Bird flu has been on the rise in Washington state and one sanctuary was hit hard: 20 big cats – more than half of the facility’s population – died over the course of weeks.

Northwest Naturals is recalling a line of its pet food after authorities linked the death of a cat to a batch of food contaminated with bird flu.

Twenty big cats, including a half-Bengal tiger and four cougars, died between late November and mid-December at a sanctuary in Washington State after becoming infected with bird flu, according to the facility’s director.

Northwest Naturals issued a voluntary recall for a batch of pet food after a cat died of bird flu in Oregon, officials said. Testing done by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Veterinary Services Laboratories and the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory confirmed an indoor cat in Oregon's Washington County contracted bird flu and died after eating the pet food.

The manufacturer of a brand of raw cat food has recalled the product after the death of a pet in Oregon from an H5N1 bird flu infection. Los Angeles County health officials also issued a recommendation that pet owners avoid Northwest Naturals Brand two-pound Feline Turkey Recipe Raw & Frozen Pet Food.