birds to the Oregon Department of Agriculture at 503-986-4711.