This is a follow-up article to one I wrote earlier about the Best Feline Friend gourmet canned cat food sold at Australian retailer PETBARN.
It has been about three weeks since this problem came to light. The position is getting worse. Cat lovers are demanding answers. Tests are still being done but there appears to be a lack of transparency. I think more needs to be done to reassure cat owners. There needs to be better communication from the manufacturer: Weruva.
In the meantime the food has been taken off the shelves and PETBARN have given stark instructions to cat owners to not feed their cat with this gourmet canned food under any circumstances. They are also worried because they are potentially liable as are the manufacturers.
At the moment there is no definitive connection between the food and what is said to be the deaths of 20 cats but anecdotal evidence points to a clear link.
The illness happens in stages. Jenny Ackland said that her 12 month old cat (see above) died after eating the BFF cat food.
She said:
“It all happened in stages, first he seemed lethargic, then he went off his food and then he became desperately ill,”
The food is said to be made in the USA but see below. It is distributed through the PETBARN outlets across Australia.
Although it is said in the press that the product is made in America, this may not be correct because I have received a comment on this website which states that the food is produced in Thailand in a factory that also produces food for people.
In addition, the father of the man who owns the company who makes this food provides tuna to the American market for companies such as Subway from a factory in Thailand. There may be a connection here. It is an interesting observation. I don’t know if it is correct. But I sense that something mysterious is going on and that the manufacturers know the cause but do not wish to disclose it.
More reports are coming in daily about cats being euthanised or having died with an apparent link to this particular brand of cat food.
The Australian Veterinary Association confirmed that they are investigating the numerous complaints about the product. The symptoms indicate neurological damage as cats exhibit strange header eye movements, wobbling, circling, and difficulty walking. There are also gastro problems.
