Which Savage Cat Food lots were recalled for H5N1?

Savage Pet recalled 66 Large Chicken Boxes (84 oz.) and 74 Small Chicken Boxes (21 oz.) of Savage Cat Food Chicken with lot code 11152026. The recall was issued March 15, 2025 after a Colorado cat and a New York kitten contracted H5N1 from the product. Distribution had reached pet food retailers in 16 U.S. states (AZ, CA, CO, DC, DE, KS, MD, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OH, PA, UT, WV, WY).

Savage Cat Food 2025 H5N1 Recall

Q: Did any cats die from Savage Cat Food H5N1?

The Colorado cat that ate Savage product in February 2025 recovered. The New York kitten that ate lot 11152026 in March 2025 was reported critical at the time of recall. Published feline H5N1 mortality is above 50% in symptomatic cases. Savage Pet issued the voluntary recall on March 15, 2025 following the two-stage detection sequence; the FDA later terminated the recall after corrective actions and audit.

Q: Is Savage Cat Food safe to feed now?

The FDA has terminated the March 2025 recall, meaning Savage Pet's corrective actions met FDA requirements. Current Savage product is from post-recall production cycles. However, the FDA has since required all cat and dog food manufacturers to consider H5N1 in their food safety plans, reflecting category-level concern about raw poultry pet food during the ongoing 2022-2025 HPAI outbreak. The FDA and CDC currently advise against feeding raw or undercooked poultry to cats given the H5N1 epidemiology.

Status: Recall completed; FDA terminated. On March 15, 2025, Savage Pet of El Cajon, California recalled 66 Large Chicken Boxes (84 oz.) and 74 Small Chicken Boxes (21 oz.) of Savage Cat Food Chicken with lot code 11152026 due to potential H5N1 bird flu contamination. The recall followed a February 2025 H5N1 case in a Colorado cat fed Savage product and a March 13, 2025 case in a New York kitten fed lot 11152026. Distribution had reached pet food retailers in 16 U.S. states. The FDA later terminated the recall after Savage’s corrective actions and audit.

What was recalled

The March 15, 2025 recall covered 66 Large Chicken Boxes (84 oz.) and 74 Small Chicken Boxes (21 oz.) of Savage Cat Food Chicken with lot code 11152026. Savage Cat Food products were distributed to retailers in 16 U.S. states: AZ, CA, CO, DC, DE, KS, MD, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OH, PA, UT, WV, and WY. Savage Pet operates out of El Cajon, California and sells through specialty pet food retail and online direct-to-consumer channels.

The recall trigger was a two-stage detection sequence: in February 2025, Savage Pet was notified that a Colorado cat contracted H5N1 and subsequently recovered after consuming Savage product. Colorado State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory ran PCR testing on sealed Savage food samples with non-negative results; on March 6, 2025, USDA NVSL virus isolation testing reported negative. However, on March 13, 2025, Savage was notified of a New York kitten that contracted avian flu after being fed Savage product from lot 11152026. The combined Colorado-then-New York case sequence led Savage to issue the voluntary recall on March 15, 2025. The FDA published the formal notice at its Recalls archive; the New York City Department of Health published a parallel press release documenting the NYC case.

Why it was recalled

The Colorado and New York H5N1 cases shared a common product link (Savage Cat Food Chicken lot 11152026), and the Colorado State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory PCR-positive food sample established the food as a probable exposure source. The genotype identification placed the Savage event in the broader 2024-2025 cluster (genotype B3.13) that produced infections via raw cat food in Northwest Naturals, Wild Coast Raw, Monarch Raw, and RAWR. Unlike Salmonella or Listeria where raw pet food processing standards (HPP, freeze-drying) reduce risk to acceptable levels, H5N1 in raw poultry muscle meat is not reliably inactivated by standard pet food processing. The FDA subsequently required cat and dog food manufacturers to consider H5N1 in their food safety plans — an unprecedented regulatory action that reflects the multi-brand cluster pattern the 2024-2025 events established. Savage’s rapid voluntary recall coordination is a quality-systems credit relative to manufacturers that disputed similar findings during the same period.

Health risks for your pet

The Colorado cat and the New York kitten in the Savage traceback both presented with the acute feline H5N1 pattern: lethargy, anorexia, respiratory distress, fever, and neurologic signs (tremors, ataxia, cortical blindness, seizures). The Colorado cat recovered; the New York kitten’s outcome was reported as critical. Published feline H5N1 mortality is above 50% in symptomatic cases; the recovery of the Colorado cat is at the favorable end of the spectrum, consistent with cases where supportive care begins early and infection load is lower. Symptoms to watch for in any cat fed potentially contaminated raw product include fever, lethargy, low appetite, reddened or inflamed eyes, discharge from the eyes and nose, difficulty breathing, and neurological signs like tremors, stiff body movements, seizure, lack of coordination, or blindness. The CDC continues to monitor for human H5N1 infection in close-contact owners and veterinary workers during the 2024-2025 outbreak.

What to do if you bought affected product

The recall is completed and the FDA has terminated it, meaning Savage’s corrective actions met FDA requirements. If you have any Savage Cat Food Chicken Large or Small Boxes with lot code 11152026 still in your freezer, do not feed it and dispose of the product securely. Wash food bowls, prep surfaces, and hands with hot soapy water. If your cat ate the recalled product and shows lethargy, respiratory difficulty, eye/nose discharge, or neurologic signs, contact your veterinarian immediately and disclose the raw-food exposure. Savage Pet’s post-recall corrective actions (documented as part of the FDA recall termination) addressed the supply-chain pathway through which H5N1 reached the recalled lot. Current Savage product is from post-recall production cycles.

How this affects KibbleIQ’s grade

Savage Cat Food is not in the KibbleIQ scored database — our methodology v15 covers commercial dry kibble, fresh cooked food, and selected raw-coated kibble per our published methodology. The March 2025 event reflects the same category-level raw-poultry-during-HPAI-outbreak risk pattern documented in Northwest Naturals (December 2024), Wild Coast Raw (early 2025), Monarch Raw (December 2024), and RAWR (2025) cat food events. Savage’s rapid recall response after the two-stage detection sequence (Colorado February + New York March) and successful FDA recall termination are quality-systems credits relative to manufacturers that disputed similar findings during the same outbreak period. The structural risk — raw poultry sourcing during active HPAI circulation cannot be fully eliminated by standard pet food processing — remains for the category as a whole, which is why the FDA now requires manufacturers to consider H5N1 in their food safety plans.