Special Kitty Food Recalled Due to Salmonella

Recalled Special Kitty Gourmet was Sold at Wal-Mart in 15 States

Oct 28, 2008

Mars Petcare U.S. has issued yet another salmonella-related recall for bags of Special Kitty Gourmet cat food that was sold in 15 states at Wal-Mart stores.

On October 28, 2008, Mars Petcare U.S., maker of Pedigree, issued the third in a series of pet food recalls, again due to possible salmonella contamination. This recall affects bags of Special Kitty Gourmet Blend Dry Cat Food sold in fifteen states.

Since August 2008, Mars Petcare has issued two recalls affecting Pedigree dog food and more than a dozen other brands. All of the Mars Petcare pet food recalls have been due to possible salmonella contamination.

What Cat Food is Affected by This Recall?

The recall affects bags of Special Kitty Gourmet Blend Dry Cat Food. Samples of the Special Kitty Gourmet Blend Dry Cat Food have reportedly tested positive for "potential contamination with salmonella," according to Mars Petcare.

The recalled Special Kitty cat food was sold at Wal-Mart stores in the following fifteen states:

How Can I Tell if My Bag of Special Kitty Gourmet Blend Dry Cat Food Has Been Recalled?

According to Mars Petcare U.S., cat owners should look on the back of the bag of Special Kitty Gourmet Blend Dry Cat Food.

Pet owners who suspect their cat's food may be recalled due to possible salmonella contamination should look for the following information:

Therefore, the code on a recalled bag of Special Kitty Gourmet Blend Dry Cat Food will look like similar to this:

AUG 11 09

This information will be located near the bar code, located in the bottom right-hand corner on the back of most bags of Special Kitty Gourmet Blend Dry Cat Food.

This recall does not affect wet cat food. This recall only affects dry cat food, sold at Wal-Mart under the name of Special Kitty Gourmet Blend Dry Cat Food.

According to a statement issued by the pet food manufactuer, "Mars Petcare has been working cooperatively with Wal-Mart to address this issue, and the affected product of this lot has already been removed from Wal-Mart's shelves. As a result, consumers can be assured that all Special Kitty Gourmet Blend products that remain on Wal-Mart’s shelves are safe and not subject to this recall.

"Our top priority has always been and continues to be the health and welfare of pets and their owners, and we are working vigorously to identify the cause of the issue."

Cat owners are still urged to double check all bags of Special Kitty Gourmet Blend Dry Cat Food to verify that the cat food has not been recalled.

What Should I Do With the Recalled Special Kitty Cat Food?

If a pet owner finds that their cat's food has been recalled, do not feed the food to pets!

Pet owners should double bag the food with heavy duty trash bags and wash their hands after handling the food and/or bag. Pet food bowls and pet food containers must be disinfected.

The recalled and possibly contaminated pet food can be returned to Wal-Mart for a refund or exchange.

The Pedigree Recall and Other Pet Food Recalls Issued by Mars Petcare U.S.

More than a dozen dry dog food and cat food brands were recalled on September 12, 2008. Notably, Mars Petcare had to shut down the pet food plant where these pet foods were manufactured due to salmonella contamination. Authorities were apparently unable to locate the source of the salmonella contamination. The same pet food factory was also involved in a similar series of pet food recalls in 2007, and it's believed that this contributed to the decision to close the Everson, PA, pet food manufacturing plant for good.

The other recalled pet food brands, which include Pedigree dog food, are as follows:

Pet owners who have questions about the Special Kitty recall or any of these other salmonella-related cat and dog food recalls should call 1-877-568-4463 or visit the Mars Petcare website.