Those of us who love and understand animals know the therapeutic power they have to offer when we are ill. Some animals are particularly instinctive. I recall one day when I was ill with a gastro bug and feeling miserable. My cat jumped on my lap and draped his body over my abdomen. The warmth of his body and vibration of his purr amazingly helped my pain to subside.
Purina and Susan G. Komen:
Cat Chow sales to benefit breast cancer battle
By Joan Lowell Smith
October 15, 2009, 3:31PM
Purina is donating proceeds from sales of Cat Chow to the Susan G. Komen For the Cure.And you thought Purina was only interested in selling pet food. Not so. Purina is heavily involved in raising awareness about breast cancer. This is the second year Purina Cat Chow is supporting Susan G. Komen for the Cure, global leader of the breast care movement. PCC is donating $200,000 to the Komen crusade and wants involved people to participate with their stories and photos with their cats.
A national survey indicated 84 percent of breast cancer patients with cats found respondents were soothed during their battles with breast cancer and 76 percent found kitty calmed them daily during treatment.
Purina Cat Chow urges consumers to submit stories and photos of their cancer experiences by May 2010. We’re a bit early but why not start now? For every photo uploaded, Purina will donate $1 to Komen up to $10,000. That’s in addition to the $200,000. (Visit catchow.com for details.) Purina Cat Chow’s "Complete Formula" and "Indoor Formula" feature pink packaging during Cancer Awareness Month. And we’re halfway through it. A few breast cancer survivors shared their stories of how much their cat influenced their determination to fight the disease. With patient permission, Purina shared some uplifting stories.
Lara Pilla, from Manhattan, had plenty of support from friends and family, but they couldn’t live with her. So she adopted Mingo, a tiny black kitty with an independent, energetic and affectionate disposition. Just what she needed. Ten years later, Lara was hit with a recurrence of breast cancer. A survivor of the double onslaught, she wants people to know that Mingo helped her through it.
Through a routine mammography in 1991, Missy Fish of St. Louis, Mo., was diagnosed with the disease. Fourteen years later, like Pilla, she needed another mastectomy. Over those years, her cats, Phoebe and Jack, stayed glued to her side. Fish was grateful and raised more than $700,000 for breast cancer research as a community organizer par excellence.
In Rochester Hills, Mich., Shannon Watson was a mere 25 when she received her diagnosis. Living alone, she adopted Chloe, a kitten who became her constant companion while she recovered from treatments. In 2007, just before she was set to marry, breast cancer returned, but Watson did not let that prevent her marriage or dampen her determination to make an impact in the fight against breast cancer. With a group of similarly dedicated women, she formed "Rack Pack." The group has raised $30,000 for the Komen fund.
This past summer Purina displayed a lighthearted approach by launching a new product line, Chef Michael’s Canine Cuisine. It arranged "house parties" across the country through hosts who volunteered to invite doggies and owners to Sunday supper. Guests and pooches played games and, of course, received samples of Chef Michaels’ dry dog food in — you guessed it — "doggie bags." Hosts received Purina party packs containing decorations, games and product samples. To read glowing comments from participants (no dogs commented directly), check houseparty.com/chefmichael.
Dawn D’Angelo, of Newton, hosted a picnic party at the dog park in Wantage Park where dogs can race around in an area covering seven acres. "It was an awesome experience," she bubbled. "Purina sent us such great things." About 20 dogs romped with D’Angelo’s 4-year-old Lab, Rocco, but first each one was introduced to Chef Michael’s tasty goodies. "We fed them separately to avoid any problems," she explained. "We gave each dog two wet and two dry samples. One man said his Lab puppy, Maggie, was a ‘fussy’ eater, but she disproved his statement by gobbling up her sample and then proceeded to climb on the picnic table looking for more," she recalled with a laugh. A marketing executive when she isn’t frolicking with Rocco, she added with another laugh, "and I don’t work for Purina!" She and Rocco are regulars at the dog park, about which she said: "The dogs are like Rocco’s best friends. He’s my baby and it’s great to do something special for our best friends."
Contact Joan Lowell Smith at P.O. Box 302, Garwood, N.J. 07027 or e-mail her at mailto:http://www.petcentric.com/Stories/Articles/Were-in-This-Together.aspx?articleid=0ad06961-d66f-4e14-8978-c7
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