Tragic Pet Cat Deaths Linked to Bird Flu in Raw Milk [Video]

MONDAY, Jan. 13, 2025 (HealthDay News) — A California man’s tragic story highlights the growing risks associated with bird flu infections in domestic animals.

Joseph Journell of San Bernadino lost two of his beloved cats, a 14-year-old tabby, Alexander, and Tuxsie, a 4-year-old tuxedo cat, after they drank raw milk from a lot recalled for H5N1 bird flu contamination, a news release from Associated Press shows.

A third cat, Big Boy, was hospitalized and is still recovering from severe symptoms, including blindness and paralysis.

Journell had been giving his pets unpasteurized milk from Raw Farm of Fresno, believing it would boost their health. Tragically, the milk turned out to be contaminated with the virus, which has caused a massive outbreak in dairy cattle across the United States.

“I was trying to make him healthier and make him live longer,” Journell said in a news release about his 14-year-old cat Alexander, who died on Thanksgiving Day.

The outbreak has raised …