If you’re here because you feed your cat a freeze-dried or raw diet and you’ve seen something about a recall in the news, you’re in the right place. Maybe you’re staring at a bag of Quest or Steve’s Real Food right now, or maybe you’ve been feeding one of these foods for months and you’re wondering whether your cat is okay. I want to give you a straight answer, because this situation has been moving fast and the official language can be hard to parse.

Starting in February 2026, Go Raw LLC began recalling its Quest Cat Food products after FDA testing confirmed that multiple lots contained thiamine (Vitamin B1) levels far below what cats need to survive neurologically. The first recall notice went out February 17, 2026, covering a single lot of freeze-dried nuggets. Nine days later, on February 26, the company expanded it to frozen products and halted all Quest sales nationwide. Then, on March 13, 2026, the FDA issued a formal advisory with a detail that should concern every raw-diet cat owner: the agency had identified 8 product lots with dangerously low thiamine, but Go Raw had only voluntarily recalled 3 of them, and had not provided evidence that the other 5 lots were actually removed from shelves or homes. As of June 2026, the recall expanded again to include a lot of Steve’s Real Food Chicken Recipe Freeze Dried food, lot code C26022 with a best-by date of January 22, 2028, distributed nationwide in 1.25-pound bags.

This is still an active, evolving situation. If you have any of these products in your home, stop feeding them now.

Key takeaways
  • Go Raw LLC recalled Quest Cat Food starting February 17, 2026; all Quest sales were halted by February 26.
  • FDA found 8 lots below AAFCO's minimum thiamine standard of 5.6 mg/kg; Go Raw only recalled 3 as of March 13.
  • Steve's Real Food Chicken Recipe lot C26022 (best-by Jan 22, 2028) was added to the recall on June 9, 2026.
  • Thiamine deficiency causes seizures and neck drooping in cats but is typically reversible with prompt treatment.
  • Check your bags now: product names, lot codes, and best-by dates are the only reliable way to confirm affected food.

Why Thiamine Deficiency Is So Dangerous for Cats

Cats are obligate carnivores, and their metabolic demand for thiamine (Vitamin B1) is higher than in most other mammals. They can’t synthesize it themselves. They need a continuous dietary supply, and when that supply drops out, the consequences hit the nervous system hard and fast.

The FDA’s testing confirmed that all 8 examined lots of Quest products fell far below the AAFCO minimum cat food standard of 5.6 mg/kg of thiamine. When cats don’t get enough B1, the neurological symptoms can escalate in a matter of days to weeks depending on how deficient the food is. The FDA first became aware of the Quest problem when a veterinary neurologist reported a cat presenting with severe thiamine deficiency after eating an affected lot, and additional illness complaints prompted wider testing.

Here’s what advanced thiamine deficiency actually looks like in a cat, because this is something you need to recognize:

SignWhat You’ll See
VentroflexionHead and neck drooping downward, chin toward chest
Mental dullnessUnresponsive, glassy-eyed, won’t engage
Vision changesBumping into objects, dilated or unequal pupils
AtaxiaWobbly, stumbling gait
CirclingRepetitive turning in one direction
SeizuresFull-body muscle activity, loss of consciousness

If your cat is showing any of the first four signs, this is a same-day vet visit. Seizures are an emergency: go now, call ahead if you can. The good news, and it’s real, is that thiamine deficiency is typically reversible if caught and treated promptly with B1 supplementation. That reversal window matters enormously, which is why I keep saying “prompt.”

What the FDA’s March Advisory Actually Means for You

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The March 13 advisory from the FDA deserves a closer read, because the headline (“company issued a recall”) undersells what the agency actually said. The FDA recommended recall of 8 lots. Go Raw recalled 3. The agency stated explicitly that Go Raw had not provided evidence showing the remaining lots were off the market. That’s not a technicality. That means product the FDA flagged as dangerously deficient in thiamine may have still been in pet supply stores, in online fulfillment warehouses, or in people’s pantries weeks after the initial recall.

The dvm360 coverage from March 2026 noted the agency’s concern that cat owners with affected food might not know to return it, precisely because the recall hadn’t covered all the lots the FDA tested. If you bought Quest food anytime in late 2025 or early 2026 and still have it, check the lot code. Don’t assume that because you didn’t get a direct recall notification, your bag is fine.

How to Check Your Food Right Now

Pull out every bag of Quest or Steve’s Real Food in your home. You’re looking for the lot code and the best-by date, usually printed on the bottom or back of the bag.

The Oregon VMA’s June 9, 2026 recall notice specifically identified Steve’s Real Food Chicken Recipe Freeze Dried, lot code C26022, best-by January 22, 2028, in 1.25-pound bags distributed nationally. For Quest products, the range of affected lots spans the original February recalls and the later expansions, so checking directly against the FDA recall pages (linked in the sources below) is the most reliable approach since the list grew more than once.

If you find a match: stop feeding it immediately, seal it in a bag, and contact the retailer or Go Raw LLC for return or refund information. Keep the packaging. Your vet may want to see the lot code if your cat develops any symptoms.

What to Tell Your Vet (and When to Go)

Here’s what I tell people in this situation: if your cat has been eating any recalled Quest or Steve’s Real Food product and is acting normally, call your vet during business hours and let them know the exposure history. Your vet may want to do a baseline exam or discuss monitoring. Thiamine deficiency can develop over days to a few weeks, so even a cat that looks fine today deserves a watchful eye.

If your cat is showing any neurological signs, even subtle ones like seeming “off,” less coordinated than usual, or not responding to you the way it normally does, don’t wait for Monday. Urgent care or an emergency clinic is the right call. When you arrive, tell them specifically: “My cat has been eating Quest cat food that was recalled for thiamine deficiency, and I’m concerned about B1 deficiency.” That framing helps a lot. It points the team directly toward the right diagnostic path and the right treatment.

Thiamine is given by injection in acute cases, and many cats show meaningful neurological improvement within 24 to 48 hours of starting treatment. Getting there early is everything.

A Note on Freeze-Dried and Raw Diets Going Forward

This recall doesn’t mean freeze-dried or raw diets are inherently unsafe for cats. But it does highlight a real vulnerability in these food categories. Heat-sensitive vitamins like thiamine can be degraded or insufficiently supplemented during processing, and small-batch manufacturers sometimes have less rigorous quality control than larger companies. The Quest situation is a case study in what happens when those systems fail.

If you continue feeding a raw or freeze-dried diet after this, ask your manufacturer directly about their thiamine testing protocols. Some companies publish lot-level nutritional testing. That transparency matters now more than ever.

The cats who got sick from Quest food had owners who thought they were doing something good for them. That’s the part of this story that stays with me. The best thing you can do right now is check those bags, watch your cat closely, and know what to look for.

Sources

Photo: Valent Lau via Pexels

This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute veterinary advice. Pet health symptoms can have many causes and require professional evaluation. Always consult a licensed veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment specific to your pet.

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