ACANA™ Pet Food Team Announces Nationwide Kitten-Cuddler Promotion and Underscores Need for Shelter Support During 'Kitten Season'

The makers of ACANA pet food help shelters handle the annual influx of kittens through food donations and focuses on the importance of social interaction through unique $10,000 nationwide cuddler promotion with Best Friends Animal Society

AUBURN, Ky., March 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- This spring, when newborn kittens overwhelm shelters due to higher birth rates, the makers of ACANA™ pet food will support shelters and help cats start strong. These new arrivals need socializing and contact to get ready for adoption, and shelters need extra support during this busy time.

Recognizing this need, the brand is helping cats by increasing awareness of 'kitten season,' donating cases of wet kitten food to feed kittens in need across the country, paying one cat lover $10,000 to cuddle with kittens at Best Friends Animal Society, a leading national animal welfare organization dedicated to ending the killing of cats and dogs in America's shelters by 2025, and encouraging others to volunteer.

When the need is greatest
'Kitten season,' typically May through November, is the time of year when un-spayed female cats have most of their kittens, and an influx of orphaned kittens arrive in shelters needing care. Caring for them is labor-intensive, as many of them are without their mothers and not yet eating on their own, and can strain a shelter's space and resourcesⁱ but it is vital to each cat's future.

To help these kittens get the best start, the team behind ACANA™ pet food is donating 5,000 cases of wet kitten food in April, equivalent to $250,000 at retail and 120,000 meals for kittens throughout the country. The team is also encouraging pet lovers to support their local shelter by adopting, fostering, inquiring about ways to give back and volunteering.

Are you the next Kitten Cuddler?
Cuddling and human contact promote healthy bonding and socialization skills to help prepare kittens for their forever homesⁱⁱ. As with human babies, developmental inputs early in a cat's life make a lifelong difference. Plus, kitten cuddling is not only good for the cats – research indicates that people who interact with pets have significantly lower heart rates and blood pressure than people without petsⁱⁱⁱ.

That is why the ACANA™ pet food team will pay one cat lover $10,000 to cuddle with kittens. The ACANA Kitten Cuddler winner will spend half a day at a Best Friends Animal Society lifesaving center or network partner shelter this June and receive $10,000 for their efforts. To learn more and enter for this cuddly position, visit the ACANA website to answer a short questionnaire.

"We believe in the total well-being of cats," said Billy Frey, Vice President, Marketing for Champion Petfoods. "ACANA™ pet food helps cats thrive through every stage of life, and a cat's earliest days set the tone for everything that follows. This program demonstrates our commitment to taking care of both the emotional and nutritional needs of kittens."

Nutritious Food for Kittens
The makers of ACANA™ pet food support kittens through three great-tasting recipes designed especially for their dietary and developmental needs, all with high concentrations of quality animal protein: ACANA Wet Kitten Food, ACANA First Feast Recipe and ACANA Highest Protein Kitten.

• ACANA Wet Kitten Food, a premium chicken and tuna pâté, contains no grains and is made of 85% animal ingredients (approximate value and exclusive of water), including raw chicken, tuna, chicken bone broth, fish bone broth, chicken liver and salmon oil as the first six ingredients by volume. Its savory bone broth provides not only a burst of flavor, but also important hydration.
• ACANA First Feast Recipe delivers high-quality protein from its blend of 70% animal ingredients (approximate and derived from the unprocessed state of the ingredients) to support kittens' muscle and bone growth and development. Balanced Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids help support healthy skin and shiny coats, while taurine, EPA and DHA help promote healthy cognitive and retinal function.
• ACANA Highest Protein Kitten is a grain-free (produced in a facility that processes grains) formula with 75% animal ingredients (approximate and derived from the unprocessed state of the ingredients) to help support muscle and bone development, alongside taurine, EPA and DHA for cognitive development and eye health, with protein, fiber and a probiotic blend for digestive health.

Contest rules
Prospective Kitten Cuddlers must be U.S. residents aged 18 or over. They must love cats and have four hours available over one weekend during June 2024. There is no previous experience or purchase necessary, but applicants will be required to pass a background check and cannot have an existing partnership with a competing pet food brand. Additional details and rules are noted in the terms and conditions HERE. Consumers can enter from March 27 through April 10, 2024, for a chance to be selected.

ABOUT ACANA™ PET FOOD
The ACANA™ name was inspired by its birthplace in the farmlands of Alberta, Canada, and through generations has become synonymous with quality. In ACANA food, every ingredient matters when it comes to feeding pets a nutritious diet rich in animal protein and balanced with fruit & vegetables. All ACANA recipes are thoughtfully crafted to provide quality nutrition so pets live a full and healthy life as a happy member of the family. With a delicious variety of recipes and a range of options to suit every pet, ACANA products include premium kibble, freeze-dried food and treats, biscuits, and wet food, and we're always adding new, innovative products. To learn more, visit acana.com.

ABOUT CHAMPION PETFOODS
Champion Petfoods is an award-winning pet food maker with a reputation of trust spanning over 35 years. Founded in a small town in Alberta, Canada, Champion has grown to be a key player in the premium pet food industry across three major global geographies. Our purpose to create A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS provides the foundation for our highest aspirations as a company. And our Food Philosophy drives us to provide the highest quality in every ORIJEN™ and ACANA™ food we make for cats and dogs. We specialize in making foods that are Biologically Appropriate and all of our ingredients are selected from a carefully curated group of farmers, ranchers and fisheries, whom we know and trust. Our foods are crafted by passionate nutrition and health experts in world class kitchens, and as Pet Lovers ourselves, we strive for the highest quality and food safety in every food we make. To learn more, visit championpetfoods.com.

About Best Friends Animal Society
Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization working to end the killing of dogs and cats in America's shelters and make the country no-kill in 2025. Founded in 1984, Best Friends is a pioneer in the no-kill movement and has helped reduce the number of animals killed in shelters from an estimated 17 million per year to 380,000. Best Friends runs lifesaving programs across the country, as well as the nation's largest no-kill animal sanctuary. Working collaboratively with a network of more than 4,500 animal welfare and shelter partners, and community members nationwide, Best Friends is working to Save Them All®. For more information, visit bestfriends.org.

ⁱ What is kitten season? (2018, May 23). Best Friends Animal Society - Save Them All. Accessed at https://bestfriends.org/stories/features/what-kitten-season (May 21, 2024).
ⁱⁱ Ibid.
ⁱⁱⁱ Allen K, Blascovich J, Mendes WB. Cardiovascular reactivity and the presence of pets, friends, and spouses: the truth about cats and dogs. Psychosom Med. 2002 Sep-Oct;64(5):727-39. doi: 10.1097/01.psy.0000024236.11538.41. PMID: 12271103. Accessed at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12271103/ (May 21, 2024).

SOURCE Champion Petfoods