Friskies® Plus™ Playhouse: The Ultimate Cat Pad

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Imagine a colorful, one-of-a-kind residence complete with a built-in pond, custom aquarium and touch screen floor. It's an indoor playground – with a twist:  the residents are cats.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120206/NE48377-a )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120206/NE48377-b )

Starting today, Friskies® hosts 10 cats for two weeks in the Friskies® Plus™ Playhouse, the ultimate play space for cats, broadcast live daily on the Friskies Facebook page. The Playhouse offers the Friskies Facebook community unique interactive opportunities to tune in, interact with the cats, and help create the imaginative environment.

"Friskies is always looking for new ways to enhance play experiences for cats," says Alison Coburn, assistant brand manager for Friskies. "We're asking our Friskies Facebook community to join us in this one-of-a-kind engagement opportunity to help create a space as amazing as the cats that will live there for the next two weeks. They can tune in daily to see how the cats respond to their choices in real-time, and find new inspiration for play with their own cats. And we hope they'll be inspired to help ensure these cats and many more find forever homes."

The 10 cats living in the two-room Friskies Plus Playhouse are part of the MeoowzResQ network of foster cats available for adoption. MeoowzResQ is a non-profit cat rescue and adoption organization serving the Orange County region of Southern California. MeoowzResQ is part of the Adopt-a-Pet.com network of animal rescue and adoption organizations. MeoowzResQ helps find permanent homes for hundreds of cats each year.

The participating cats were selected based on a variety of factors, including personality and age. The Playhouse features are based on maximizing opportunities for cat play.

Certified Animal Behavior Consultant and cat behavior expert Pam Johnson-Bennett worked with Friskies to help recommend design themes and elements for the Playhouse cats.

"Cats are high sensory animals," says Johnson-Bennett. "Friskies has created a play space inspired by cats' imaginations and natural curiosity and discovery. It's designed to enhance their daily sensory experiences by incorporating texture, light, movements, heights and many details."

The feline housemates will enjoy a large built-in aquarium, touch floor to play Friskies® Games for Cats and many unique climbing spaces. Each day "extras," or new engagement features, will be added to the Playhouse based on input from the Friskies Facebook community. Extras up for vote may include a large climbing tree, tunnel system and bubble machine. Final decisions will depend on Facebook community votes.

Friskies is working with television production company Zodiak USA to produce the Playhouse program. Anyone who visits the Friskies Facebook page may watch the cats in the Playhouse live from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. EST/noon to 3 p.m. PST, every day, February 6 through February 19. If consumers miss the live window or just want to see more, they may visit the Friskies YouTube channel to watch daily highlights and recap videos.

The Friskies Facebook community gets to play too: in addition to helping choose new extras to add to the Playhouse and watching the cats; consumers may interact with the cats. The Friskies Plus Play Live feature offers three mechanical toys for users to select to operate four fully movable and zoomable cameras. Friskies Plus Play Live gives fans the ability to "play" with real cats in real time. It's a modified version of iPet Companion, created by AliceVISION™, which says its free app boosts adoptions, donations and sponsorships in pet rescue and adoption shelters worldwide. The Friskies Plus Play Live feature will be active on Friskies Facebook page during the Playhouse daily broadcast from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. EST/noon to 3 p.m. PST daily  February 6 through February 19.

To watch the Friskies Playhouse cats live, or interact with them using the Friskies Plus Play Live feature, please visit www.Facebook.com/Friskies. To view highlights and video clips from the Playhouse, please visit www.youtube.com/PurinaFriskies.

About Friskies®

Friskies® offers a complete line of great-tasting cat foods, including more than 60 wet, dry and treat varieties that help cats enjoy multiple sensory experiences. Friskies® Plus™ wet cat food is available nationwide in six varieties. Friskies Plus helps support clear, healthy vision; a healthy immune system; and a healthy skin and coat and provides 100 percent complete and balanced nutrition for cats of all ages. It's everything your cat loves about Friskies, plus a little more.

Friskies is manufactured by Nestle Purina PetCare, a global leader in the pet care industry. Nestle Purina PetCare promotes responsible pet care, humane education, community involvement and the positive bond between people and their pets. The North American headquarters for Nestle Purina PetCare is located at Checkerboard Square in St. Louis, Mo. Nestle Purina PetCare is part of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A. – the world's largest food company.

About MeoowzResQ

Since 2001 MeoowzResQ has been rescuing unwanted cats and kittens saved from shelters throughout California. In 2009 MeoowzResQ was designated as a 501(c )(3)non-profit rescue and has over 100 volunteers with over 300 foster kittens and cats in their fostering system.  In 2011 they placed over 1,500 cats and kittens into new homes. The rescue supplies all medical treatment, food, litter and miscellaneous supplies to their fosters. MeoowzResQ supports such a system by relying on donations from adoptions, fundraisers, private donations and partner vets.

SOURCE Friskies