My Fire Hydrant

Some very exciting news! Our second annual “Behind the Paw” summit is scheduled for next week! We’ve invited a furbulous group of pet community advocates and anipals to come for a visit to learn more about P&G Pet Care. We’ll be tweeting about it–if you’re on Twitter be sure to watch for #BehindThePaw to get updates. Here’s a preview of what’s happening!

Another reason why I love where I work!

The official statement:

“P&G has donated nearly 12 tons of dog and cat food to the help the animals in Arkansas and Alabama that were displaced by the recent tornadoes. The food was distributed to several locations throughout the region to help save the lives of the many dogs and cats that were affected. We will continue to monitor the situation to determine if further assistance is needed.”

Some stuff that happened behind-the-scenes:

When asked to help, our closest distributor immediately worked out a plan to interrupt schedule product shipments so that they could get the product donation shipped to where it was needed. They also donated their time to do it.

We’ve already heard from some of the rescue groups located in the tornado-stressed areas—they posted on the Iams Facebook wall that they’ve received much-needed Iams food to help feed displaced dogs and cats.

I’m so glad we were able to get food where it was needed so quickly!

You probably don’t know that Procter & Gamble (P&G) has a corporate sustainability program. You might also not know that P&G Pet Care (the company I work for) has a pet food plant in Coevorden, The Netherlands, that makes our products for consumers in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

As part of our (P&G’s) corporate sustainability program, the ultimate goal is to power our plants with 100% renewable energy. We will accomplish this in increments. By 2020, we want P&G’s plants to be powered by at least 30% renewable energy.

So here’s what I find really exciting: This month, the Iams/Eukanuba plant in Coevorden added a wind turbine to its power grid, and by pressing the red button that started the turbine our plant jumped the 2020 deadline by 8 years! Our Coevorden plant is now getting one third of its power from the very first P&G wind turbine! As my buddy Dan Rajczak (Senior Vice President of Global Pet Care and Snacks) said:

“Pet Care is proud to lead the way on turbine-generated renewable energy for P&G. Meeting our 2020 Sustainability goals for this plant a full eight years ahead of our commitment is a significant achievement.”

Dan is absolutely right! This makes me so proud!

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As you may know, I work for P&G Pet Care in Consumer Relations. I’m writing this blog post to get some important information out to pet parents—particularly those who feed their cats Iams Canned Cat food. 

Today we are announcing the voluntary recall of specific lots of Iams Canned Cat Foods in North America as a precautionary measure.  Some of this product does not meet quality standards due to low levels of vitamin B1 (thiamine).

Thiamine (vitamin B1) is a water soluble vitamin.  It plays a role in a number of body functions including metabolism and energy, as well as supporting the nervous system.  It is found in meats and vegetables and is also supplemented in pet foods to ensure a complete and balanced diet.

This recall is limited to only Iams Canned Cat Food.  No other products are involved.

Health concerns would be limited primarily to cases where pet owners have been feeding their cat only canned, wet food. 

More details can be found on the Iams web site here: http://media.iams.com/iams/en_US/data_root/html/recall_message.html 

Any concerns should be directed to our Consumer Relations group at 877-340-8826.

You’ve probably already heard about this, but in case you haven’t here’s the press release:

P&G Expands Further in ‘Super Premium’ Pet Food Segment

 CINCINNATI, May 5, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG) has signed an agreement to acquire Natura Pet Products, Inc., a privately-held pet food business based in Davis, California.

 This move enables P&G to expand into the attractive “holistic and naturals” segment of the pet food category, complementing P&G’s current Iams and Eukanuba brands and helping the Company advance its overall growth strategy of “reaching more consumers in more parts of the world more completely.”

 Natura’s brands include Innova, Evo, California Natural, Healthwise, Mother Nature and Karma. These brands are sold in a limited number of pet specialty stores and through veterinarians, mainly in the United States and Canada.

 ”These outstanding brands and the great employees of Natura Pet Products will complement our Eukanuba and Iams brands very well,” said Dan Rajczak, senior vice president of P&G’s global pet care and snacks businesses. “This acquisition gives us a strong position in the holistic and natural pet food segment. It will enable us to enhance the health and well-being of even more dogs and cats and represents an exciting new source of growth for our business.”

 ”It’s time for the right company to take our brands to the next level of growth. P&G is that company,” said John Rademakers, founder and owner of Natura Pet Products. “We know that P&G will honor our history as they capitalize on their strengths to build these brands.”

 Natura Pet Products employs about 140 people, mainly at its production sites in San Leandro, California and Fremont, Nebraska. P&G is targeting to close this deal in about a month, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory clearances. Specific terms of the deal are not being disclosed.

Did you know that today is National Hairball Awareness Day?

Once upon a time, I had a roommate who shared his life with a long-haired cat named Miss Kitty. Miss Kitty didn’t like me. I know this because she told me so in very subtle, cat-like ways. She had a habit of leaving hairballs on my bed. It was not a pretty sight. Even less beautiful was the horrible noise she would make, in the middle of the night, right beside my pillow, as she coughed up one of her famous furballs, just before she would smack me with her paw so that she could laugh at me.

Today, in honor of Miss Kitty, I’m joining Romeo the Cat to celebrate National Hairball Awareness Day.

What are hairballs?

Hairballs are a common problem in cats. Although they rarely cause serious problems, they can cause the cat obvious discomfort. In addition, they cause messes that can be difficult and inconvenient for the cat owner to clean up. While long-haired cats appear to have more problems with hairballs, nearly all breeds of cats (with the exception of Sphinx cats) can develop them. 

The act of grooming for cats involves ingesting significant quantities of loose hair. For the most part, this hair moves through the digestive tract and is excreted. Sometimes, however, the ingested hair forms a mass in the stomach too large to continue passage into the intestinal tract, especially in animals with longer hair, and is expelled orally as a hairball. Some cats show signs of distress during the process. Some cats may also vomit for several days prior to a hairball. 

Frequent hairballs rarely present true health problems, but may cause major inconveniences to cat owners, and may occasionally be the cause of a cat being relinquished for adoption.

Is there help for cats with hairballs?

The first, and most basic, step to help reduce the risk of hairball formation in cats is frequent brushing. By brushing away loose hair, you can reduce the amount of hair your cat will ingest. Therefore, you also reduce the chance that the hair will gather in the digestive tract.

 Some cats groom themselves and their housemates. Therefore, it’s a good idea to brush all the cats in your house. Baths or professional grooming during a change in season help by ridding the cat of the loose hair from normal, seasonal shedding.

What about hairball diets?

Nutrition — provided through a specially designed diet — is another way to decrease the likelihood of developing hairballs. Dietary fiber is usually the way special diets accomplish this.

Most special diets contain one type of fiber to help move bulk through the intestines (nonfermentable). Nonfermentable fiber, such as cellulose, isn’t broken down by the normal bacteria in a cat’s intestines. Instead it passes through the digestive tract, helping other material, such as hair, move along as well. Other special diets contain a combination of nonfermentable fiber and another type of fiber (moderately fermentable). Moderately fermentable fiber, such as beet pulp, helps move bulk and helps provide nourishment to intestinal cells which, in turn, helps maintain intestinal health.

 Because of the special fiber content, these diets are most effective if they are fed as the sole diet. Mixing with other foods can dilute the fiber that help reduce the risk of hairball formation.

Likewise, switching between a special diet and another cat food may decrease the benefit.

Another way that nutrition can help reduce the likelihood of hairball formation is by promoting skin and coat health. High-quality diets containing animal-based proteins, such as chicken, and a combination of fats — more specifically, a ratio of certain fat components (5-10 omega-6 fatty acids to 1 omega-3 fatty acid) —have been shown to promote healthy skin and coat. Feeding a diet that provides these ingredients can help keep skin and hair healthy and, therefore, may reduce the risks of excessive shedding, ingestion of hair from grooming, and, consequently, hairball formation.

Hairballs. Not a pretty topic. I’m glad that National Hairball Awareness Day is not an entire week!

And to all my favorite feline friends out there, are you a “Miss Kitty?” Do you leave hairballs where your human friends will find them?

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DISCLAIMER: This is my personal blog, and I am an employee of P&G Pet Care, North America. When I speak of company business (the nutritional benefits of Iams/Eukanuba products, et cetera), I am the voice of my employer. The personal things I post about my life, my dog, or my opinions are my own and do not necessarily represent the corporate position of my employer. Information posted on my blog (or on the Internet for that matter) should NEVER be substituted for the guidance and advice of your veterinarian or your animal behavior professional.

We have an incredible contest going on right now which will last until this time next year. It’s called Feed Pets In Need. This contest allows people to vote for their favorite Iams Home 4 the Holidays shelter/rescue. Each month, the TWO organizations with the most votes win a free month’s worth of pet food from Iams!

And it’s really easy to do.

Go to the www.IH4tH.com website.

Click on the little dog and cat icon, at the top right side of the page:

You will need to register because you are allowed only 1 vote per day. P&G’s Privacy Policy means you totally control ANY personal information you provide in your registration. You also totally control whether or not you receive our newsletter.

Once you’re registered, you can vote!

Find your favorite shelter or rescue by choosing the State (or Canada) and the city.

Sort the organizations by the shelter/rescue name or the name of the city.

Click on your favorite shelter/rescue to highlight it, then click “Vote For Shelter!”

When you hit the vote button, a new window will open with the rules of the contest. Make sure you read them at least once. Then at the bottom of the rules is a check box and an OK button. For your vote to register, check the check box and click OK.

You will then see who’s currently getting the most votes, and who our past winners are!

This is sooooooooo easy!! Many shelters/rescues have started up campaigns to get their supporters to vote. Check with your favorite Iams Home 4 the Holidays shelter or rescue–this is something you can do for them that takes only a few moments of your time. GET OUT THE VOTE!!

Pulling into the parking lot, I got a good view of our new dog park!

Because there are so many people working at the MBC (the Mason Business Center), we wanted to be considerate of people with allergies and people who would (I know you’ll find this hard to believe!) rather not be around dogs. So there is a specially designated elevator specifically for people bringing their dogs to work. You can see by how it’s decorated that it’s very dog-friendly! Our dogs also have their own stairwell—for pooches who’d rather have the exercise of walking up stairs instead of the ease and comfort of an elevator ride.

This dog statue used to sit outside of one of our larger meeting rooms in our old home. It’s one of the first things you see when you come into our new office area!

Kersee was our official door greeter up until 2002. I had not ever seen this portrait of her, but I recognized her instantly! She was a great dog, and it’s fitting that her portrait be at the gateway to our office.

When I walked into the Pet Care office area, I was amazed at the order! Boxes were where they were supposed to be, everybody was unpacking (and having a great time), and by 10 AM we were all back to work as if we had lived in this new office for years!

What a beautiful facility, and a great place to work! I am amazed at the attention and care given to make our area look so pet-oriented! There are dog and cat murals painted on all the walls!

The style of portrait of the dogs and cats which make up our wall murals has a lot of sentimental value for me. When I first joined Iams in the ‘90s this was the style that had been used on many of our marketing materials.

Back at our old home, we named our conference rooms after breeds of dog and cat. The Mason Business Center is big enough that room numbers matter. Of course, that doesn’t stop us from giving each of our new meeting rooms over to a specific breed of dog or cat and putting up the art work that “flavored” our meeting spaces in our old home!

At the start of this post I posed a question: Could we really pack up our 2,000 boxes, our artwork, and all the bits and pieces that make an office a home and resume working at a brand new location on the next business day?

Oh yeah! No problem!

Next: An Iams & Eukanuba Celebration!

So we spent September and part of October going through all the stuff we had accumulated during the time we live in our buildings on Poe Avenue.

And then, suddenly, it was our last week in the building. The week started with a “garage sale” and silent auction. A lot of that stuff that we had collected–stacks of branded tee shirts, pens, notebooks, clocks, watches, along with used office supplies—were all put in one room and we each purchased some memories to take home. And much of the dog and cat oriented art work that we had collected over the years was put up for silent auction. Our garage sale and silent auction raised over $7,000 for the United Way of Greater Dayton.

 Friday October 23 was moving day, and we were required to be out the door by noon. Of course, it rained. If I was of a maudlin frame of mind, I might say that the sky cried to see us leaving. But I’m far more cynical—it rained because it made things more inconvenient and wet.

Over the weekend, the moving company would deliver our boxes to our new home.

Next: Iams & Eukanuba Find a New Home!

You’ve probably heard of the AKC (American Kennel Club) and the CFA (Cat Fanciers Association). Have you heard of Meet the Breeds?

 A few weeks ago (October 17 & 18), some of my co-workers were at the Javits Center in New York City (wish I had been able to go!) where they attended the AKC-CFA Meet The Breeds sponsored by Pet Partners, Inc. This really cool weekend event allowed people to “meet” 160 dog breeds and 41 cat breeds. Each breed had its own designated space that was designed and decorated to reflect the breed’s attributes, characteristics, history, and heritage. People attending the event were able to pet the dogs/cats/puppies/kittens and to question and talk to breed experts. What a great way to learn about different breeds of dogs and cats!

My buddy, Jason Taylor (from our External Relations team), was there to present a contribution to two outstanding organizations, the Bulldog Club of America and the Winn Feline Foundation. 

Have you seen the Iams dog and cat ads we’ve been doing lately that call attention to the fact we’ve added prebiotics to our pet foods? The two breeds starring in these ads are the Bulldog and Cornish Rex. In fact,  the canine star of the ads — Munch the Bulldog – was at Meet the Breeds!

Everybody at Iams fell in love with Munch when we first started looking at his photos and video. He has such personality! That Saturday at Meet the Breeds, Jason and Munch presented a donation to the Bulldog Club of America. We know that they will put our contribution to good use to support the breed.

The next day, it was Artie’s turn to shine. Artie is a Cornish Rex, and he is a magnificent example of his breed—sleek, healthy, and beautiful. The Cornish Rex is the breed of cat featured in our new marketing campaign for Iams Cat food. That Sunday, Jason and Artie presented a donation to the Winn Feline Foundation, to help honor and celebrate the unique Cornish Rex breed.

What an incredible event!