Avian influenza in cats Canada: what clinics should know

Avian influenza in cats Canada-wide: the current picture

Avian influenza in cats Canada-wide falls under a reportable disease, and cats are among the mammals H5N1 reaches. The CFIA says highly pathogenic avian influenza, and low pathogenic avian influenza of subtypes H5 and H7, is reportable under the Health of Animals Act and Regulations, and suspected cases have to be reported to the CFIA. It also notes a rising number of H5N1 cases in mammals, though documented cases in non-avian species remain relatively low.

The CVMA has flagged cats as being at increased risk because they eat raw milk, infected birds and infected mice. It also points clinics to a risk communication for veterinarians on cats and HPAI from the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System, put together with input from the CFIA. Worth printing for the treatment room.

Raw diets, raw milk and hunting are the exposure histories that should make you think of H5N1 in a sick cat.

What does H5N1 look like in a cat?

H5N1 in cats often looks like sudden lethargy, loss of appetite and neurological signs, with or without respiratory signs. For mammalian pets, the CFIA lists fever, lethargy, conjunctivitis, lack of appetite, difficulty breathing, neurological signs such as tremors and seizures, and death. The CDC's guidance for veterinarians adds ataxia, circling and blindness, and notes that some cats die with no obvious illness beforehand.

The CDC's Los Angeles County investigation shows how fast it can move. Between November 2024 and January 2025, 19 cats became ill after eating commercially bought raw milk, raw meat or raw pet food. Nine tested positive for H5N1, and 14 died or were euthanized. The index cat lived indoors.

Questions to add to your intake history

The exposure history is what tells a suspect H5N1 cat apart from an ordinary sick cat. For any cat with acute respiratory or neurological illness, build these into phone triage and intake. They follow the risk factors the CDC lists.

1. Does the cat eat a commercial raw diet, raw meat or undercooked meat? Which product and lot?
2. Has it had raw or unpasteurized milk?
3. Does it go outdoors, hunt birds or mice, or have access to dead wildlife?
4. Does anyone in the home work with poultry, dairy cattle or wild birds?
5. Have other pets in the home been sick?

Ask on the phone, before the cat is sitting in your waiting room next to a puppy. A clear note in the patient record helps whoever handles the case next, and it backs up the documentation an inspector expects; our guide to veterinary medical records inspection has more on that.

Protecting your team: PPE and monitoring

Gloves alone aren't enough for a suspect cat. In the May 2026 CDC report, the veterinary professional who later showed antibodies to H5N1 routinely wore gloves and nothing else, with no respiratory or eye protection during exposure. Their days included restraint, surgery assistance, intubation, CPR, sampling and cleaning exam rooms. In other words, a normal shift.

For handling potentially infected animals, the CDC's guidance lists:

• A NIOSH approved particulate respirator
• Fluid resistant coveralls
• Safety goggles
• Boot covers or boots
• A head or hair cover
• Disposable gloves, with an apron, face shield or outer gloves as options

The CDC also advises training staff to put PPE on and take it off correctly, and having one designated caretaker for an isolated animal where you can. Keep people at higher risk of severe influenza out of that role. Anyone exposed should be watched for new respiratory symptoms or conjunctivitis for 10 days after their last exposure. In Canada, line this up with your provincial occupational health and public health advice.

Isolation, testing and reporting

A suspect cat goes into isolation from the moment it arrives. The CDC says infected animals should be kept away from people and other animals until a negative rRT-PCR result, or otherwise until two weeks after clinical signs resolve, and contact should stay minimal even with PPE on.

On testing, the CDC suggests testing animals that have both compatible signs and known or potential exposure. Here in Canada, talk through the testing route with your provincial animal health laboratory and the CFIA. Reporting isn't optional: avian influenza is reportable under the Health of Animals Act, and the CFIA asks that suspected cases be reported to it.

One small thing that's easy to forget in the moment. Keep any raw food the cat has eaten, packaging and lot number included, until you know whether anyone needs it.

What to tell clients

Clients mostly want to know two things: is my cat at risk, and am I? Keep the answer simple, and tie it to the sources.

• The CFIA advises not feeding dogs or cats raw meat from poultry, wild or game birds, and keeping cats indoors to avoid infected wild birds.
• The CDC advises owners not to feed cats raw milk or other raw animal products.
• The CFIA says it's very unlikely for people to become infected after contact with an infected pet, while the CDC's 2026 report describes possible cat to human transmission. Owners with a sick cat and a raw diet history should call the clinic before coming in.

A short note to your cat owners on raw diets is easy to send through owner messaging, and Pip, your pet's Wellness Buddy in the PetGrid owner app, points clients to official guides and to you, never a diagnosis. The clinic FAQ covers how messages and the owner app work.

Questions fréquentes

Lire les questions et réponses pour les cliniques

En bref

Avian influenza in cats Canada-wide is uncommon. Still, a raw diet or hunting history plus sudden neurological or respiratory signs should mean isolation, full PPE and a call to the CFIA. Put the intake questions into your triage script this week, so nobody has to remember them on a packed Saturday.

PetGrid's records, messaging and owner app are built for clinic routines like this one. See how it fits your team, or check plans and pricing.