Hill's® Pet Nutrition Introduces Science Diet® Ideal Balance™ and MyBowl for Cats

TOPEKA, Kan., April 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on the successful launch of Hill's® Science Diet® Ideal Balance™ and MyBowl for Dogs – the first of its kind interactive tool designed to put dog nutrition in terms people can understand – Hill's® Pet Nutrition and petMD.com, the largest global source of pet health information, are now offering the same balanced diet options and educational resources to families who own felines.

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Science Diet® Ideal Balance™ and MyBowl for Cats provide pets a precisely balanced diet and a tool that helps their owners understand the importance of balanced nutrition for their feline.

MyBowl for Cats

MyBowl for Cats puts pet nutrition in easy to understand human terms to:

• Illustrate the proper proportion of essential nutrients cats need – carbohydrates, protein, minerals, vitamins, fats and oils
• Educate owners about the specific benefits each nutrients delivers when fed in the right balance
• Decode the cat food label so owners ensure their cat is receiving the proper balance of nutrients at each meal

A Chance to Win

During the month of April, cat owners can test their pet nutrition knowledge with an interactive online quiz at www.petmd.com for a chance to win one of four $2,500 pet retailer gift cards.  All participating owners will also receive a rebate for a free bag of Hill's® Science Diet® Ideal Balance™ (up to $12.99).

"The positive response we received for MyBowl for Dogs confirmed that pet owners are looking for simple-to-understand information about proper pet nutrition," said Mark Champ, Product Manager, Hill's Pet Nutrition. "MyBowl for Cats provides feline-specific tools to help cat owners easily demystify nutrition labels and determine the best, balanced diet for their pet."

Science Diet® Ideal Balance™ for Cats

An important part of maintaining a pet's optimal health is selecting a food that provides the right balance of essential vitamins and nutrients. Hill's® Pet Nutrition is making this choice easy with the launch of their new Hill's® Science Diet® Ideal Balance™ food for cats. Formulated with the precise amount of natural ingredients in the exact proportions cats need, this new formulation features fresh chicken as its first ingredient, an assortment of fruits and vegetables and contains no corn or artificial colors. Ideal Balance™ provides cat owners a natural pet food choice while still delivering the right balance of high-quality ingredients owners have come to expect from the Science Diet® portfolio of products.

Cat Nutrition Center

The MyBowl tool will be housed on petMD.com, which now features a newly created Cat Nutrition Center, in addition to its Dog Nutrition Center. Now both cat and dog owners can find detailed nutrition information and tools for their pets including:

• MyBowl for Cats & MyBowl for Dogs
• Nutrition Articles and Slideshows
• "The Nutrition Nugget" Nutrition Blog by Dr. Jennifer Coates
• Dog & Cat Nutrition Quizzes and FAQ

Science Diet® Ideal Balance™ for cats is now available at Pet Specialty stores, Farm and Feed stores and select Veterinary Clinics.

About Hill's Pet Nutrition

Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc. manufactures Hill's® Prescription Diet® brand pet foods, therapeutic pet foods available only through veterinarians, and Hill's® Science Diet® brand pet foods sold through veterinarians and finer pet specialty stores. Founded more than 60 years ago with a unique commitment to pet nutrition and well-being, Hill's is committed to its mission to help enrich and lengthen the special relationships between people and their pets. Hill's produces high-quality, great-tasting pet foods owners can trust and give to their canine and feline companions as part of a veterinary health care team recommendation. This ultimately improves patient health and the health of the practice. For more information about Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc., and Hill's Evidence-Based Clinical Nutrition™ visit HillsPet.com.

About petMD

petMD is a leading online resource focused solely on the health and well-being of pets. The site maintains the world's largest pet health library, written and approved by a network of trusted veterinarians. petMD was founded to inspire pet owners to provide an ever-increasing quality of life for their pets and to connect pet owners with pet experts and other animal lovers. petMD is a subsidiary of the Pet360 family of brands, which also includes PetFoodDirect.com – the most complete pet food and supply retailer online, and NationalPetPharmacy.com – a fully certified, full-service pet pharmacy delivering pet meds, vitamins and comprehensive pet health and wellness products.

SOURCE Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc.