Modern Pets's blog

Zoomark International lands in the USA. The only Italian international pet industry’s trade show will take part in Global Pet Expo 2016 (GPE) – Orlando, Florida – on 16th-18th March. GPE is the largest annual trade show; it is organized by the American Pet Products Association (APPA) and the Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA) and it attracts over 1,000 exhibitors and 6,000 buyers from more than 60 countries.

In collaboration with GPE, Zoomark International is organizing the first ever Pavilion of ‘Made in Italy’ including a dozen Italian manufacturers: Agras Delic SpA, Bruno Dalla Grana Mangimi Srl, Chemi- Vit Srl, Dorado Srl, Guidolin Gianni, IMAC Srl, IV San Bernard Srl, Mugue Srl, Oceanlife Srl e PetitAmis Sas. The companies will showcase their products and take part in b2b meetings with important foreign buyers.

“Our participation in Global Pet Expo 2016 with a delegation of Italian manufacturers is only the first of a number of actions that we are planning for the next future and will involve other leading trade events worldwide”, explains Giuseppe Pierini of Promopet, Zoomark International’s Managing and Operating Secretariat. “Indeed, one of our goals for Zoomark International 2017 is to further increase the number of our international exhibitors and buyers”.

Zoomark International, the only international pet industry’s trade show in Italy and the second most important in Europe, will take place in Bologna (Italy) on 11th-14th May 2017. Promopet organizes the event in collaboration with BolognaFiere.

The past show, in 2015, achieved a huge success, welcoming 615 exhibitors – 394 of which from 35 foreign countries – that displayed their products on a show floor of 45thousand square metres. The show attracted a record 22,299 buyers - 15,526 of which from Italy and 6,773 foreign (+15% compared to 2013) from 85 countries.

Further information on the event: www.zoomark.it

CHICAGO (March 7, 2016)— Oil-Dri Corporation of America (ODC-NYSE), a leading manufacturer of quality cat litter and the inventor of lightweight litter, announces the launch of the new Cat’s Pride® Fresh & Light Ultimate Care®, a revolutionary litter that delivers the ultimate performance  including 10 day odor control, the strongest clumps and low tracking. Cat’s Pride Fresh & Light Ultimate Care is the best lightweight litter and is 50 percent lighter than traditional scoopable litters. As part of the launch, Cat’s Pride® is partnering with award-winning actress Katherine Heigl, best known for her roles in “Grey’s Anatomy”, “27 Dresses” and “Knocked Up”, as the face and voice of their integrated marketing campaign. The campaign includes TV, print, digital and radio advertising. In addition, Cat’s Pride is proud to support the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation™, by donating a portion of every Fresh & Light Ultimate Care purchase to support the Foundation’s animal advocacy work. 

“Cat’s Pride is excited to introduce consumers to our newest innovation in cat litter, Fresh & Light Ultimate Care. For 75 years, we’ve been committed to providing products that enrich the lives of cats and their owners,” said Dan Jaffee, president and CEO of Oil-Dri, the makers of Cat’s Pride. “We are proud to partner with Katherine Heigl and the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation as they work to end the needless suffering of animals.”

Cat’s Pride started the lightweight litter trend and continues to innovate with its new product, Cat’s Pride Fresh & Light Ultimate Care lightweight litter. The product is 50% lighter and is formulated with highly absorbent minerals and no fillers, guaranteeing 10 days of odor control, the strongest clumps and low dust and tracking. Cat’s Pride Fresh & Light Ultimate Care offers the ultimate performance at a great value. The product is offered in a 10 pound jug, in both scented and unscented hypoallergenic varieties.

"Cats are Complicated. Great Litter is Simple.” Campaign: The new Cat’s Pride integrated marketing campaign featuring Heigl is the brand’s largest media launch ever. This concept features Katherine Heigl as a recurring character—a cat/owner couples therapist—who helps owners have a more meaningful and positive relationship with their cats. She continually reinforces how using the best-performing Fresh & Light Ultimate Care can reduce tensions all around and create healthier interactions between cats and their people. The campaign features the actress in humorous commercials directed by Anne Fletcher, known for films such as “27 Dresses” and “The Proposal”. The integrated campaign continues across all digital, social media, in-store and print platforms.

The Jason Debus Heigl Foundation Partnership:  The Jason Debus Heigl Foundation (JDHF) was founded in 2008 by Nancy and Katherine Heigl to increase awareness of inhumane animal treatment and support animal welfare efforts in this country.  Established as a lasting legacy to a beloved son and brother killed as a teen in a tragic car accident, the JDHF is dedicated to helping companion animals by eliminating the needless suffering inflicted on animals by human cruelty, indifference and ignorance. Programs include the relocation of pets from high-kill to no-kill shelters for adoption, funding of sterilization for cats and dogs, medical and training assistance for special needs dogs, grants to hardworking “boots on the ground” rescues, and working with animal welfare groups nationwide to increase awareness of spay/neuter, humane education and adoption.

“We created the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation to continue to spread Jason’s love of animals,” said Katherine Heigl, CEO, The Jason Debus Heigl Foundation™. “We are thrilled to partner with Cat’s Pride® in our efforts to truly make a difference for animals.”

About Katherine Heigl
Katherine Marie Heigl is an Emmy Award winner, a two time Golden Globe nominated actress, and producer, best known for her starring roles in the feature films "The Ugly Truth", "27 Dresses" and "Knocked Up", as well as her portrayal of Dr. Isobel 'Izzie' Stevens in the television medical drama "Grey's Anatomy". Heigl will next be seen in the upcoming Warner Bros. feature “To Have and To Hold” starring opposite Rosario Dawson and directed by Denise DiNovi. In addition to her work in front of the camera, Katherine partnered with her mother and manager Nancy Heigl to form the production company Abishag in 2007. In 2008, Katherine co-founded the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation, an organization dedicated to ending animal cruelty and abuse and promoting animal welfare. Heigl is married to singer-songwriter Josh Kelley and the couple has two daughters Nancy Leigh Mi-Eun and Adalaide Marie Hope. Heigl lives in Utah, where she resides with her family, nine dogs and four cats. For more information please visit: http://www.kheigl.com/biography/.

About The Jason Debus Heigl Foundation™
The Jason Debus Heigl Foundation’s mission is to eliminate the needless suffering inflicted on animals by human cruelty, indifference and ignorance. The Heigl family was inspired by Jason’s compassion for animals and is committed to keeping his love and memory alive through acts of generosity and kindness toward animals through the Foundation’s work. The Jason Debus Heigl Foundation has helped improve the lives of over 25,000 animals since its inception. For more information, please visit http://jasonheigl.foundation/.

About Oil-Dri
Oil-Dri Corporation of America, a leading supplier of specialty sorbent products for agricultural, horticultural, fluids purification, specialty markets, industrial and automotive, is celebrating 75 years of sorbent mineral expertise. Oil-Dri is a leading manufacturer of cat litter. “Cat’s Pride” “Fresh & Light Ultimate Care” and “Changing Litter for Good” are registered trademarks of Oil-Dri Corporation of America. From research and development at our Innovation Center outside of Chicago to our manufacturing plants in Georgia, Mississippi, Illinois and California, our Cat’s Pride products are proudly made in the USA. For more information, visit www.oildri.com or www.catspride.com.

Pets need plenty of fresh, clean water every day to remain healthy. Conventional water bowls often contain a small amount of water which can be further reduced by evaporation or spills leading to your pet being denied its daily drinking needs. Stagnant water is prone to dirt and dust.  Insufficient water consumption or dirty water can lead to illness.  Watering systems or Fountains provide flowing water but need batteries  or a power source and are expensive and bulky, making portability very challenging.

Introducing TORUS—a watering system and portable storage bowl all in one! TORUS (Latin for ‘hollow circular ring’) stores its water inside the reservoir walls ensuring an ample supply of water, protected from dust and contaminants. Each time your pet takes a drink, replacement water automatically flows from the storage area into the drinking well. Active carbon in the replaceable filter reduces flavours and trace elements commonly presented in municipal water supplies.

TORUS is exceptionally stable, its low profile geometry and soft rubber feet help prevent accidental spills by boisterous pets or passers-by. The water level in the drinking well is always high enough to allow easy drinking but low enough to minimise water spills and splashes. The water can even dispense in moving vehicles.

TORUS watering bowls are a go-anywhere bowl that doesn’t require batteries or power supply. The valve position, when locked, secures stored water inside the walls so you can take TORUS with you wherever you go.

TORUS comes in two sizes, 2L which is ideal for multi-pet homes and larger pets and a 1L which is perfect for smaller pets.  Each bowl comes with one carbon filter and the range includes replacement filters.  Torus is available in Pink, Charcoal, Red and Blue and has a 12 month warranty.

Available from Amazon and retail pet stores.
Website - http://www.heyrex.com/en/torus/
Videos - http://www.heyrex.com/en/torus/torus-video/

Increase in vitamin and supplement-related calls to Animal Poison Control Center mirrors the increasing popularity of these products

“We’ve seen numerous new vitamins, herbal supplements and joint supplements hit the market over the last year, exposing more pets to these types of products, and more of these products to our pets.,” said Dr. Tina Wismer, medical director of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. “Just as we recommend for prescription medications, it’s crucial that pet owners keep these potentially toxic items out of their pets’ reach and keep them behind closed doors,” Dr. Wismer advises.

According to the ASPCA, the top ten calls into the APCC in 2015 involved the following toxins, ranked in order of call volume:

1. Over-the-counter medications. These medications, including herbal and other natural supplements, attracted the most concern this year for the first time in history, with more than 28,500 cases. This category is exceptionally large, encompassing nearly 7,000 different products.
2. Human prescription medications. Prescribed human medications fell to the second spot on the list, representing nearly 16 percent of all cases. The types of medication to which these animals were most often exposed correlate with the most popular medications prescribed to humans.
3. Insecticides. Insect poisons accounted for nearly 9 percent of the calls to APCC (more than 15,000 cases). If label directions are not followed, these products can be very dangerous to pets.
4. Human foods. Pets – especially dogs, who ingest human foods more often than cats – can get into serious trouble by ingesting onions, garlic, grapes, raisins, alcohol and xylitol, a sugar substitute which can be life-threatening for animals. More than 14,600 APCC cases in 2015 involved human foods.
5. Household items. Products found around the home made up more than 14,000 cases in 2015. The most common items for this category of APCC cases include cleaning products, fire logs and paint.
6. Veterinary medications. Overdoses of medications prescribed by veterinarians represented more than 7 percent of total cases in 2015. Chewable medications are very appealing to pets, requiring extra caution.
7. Chocolate. Enjoyed by humans, chocolate continues be very dangerous for pets, accounting for more than 7 percent of all APCC cases in 2015 – averaging over 30 cases a day. The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it can be.
8. Plants. Indoor and outdoor plants represented nearly 5 percent of the calls to the APCC in 2015. Most of these calls involve cats and houseplants. Be sure to understand the toxicity of plants before putting them in or around your house.
9. Rodenticides. Rodent poisons can be just as toxic to pets as they are to the mice and rats these products are designed to kill. Last year, APCC handled more than 8,100 cases involving rodenticides.
10. Lawn and garden products. These products, including herbicides and fungicides, round out the top ten, accounting for 3 percent of all APCC calls, an increase over last year. It’s incredibly important to store lawn and garden products out of the reach of pets.

More important information about pet toxins can be accessed on the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center’s free mobile app – APCC by ASPCA.  Featuring a searchable database of more than 275 toxins as well as helpful information for owners of dogs, cats, horses, and birds, the app helps pet owners quickly and accurately identify common household hazards, toxic and non-toxic plants, potentially harmful medications, as well as warm and cold weather hazards.

For further information, visit www.aspca.org/apcc. If your pet has ingested something potentially toxic, please contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA’s 24-hour APCC hotline at 1-888-426-4435. Since its opening in 1978, the APCC has handled more than two and a half million cases.
 

It seems like cat ownership is increasing among millennials (ages 18-34). A recent study by Purina showed that over half of millennials, owned a cat. Not only do they own a cat, but they consider their cat a friend, one they can binge watch Netflix and drink wine with. The study also revealed that 88 percent considered themselves similar to their cat and 57 percent considered their feline friends just as important as their actual friends.

So c’mon, are you part of this growing group of passionate cat owners? Part of this group who are throwing birthday parties for their cats, spending hours taking the perfect photo for their cat’s Instagram, and making special trips to cat cafes? And of course, spending on your cat?  According to the National Pet Owners Survey 66 percent of cat owners buy toys for their cats and 50 percent of those toy-buyers purchase an interactive toy, like a scratching post…but we know not just any old scratching post will do.  Let’s face it, that ‘thing’ could very well end up being in countless YouTube videos and social media posts, your image is on the line here.  Make sure people know just how cool of a cat owner you are.  Be in the know, not on the slow.

In case you’ve not yet heard, the SkratchKabin® is not just any scratching device…it’s so much more.  It has a scratching surface on the outside, (available in multiple colors…because options, we know you love options) an interactive sisal mouse that hangs from the opening, and perhaps even most appealing is the modern enclosed design that provides a cozy, private cat sanctuary for when they’ve had enough of your selfies.

The SkratchKabin is specially designed with a unique textured exterior to deter scratching on your roommate’s furniture and comes with a removable and washable KatKushion. With feline-shaped ends and three gorgeous colors including Blueberry, Oatmeal and Cocoa Bean, the SkratchKabin complements any décor or lack there of.

Final review: the SkratchKabin is the #1 choice of the coolest cat owners yet.