Last Updated on April 14, 2026 by admin
Eight lots of Quest Cat Food sold across 20 states contained dangerously low — or zero — levels of thiamine, the B vitamin that keeps a cat’s nervous system functioning. If you feed your cat raw or freeze-dried food, this recall needs your attention right now.
The FDA issued an advisory on March 13, 2026, after Go Raw LLC — the company behind Quest — expanded a recall that started with a single lot in February. A veterinary neurologist had reported a cat with severe thiamine deficiency after eating Quest Chicken Recipe. Testing confirmed the food was the source.
By the time the company pulled the products, the affected food had already reached retail shelves in Colorado, Utah, Washington, Oregon, California, Texas, Illinois, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Michigan, Idaho, and Montana.
Go Raw has since halted all Quest product sales nationwide until the thiamine issue is resolved.
What Thiamine Actually Does — and What Happens Without It
Thiamine — vitamin B1 — fuels the enzymes that power a cat’s brain and nervous system. Cats can’t produce it on their own and can’t store much of it either. When their food doesn’t deliver enough, the damage starts within weeks.
Most cat owners wouldn’t catch it early. The first signs look like a bad day, not a nutritional crisis.
The Warning Signs, in Order
It starts with your cat eating less than usual. Maybe skipping a meal, maybe just picking at her food and walking away.
Then comes the vomiting. Not a hairball — more frequent, and without an obvious cause.
Within days to weeks, the neurological signs show up. This is where thiamine deficiency stops looking like a stomach bug and starts looking terrifying. Your cat may hold her head at a strange downward angle, as if she can’t lift it. She may seem mentally dull — staring at walls, not responding when you call her name. Her walk turns wobbly. She circles. She falls.
In the worst cases, seizures.
If your cat has stopped eating and seems confused, the answer might be sitting in her food bowl right now.
What to Do Right Now
Check your pantry. The recalled products include Quest Cat Food Chicken Recipe Freeze Dried Nuggets (10 oz bags, lot code #C25288, Best Buy date 10/15/2027) and Quest Cat Food Chicken Recipe Frozen in 2 lb beige zip-lock packages. The full list of eight affected lot codes is on the FDA’s expanded recall notice.
If you have any Quest Cat Food at home — even lots not on the list — stop feeding it. The company has pulled all Quest products from sale until further notice.
Switch to a different complete-and-balanced cat food today. Your vet can recommend one that matches your cat’s dietary needs.
When to Call the Vet
If your cat has eaten Quest food in the past two months and is showing any of these signs — reduced appetite, vomiting, head tilt, wobbling, confusion — call your vet today. Not tomorrow.
Mention thiamine deficiency specifically. According to the FDA’s initial recall notice, early treatment with thiamine supplementation is critical. The longer it goes untreated, the harder the recovery.
The Good News
Thiamine deficiency is reversible when caught early. Vets treat it with thiamine injections, and most cats recover fully once the vitamin is restored and the contaminated food is removed. The cat whose case triggered the original FDA investigation was treated by a veterinary neurologist — and recovered.
How to Protect Your Cat Going Forward
Register for FDA pet food recall alerts at fda.gov. Most owners don’t find out about recalls until weeks after they’re issued. An alert puts the warning in your inbox the same day.
Keep your vet in the loop about what you feed your cat — especially if you use raw, freeze-dried, or boutique brands. These products can be excellent, but they’re produced in smaller batches where a single formulation error affects a higher percentage of the supply.
Your cat depends on you to read the label she can’t.
Has your cat ever had a food scare? Tell us what happened in the comments 🐱