A California man says his two cats died and a third was hospitalized after he fed them raw milk recalled for bird flu risk.

A raw cat food item from Northwest Naturals was recalled due to an avian influenza (bird flu or H5N1) contamination, and one cat has since died, causing pet owners to be on high alert regarding the virus.

"While this voluntary recall only applies to raw whole milk and cream, due to multiple bird flu detections in the company's operation, the California Department of Public Health [

Scientists and volunteers with the Olympic Cougar Project said they have the opportunity now to study bird flu in wild animals – to hopefully prevent it from spreading to people.

In a concerning development from California, multiple cat fatalities have been attributed to the consumption of raw milk contaminated with the H5N1 bird flu virus. Joseph Journal, a local resident, suffered the loss of two beloved cats—a 14-year-old tabby and a 4-year-old tuxedo—after they ingested the dairy product,