TOPEKA (KSNT) – Federal health officials are encouraging pet owners to toss out a type of cat food as it could be contaminated with salmonella.
Officials with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Oct. 26 that pet owners should stop using “Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Natural Selections Chicken Recipe for Cats” after two samples of the food tested positive for salmonella. FDA staff said two cats became ill after eating the food, with one requiring hospitalization.
The FDA is working with Arrow Reliance, Inc., doing business as Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, to initiate a recall of the product lots that tested positive for salmonella. The firm has yet to issue a sufficient recall of the impacted products, according to the FDA.
What is salmonella?
Salmonella can impact both pets and people, with around 1.35 million infections reported each year in the U.S. alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) reports that so far in 2026, 650 people in Kansas have been infected with salmonella.
People infected with salmonella often develop symptoms including watery diarrhea, headache, nausea, vomiting and stomach cramps. In some cases, the salmonella infection may spread to the bloodstream or result in severe bouts of diarrhea that require the infected person to be hospitalized.
Pets that eat food contaminated with salmonella can spread the infection to other pets and people, according to the CDC. Pets with salmonella may display symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, fever, loss of appetite and lethargy.
What is included in this FDA advisory?
The FDA said the current advisory includes two lots of “Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Natural Selections Chicken Recipe for Cats.” Customers could purchase the food through an online subscription service.
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The impacted lots were sold in frozen two-pound white and clear plastic packages with black and green labeling, according to the FDA. Each package is split into four separate units with the product lot codes appearing on the front of the lower left unit of the package.
- Impacted variety and lot codes:
- Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Natural Selections Chicken Recipe for Cats
- Lot 12731
- MFG Date: July 8, 2026
- Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Natural Selections Chicken Recipe for Cats
- Lot 12493
- MFG Date: April 2, 2026
- Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Natural Selections Chicken Recipe for Cats
(Photo Courtesy/Food and Drug Administration)
(Photo Courtesy/Food and Drug Administration)
FDA recommendations
The FDA encourages people who purchased the cat food products included in this advisory to stop using them and throw them away in a secure container to prevent other animals from accessing the food. Federal officials are also concerned some individuals may still have some of the cat food product stored in their freezers. People should also clean and disinfect any areas that came into contact with the cat food products.
Pet owners who believe their pets have become ill after eating contaminated pet food should get in touch with a veterinarian, according to the FDA. Consumers can file complaints about pet food online.
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