There is no verified sector-wide "Cat Treats September 2026 Update." The date instead points mainly to a sell-by date on one affected raw cat-food lot, not a new recall covering ordinary cat treats. The documented concerns involve specific raw products and two New Zealand anchovy-treat recalls. Most cat owners do not need to discard treats broadly, but they should check exact product names, package sizes, and lot codes.
Table of Contents
- What does the September 2026 date mean?
- Which U.S. packages should owners check?
- Why raw products are the category to watch
- What about the New Zealand anchovy treats?
- How should treats fit into a cat's diet?
What does the September 2026 date mean?
The key U.S. event concerns RAWR Raw cat Food Chicken Eats. It is frozen raw cat food, not a conventional shelf-stable treat.
The FDA detected H5N1 in lots CCS 25 077 and CCS 25 093. Those lots carry sell-by dates of September 18, 2026, and October 3, 2026, respectively. Genomic testing linked lot CCS 25 093 to an H5N1-infected cat that was later euthanized. The FDA's RAWR notice says the investigation remains ongoing.
Which U.S. packages should owners check?
The affected RAWR product was sold nationwide through stores and online. It came in frozen 2.5-pound bags.
Check the package for all three identifiers: A matching lot deserves attention even if the package was purchased well before its sell-by date. Set it aside and monitor the FDA notice for investigation updates.
- Product: RAWR Raw Cat Food Chicken Eats
- Lot: CCS 25 077 or CCS 25 093
- Sell-by date: September 18, 2026, or October 3, 2026
Why raw products are the category to watch
The broader change affects certain manufacturers using uncooked or unpasteurized poultry or cattle ingredients. FDA requires covered cat- and dog-food manufacturers to reassess their food-safety plans for H5N1, according to its food-safety-plan update. That makes raw animal-based foods and treats the relevant category to monitor.
The evidence does not support treating all dry, cooked, or shelf-stable cat treats as part of the same concern. Marketing terms such as "raw" or "high-protein" do not establish safety or nutritional completeness. WSAVA also warns that unprocessed raw animal treats can transmit pathogens.
What about the New Zealand anchovy treats?
New Zealand's Omega Plus Whole Anchovies Cat Treat recall is now useful mainly for checking older packages. The affected 80-gram batches had best-before dates through September 4, 2026, followed vomiting reports, and were sold only in New Zealand, according to the Ministry for Primary Industries recall. A separate New Zealand recall covered Bailey+Co Whole Anchovies Cat Treat in 70-gram packages.
It applied only to batch 60323, manufactured February 18, 2025, after vomiting reports; other Bailey+Co products were not affected. These were narrow, product-specific actions. Owners should compare the brand, package size, and batch information rather than avoiding all fish-based treats.
How should treats fit into a cat's diet?
AAFCO says treats are usually not intended to provide a complete and balanced diet. Before using any product as a meal replacement, look for a nutritional-adequacy statement on the label.
WSAVA advises keeping treats below 10% of a cat's daily calories and never using them to replace meals, as explained in its cat-treat guidance. This limit matters even when a treat sounds nutritious or contains mostly animal protein. Use a simple label check:.
- Confirm whether the product is a treat, supplement, or complete food.
- Check lot codes and dates against notices for the exact product.
- Be especially cautious with unprocessed raw animal ingredients.
- Keep treats below 10% of daily calories.