Banfield Pet Hospital® Conducts an inFURvention® With Animal Planet's Victoria Stilwell

PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The cat fight is over! Banfield Pet Hospital announced today that one lucky cat has been chosen as the winner for the Cat vs. Carrier "inFURvention" contest. Danielle Delozier, of Brownstown, Mich., located just outside of Detroit, Mich., has been awarded a year of free, preventive veterinary care from Banfield Pet Hospital, and an in-home training session with pet trainer Victoria Stilwell, from Animal Planet.

Banfield Pet Hospital, the world's largest veterinary practice, and Victoria Stilwell staged 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 encouraged 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 coveted session featuring professional help from Stilwell, as well as free preventive veterinary care for a year.

Delozier's winning "inFURvention" video was selected among many other qualified entries, and included her trying to unsuccessfully load her cat, named Pooh, into its carrier with three separate unsuccessful attempts. The winning video represents a struggle that is common for cat owners across the country. Banfield often hears pet owners skip regular veterinary visits because of the difficulty getting cats safely into the carrier. Click here to view the winning video.

"Pooh has never made it easy for us to bring him in for a visit to the veterinarian. With our aging Pooh gaining unneeded weight, we thought this was the perfect time to showcase this difficulty," said Delozier. "In fact, it is such a challenge, often I avoid the veterinarian visit altogether! I'm so grateful for this opportunity from Banfield to receive a Wellness Plan, and also to learn more about my cat from a famous trainer like Victoria Stilwell."

Stilwell and Banfield worked together to choose Delozier's "inFURvention" video because of the potential they saw in teaching the proper techniques of getting the cat into the carrier. The training session will take place on October 10, 2012, and include an at-home visit by Stilwell.

"Though getting cats into the carrier is a common difficulty, it doesn't have to be a constant cat fight," said Stilwell. "Pooh's 'inFURvention' video is a prime example of a common mistake cat owners inadvertently make when trying to force the cat into the carrier. There are some simple tricks you can incorporate into the routine to ensure the carrier becomes a regular fixture in your cats' life, and employing these techniques will help avoid a cat fight from breaking out every time the carrier emerges."

Veterinary Visits are Vital for Cats
Missing a veterinarian visit could actually cause more harm to the pet than pet owners may think. Cats rarely exhibit signs of sickness or disease even when a problem exists; therefore, routine veterinarian visits are essential to protecting pets from potentially life-threatening illnesses. In fact, according to the 2012 State of Pet Health Report, kidney disease is seven times more likely in cats than in dogs. In addition, Banfield has seen a 90 percent increase in obese cats in the last five years.

"At Banfield, we know the importance of routine veterinary visits for all pets, especially cats, and the benefits pets and their owners receive from regular preventive care," said Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, chief medical officer for Banfield Pet Hospital. "However; we also understand getting the pet out of the house can be extremely difficult. We are proud to work with Victoria Stilwell, and hope the 'inFURvention' tips aided pet owners in proper carrier etiquette, in order to give their cats the care they deserve."

For a full list of tips and tricks to overcoming cat resistance, visit Banfield Pet Hospital online at www.banfield.com. To view Pooh's winning entry, along with the rest of the entries from Banfield's inFURvention contest, visit www.inFURvention.com.

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, visit our press room at http://www.banfield.com or contact our Media Hotline at 888-355-0595.

SOURCE Banfield Pet Hospital