Cat suffocation case over Iris food container progresses

(Legal Newsline) – A class action lawsuit alleging pet-food containers are death traps for cats will move forward under the idea its manufacturer should have known of the danger.

Philadelphia federal judge Cynthia Rufe was asked to toss three claims from a nine-count lawsuit but is letting a negligent misrepresentation argument to proceed. In a ruling released Wednesday, she acknowledged social-media posts about fatal accidents.

“Reports on social media of these incidents alone would not be sufficient to state a claim that Iris knew or should have known of the alleged defect in the latching mechanism,” Rufe wrote. “However, Plaintiff also alleges that ‘Iris monitors posts about its products on social media and other forums and many of these consumers report having contacted Iris directly about the’ latching mechanism’s alleged defect.”

The lawsuit, filed in October against Iris USA, says the container features a swinging lid that allows animals to climb in but not out. They are marketed as airtight ...