Banfield Pet Hospital is Staging an InFURvention!

BANFIELD^® PET HOSPITAL IS STAGING AN INFURVENTION^TM;

NATIONWIDE CONTEST KICKS OFF JULY 18

In Partnership with Animal Planet’s Victoria Stilwell, Banfield is Looking

for Cats and their Owners in Need of Professional Help

Portland, OR—July 18, 2012—Calling all cat owners: is a trip to the veterinarian a constant cat-fight? Do you sometimes find yourself avoiding routine visits to dodge a cat-tastrophe? Is “stressful” a term you use to describe the process of getting your cat out of the house and into the veterinarian’s office? If so, Banfield Pet Hospital and Animal Planet’s Victoria Stilwell want to hear from you.

Banfield Pet Hospital, the world’s largest veterinary practice, and Victoria Stilwell are staging an “inFURvention” to help combat pet owners’ difficulties of getting their cat into a carrier while raising awareness of the importance of regular veterinary visits for cats. Banfield and Stilwell are asking cat owners nationwide to upload videos of their real-life struggles and attempts to get their cat into a carrier for a chance to win a year’s worth of free preventive veterinary care and a special at-home visit and training consultation from Animal Planet’s famed pet trainer, Victoria Stilwell.

Of the 86 million felines living as pets in the U.S., an astonishing one-third of pet owners will skip a trip to the veterinarian to avoid the hassle* – yet missing a veterinarian visit could actually cause more harm to the pet. Cats rarely exhibit signs of sickness or disease even when a problem exists; therefore, routine veterinarian visits are essential to protecting pets from life-threatening illnesses.

“There is no doubt that cats can be finicky when it comes to travel; however, there are easy tips and tricks pet owners can use to ensure a smooth road ahead,” said Stilwell. “Pet owners don’t have to be a professional in order to train their cats to get into the carrier. All it takes is some practice and simple changes in behavior and cat-fights will soon be a thing of the past!”

To assist cat owners with their struggles, Banfield is offering:

·         Banfield and Victoria Stilwell’s expert tips and tricks for traveling with cats
·         Feliway samples, a synthetic stress-reducing pheromone, available at all Banfield locations
·         Hide, Perch and Go carriers available for a limited time exclusively at Banfield locations in Kansas City, Boston and Phoenix

It’s time for an “inFURvention!”

Beginning Wednesday, July 18 through Friday August, 17, pet owners are invited to upload their “real” cat videos to www.inFURvention.com, with the tag “#inFURvention” to be considered in need of an “inFURvention” from Stilwell. One pet owner and “inFURvention” video will be chosen to win a year’s worth of free preventive veterinary care from Banfield and a special at-home visit with Victoria Stilwell who will give professional insight into the best tips and tricks to getting your cat out of the house and into the veterinarian’s office.

“One of the biggest barriers to cats receiving veterinary care is actually getting them to the hospital,” said Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, chief medical officer for Banfield Pet Hospital. “Unfortunately, cats typically don’t show signs of illness until it is too late; therefore it is important for cats to receive twice-yearly veterinary visits in order to prevent, as well as diagnose and treat illnesses before it’s too late. Through ‘inFURvention,’ we hope to educate pet owners about the importance of routine veterinary visits, and let them know it doesn’t have to be a fight to get their cat to the vet.”

Tips and tricks to eliminating the cat-fight!

Basic training tips can ease cats’, as well as cat owners’ fears and hesitations when preparing for a trip to the veterinarian. Banfield’s medical team and Stilwell both recommend scheduling appointments later in the day for a quieter, calmer experience for felines. It is also important to remember that cats are sensitive to smells, so creating a pleasant environment in the carrier is key to helping cats cope with the trip, as well as including familiar objects such as a comfortable blanket to make felines feel more at home.

For a full list of tips and tricks to overcoming cat resistance, visit Banfield Pet Hospital online at www.banfield.com. Cat owners are welcome to submit a video for the “InFURvention” program at www.inFURvention.com with the tag “#InFURvention” beginning July 18 through August 17 for a chance at an at home visit with Animal Planet’s Victoria Stilwell.

About Banfield^® Pet Hospital

Founded in Portland, Ore., in 1955, Banfield is the largest general veterinary practice in the world. In 2007, Banfield joined the Mars, Inc. family of businesses, and today we are more than 800 hospitals strong in neighborhoods across the United States. More than 2,600 veterinarians at Banfield are committed to giving pets the highest quality of veterinary care. Banfield hospitals offer a full range of comprehensive medical services, computerized medical records, preventive care plans for pets and extended operating hours. Banfield Pet Hospital helps extend the lives of millions of pets each year through Optimum Wellness Plans^®. For journalists seeking more information, please visit our press room at http://www.banfield.com or contact our Media Hotline at 888-355-0595.

~Thank You~

I've been trying to visit everyone and thank them for their condolences...... I have only been able to thank about half of you before I began having trouble commenting and connectivity issues.

The outpouring of love and support during this very sad time has been wonderful and very much appreciated. It helps to read comments from friends and hear from others who have gone through the same thing. Chevelle was such a special girl and it's so nice to know you all thought the same way about her. I wish I was able to thank each one of you individually, but I can't. This is for all of you kind souls out there!!

Some of you may remember my foster kittens, "Muffins" and "Pancakes."

Chevelle Has Left for the Rainbow Bridge

Anna Chevelle

May 01, 2000 - July 03, 2012

I've been dreading this post since we found out last week that Chevelle had cancer. She had been completely normal until June 22 when she suddenly stopped eating. We brought her to the vet on June 25th and after labs, x-rays and an ultrasound, she was diagnosed with masses in her liver and abdomen. Nothing could be done and we were sent home with anti-nausea and pain meds. We had been assit-feeding ever since, hoping she would regain her appetite at least to stay with us a little while longer....that, unfortunately, never happened. One of the hardest decisions of our lives..... We had to let her go to be at peace and pain free. She left us this morning. She is now reuniting with Cal and that gives me comfort.

Since the diagnosis, we'd spend as much time outside as possible. When she was outside; walking through the grass, rolling around on the concrete, she was the happiest.

 I'll love you forever, I'll miss you for always.

As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be.

Dixie Dog Got Treats!!

Look what came in the mail just for our sweet Dixie Dog! It's a treat gift bag from The Barkers Dozen!

It includes super yummy treats like: Gluten Free Sweet Paw-Tato, Organic Chicken Dog Treats and Organic Carrot Dog Treats! I can't figure out which one she likes best because she eats all three so quickly! I'd say she loves all three just the same :)

Dixie Dog is a happy girl!

THANK YOU, THE BARKERS DOZEN!!

Happy Birthday, Saylor!!

Big Boy

We’ve had a stray male kitty hanging around the neighborhood since late last year.  He would come up to our house most every night to get a bite to eat. We could never get close enough the do the old collar trick. You know, when you put a collar (with your phone number on the tag) on the stray kitty to see if you get a phone call from his actual owners…  I could only get close enough to see this kitty was unneutered.

Here he is captured on our wildlife camera. The date and time are wrong....

He liked to pick fights with the other neighborhood kitties because….well, that’s what intact males do….. We almost immediately put out a box trap (with the door removed) and would feed him in it every night. When we felt like he was comfortable enough, we decided to set the trap. No luck! Anytime that trap was set, he knew it and he wouldn’t go near it. We tried jack mackerel, tuna, catnip for cats……nothing would entice him enough to enter. This was frustrating!  Finally, we decided to use the drop trap, the same trap that helped us capture Gretchen a few years ago. Worked like a charm on the first attempt! Yay! So we took him to the vet and had him neutered, vaccinated and ear-tipped.

Big Boy with his ear-tip!

We call him “Big Boy.”  Big Boy’s trips to our house at night aren’t quite as frequent since his neuter. Can’t say I blame him, I’d probably be pretty mad too. However, the great news is he is no longer picking fights with the neighborhood outdoor cats and he is no longer able to spread his seed :) Yay for TNR!

Dixie Dog and Her Seeing-eye Cat, Maya!

I just can’t believe my Maya is 12 years old. It’s hard to believe that 12 years ago we were bottle feeding him and his sister, Chevelle, after they had been abandoned by their feral mother at a dilapidated horse barn. He hasn’t always been the healthiest of kitties and I often wonder if it’s because he didn’t get his mother’s milk long enough? His weight has never been much over 10lbs and up until a few years ago, he had pretty bad asthma. Since Maya is getting older, his appetite isn’t what it used to be. Lately, he pretty much turns his nose up at dry kibble, so I’ve switched him to canned cat food. He seems to prefer this much better and it’s not as much of a challenge to get him to eat his meals.

One of Maya’s great attributes is his love of our Dixie Dog. Dixie is maybe 13 or 14 years old (rescued, so the age is unknown) and she has gone completely blind. Maya is almost always at her side when she walks around the living room. We joke that he’s her seeing-eye cat and he’s guiding her through the maze of furniture.

Maya also likes to stand behind Dixie and let her whap him with her tail. I never have understood why he does this, but he sure does seem to enjoy it. He also really enjoys nibbling on her ears and jowls. Dixie never seems to mind; in fact I know she loves the attention.