Bayer HealthCare Wants You To Vote For Your Favorite "Chatty Cat"!

SHAWNEE, Kan., Oct. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The official voting period for Bayer HealthCare Animal Health's Advantage^® II for cats Chatty Cat Challenge opens today. The Chatty Cat Challenge is a competition that gave cat owners across America the chance to tell the world what their cats would say are the secrets to their health and happiness. Between October 1 and 21, it will be up to the public to vote for their favorite Chatty Cat videos, photos and memes at www.chattycatchallenge.com/vote. The Top 10 feline finalists will compete for the ultimate title of "America's Chattiest Cat."

"We all know that two of the keys to managing feline health are regular veterinary care and year-round use of a monthly flea preventive—but as cats told us through their owners, there's more to it," said Dave Van Brunt, vice president, Companion Animal Business Unit, Bayer HealthCare's North American Animal Health division. "Bayer HealthCare is proud to have given cats a chance to express what makes them healthy and happy felines, so now it's up to the American public to exercise their right to vote for their favorite Chatty Cats."

About Chatty Cat and How to Vote
Advantage^® II for cats' Chatty Cat Challenge asked owners to submit a video, photo or meme of their cat, along with a narrative, that revealed the secrets to keeping their cats healthy and happy—and the cats have spoken! Between October 1 and 21, your votes at www.chattycatchallenge.com/vote will determine the Top 10 finalists. So be sure to "vote early and often"—up to once daily—for your favorite Chatty Cat. Nine finalists will each receive a one-year supply of Advantage^® II for cats and a premium cat carrier. From among these Top 10 finalists, one grand prize winner will be chosen by a three-member panel of feline aficionados from the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP), Adopt-a-Pet.com and Bayer HealthCare Animal Health division. The grand prize winner will receive a three-year supply of Advantage^® II for cats, a premium cat carrier and an iPad mini™. To learn more about the Chatty Cat Challenge, including official rules, visit www.ChattyCatChallenge.com.

The Chatty Cat Challenge is sponsored by Advantage^® II for cats, a monthly topical flea preventive that kills fleas through contact. A single flea can bite up to 400 times per day[1], and Advantage^® II helps prevent misery-causing biting fleas.

About Advantage^® II for cats
Advantage^® II for cats is a once-monthly topical solution for cats, and includes an application for kittens age 8 weeks and older. Advantage^® II has adulticidal, larvicidal and ovicidal properties, killing adult fleas and preventing the emergence of new ones. Advantage^® II kills fleas through contact. Fleas don't have to bite to die.

About Bayer HealthCare
The Bayer Group is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, agriculture and high-tech materials. Bayer HealthCare, a subgroup of Bayer AG with annual sales of EUR 18.6 million (2012), is one of the world's leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global activities of the Animal Health, Consumer Care, Medical Care and Pharmaceuticals divisions. Bayer HealthCare's aim is to discover, develop, manufacture and market products that will improve human and animal health worldwide. Bayer HealthCare has a global workforce of 55,300 employees (Dec. 31, 2012) and is represented in more than 100 countries. More information at www.healthcare.bayer.com.

Contact:
Staci Gouveia, Tel. 913.268.2577
Email: [email protected]

Lauren Dorsch, Tel. 913.268.2747
Email: [email protected]

Find more information about the Chatty Cat Challenge at www.ChattyCatChallenge.com
Find more information about Bayer HealthCare Animal Health at
www.animalhealth.bayerhealthcare.com
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Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com.The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

[1]Taking the bite out of fleas and ticks. FDA website. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/FDAVeterinarianNewsletter/ucm130778.htm. Accessed June 14, 2013

SOURCE Bayer HealthCare