Our Farm & Safety Practices

At SAFELINE pet, we aim to provide our customers with the best quality product for their feline friends. In order to make that happen, we must start at the source. Our farmers follow all organic guidelines laid out by the NOP and the biosecurity measures laid out by the VDH and CDC. Our farmers feed their chickens a healthy, targeted diet from a local, family-owned feed business. Our partnering farm has over 20 cats where they are dedicated to the safe and ethical exposure of chickens to the Fel d1 cat allergen. The cats roam in the same spaces as the chickens in order to adequately spread the allergen throughout their environment. The farm cats have been raised to cohabitate with, and protect, the hens from mice. At SAFELINE pet, we ensure the care of all of our animals so you can ensure the care of your beloved cat. 

We are aware of the increasing concern regarding Avian Influenza A (H5N1) "Bird Flu" cases throughout the USA. According to the Virginia Department of Health, "To date, H5N1 bird flu virus has not been detected in people, dairy cattle, or other domestic animals in Virginia." This includes the counties of Dayton, Virginia and Roanoke, Virginia where we produce our eggs and manufacture our product. SAFELINE's manufacturing facility strictly processes chicken eggs, eliminating any exposure to or cross-contamination from dairy cattle or its byproducts.

Heat Treatment/Pasteurization 

H5N1 cannot survive if heated to 165°F. SaFeline’s facility uses an immersion circulator to heat and hold the eggs to 165°F before dunking them into an ice bath and loading them into freeze dryers. All eggs are washed prior to pasteurization, and pasteurized eggs are strictly kept separate from unpasteurized eggs. 

How does SaFeline protect our chickens and cats and your cats from the Bird Flu?

From farm to facility, we are following the Virginia Department of Health's recommended biosecurity practices:

Our structural biosecurity measures include:

• fully-enclosed chicken houses and coops
• isolation of chickens from visitors, wild birds, and rodents

Our operational biosecurity measures include:

• regular cleaning of poultry living areas and equipment
• hand washing before and after egg collection and poultry handling 
• no eating/drinking in poultry living areas
• wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), specifically disposable gloves, goggles, face mask, and hair net
• wearing dedicated farm clothing and shoes
• monitoring the health of our chickens
• knowing the warning signs of illness 

We have small to mid-sized local farms maintained by individual families and their farmhands. Our #1 priority is the safety of your cats, our cats, and our chickens through maintaining ethical farming and business practices.

Sources

https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/epidemiology/influenza-flu-in-virginia/avian-flu/

https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-pets/about/backyard-poultry.html

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/defend-the-flock