Vet Times report- Cat died of avian flu from raw diet

[Mittens67]

Just read this on Vet Times fb page. I don't feed raw food but know people who do. I had no idea cats could catch avian flu and die in this way.
Avian flu cases have recently been confirmed in the UK yet again.
In the comments there were links to articles about numerous cats dying in this way in other countries.
Wanted to post this here for info as I suspect most people don't read Vet Times and raw diet feeders may wish to reassess their choices.

I had thought about a raw diet for my cats but I was concerned about parasites and didn't do it. I was told to freeze the meat first so I was reconsidering it as it seems to be really healthy but I am glad I never now. It's worrying as well because the virus has crossed a species barrier and of course I'm no scientist but I believe all mammals have similar lungs and immune systems but someone correct me if I'm wrong

Apparently dogs can catch it from raw food too, but generally have a better chance of surviving than cats.

I have to say that this doesn’t particularly surprise me. Raw meat inherently carries risks of parasites and diseases. There is a reason humans tend to cook meat once we learned how to. (Another thing that would worry me is the risk of parasites from raw food spreading to humans).

It is obviously true that a raw diet is natural for cats. It’s also true that in nature, lots of animals are infected with parasites or pick up diseases from carcasses. (If you’ve ever listened to “wild inside” on BBC sounds where they dissect wild animals who have died of natural causes to learn about how their bodies work, it’s very striking how most of the meat eaters are riddled with parasites.)

I found this a sobering read in terms of the potential health risks of raw feeding: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8455362/#:~:text=Safety%20issues%20related%20to%20raw,%2C%20cestodes%2C%20trematodes%20and%20nematodes.

And this is why I would never raw feed. Apart from the fact that most people cannot create a truly balanced diet at home, potentially introducing parasites and pathogens into the diet of an animal people claim to care about.
A lot of raw feeders are almost cult like in their stance on this. Yet, since the development of commercial pet foods, animals live longer, healthier lives.

Before anyone says it, yes, they are now developing diseases of old age. That's because they are living longer and getting better healthcare while younger.

I agree there is a cult like/ evangelical vibe from some raw feeders.
I don’t like it myself and would never use a raw diet for my cats but my post was purely intended to give information which might save any poor cats from getting Avian flu so I hope those who do feed raw can read it in the spirit it was intended.