The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to purchase or use Wild Kitty Cat Food because of salmonella bacteria. The FDA says that during routine monitoring activities, it collected and analyzed a sample of frozen raw Wild Kitty Cat Food and detected salmonella in the product.
Wild Kitty Cat Food is sold nationwide to retail stores through distributors and Internet sales. The manufacturer declined to recall this product despite several requests that it do so, according to
the FDA.
CatChannel.com twice attempted to contact the cat food’s makers via a toll-free number listed on the Maine-based company’s website; however, the line rang continuously without an answer. Emails to company executives were not returned by article deadline.
Salmonella bacteria can cause high fevers, severe headaches, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Long-term complications can include arthritis.
Cats and other pets that consume this food might become infected with salmonella, and people also can become infected if they handle or ingest this cat food, touch pets that consumed the food, or touch any surfaces that came into contact with the food or pets.
The specific products covered by the warning are Wild Kitty Raw All Natural, Frozen Cat Food – Chicken with Clam Recipe, net weight 3.5 oz (100 g) and 1 lb in plastic containers. Some of these containers might be uncoded.
Consumers who have purchased this product should not feed it to their pets, the FDA says, but should instead dispose of it in a safe manner. Anyone who experiences the symptoms of salmonella infection after having handled the product should seek medical attention, and is asked to report use of the product and illness to FDA’s Office of Emergency Operations. Numbers to call in each U.S. state are available through the FDA website.
In addition, people who have concerns whether their pet has salmonella should contact a veterinarian, the FDA says.
People might risk bacterial infection not only by handling their cat, but by contact with the pet food, food bowl, cat litterbox and surfaces exposed to these items, so it is important that they thoroughly wash their hands with hot water and soap.
Since young children, elderly people, and people and animals with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk from exposure, they should avoid handling all the items listed above and surfaces exposed to these items.