The government, cat owners and veterinarians are focused on determining the cause of an alarming number of cats in South Korea that have recently died from sudden onset of some type of neuromuscular disease, and a specific local brand of cat food may have been to blame. Many people suspect that it is.
Local animal activist group Life reported that by late April 2024, around 263 cats had shown symptoms of the neuromuscular disease, including lethargy, limping and kidney failure, and 100 of them had already died. There are many different breeds of cats, each with different lifestyle and medical characteristics.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Veterinary Medical Association (KVMA) are continuing to investigate to determine the cause of the cat's death. An interim report released by the ministry on April 19 states that no suspicious substances were detected in three of the 36 cat food samples investigated. The ministry announced that it plans to analyze 30 cat foods that the deceased cat may have eaten for harmful substances, seven types of viruses, and two types of parasites. This test detects 78 toxic substances, including heavy metals, mycotoxins, pesticide residues, veterinary drugs, and melamine.
KVMA, along with animal rights activists, hopes to expand the investigation to include imported cat food available in South Korea. Life CEO Shim In-seop said the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries report only covered 10% of the cat food samples. He said he plans to contact the U.S. Pet Food Research Institute to have the samples analyzed.
“Voldemort” cat food
South Korean mobile messaging app KakaoTalk sparked speculation among cat owners that their infected cats may have eaten something from a major local pet food company between January and April this year. There is.
In 2015, there were allegations that certain products from the same manufacturer caused cystitis, or bladder inflammation, in cats, leading to death. But the government allowed it, and the manufacturers sued those who questioned the quality of their products to protect their names. To avoid legal repercussions, Korean cat owners dubbed the cat food “Voldemort'' after the Harry Potter villain “Voldemort.''
Concerned that the cause of cat death in 2015 may be related to recent cat deaths, some cat owners are calling for the suspected cat food brand to be removed from sale. However, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said it could only stop sales and production if the product was found to be actually defective.
The company that developed Voldemort cat food also said it was awaiting lab results and the KVMA investigation report. They own approximately 15 cat food labels manufactured by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and original design manufacturers (ODMs). These products are also exported to the United States and Canada.