Blogger’s “Katy Purry” Creation Wins $1,000 Donation for Sayreville Pet Adoption Center

Congratulations to Stephanie Harwin of www.catsparella.com, who took first place in the National Hairball Awareness Day (NHAD) “FUR Creature” contest sponsored by FURminator®, the company that delivers the ultimate pet deShedding experience. The contest was held in conjunction with NHAD on April 27, 2012.

Catsparella’s winning submission, called “Katy Purry,” was created from excess fur as a result of a deShedding session with a FURminator tool. The creativity of the FURtastic figure set off fireworks for FURminator’s Facebook fans, making Catsparella the winner and the recipient of a $1,000 animal charity donation. Catsparella designated the Sayreville Pet Adoption Center (Sayreville, New Jersey) as its choice for the prize money.

Four other finalists were also awarded up to $250 in FURminator tools, to be donated to the animal charity of their choice. Recognized finalists include Mister Scrubby’s “Conan O’Brien” (with the donation going to AniMeals), Covered in Cat Hair’s “Angelina Jolie” (Kitten Associates, Inc.), About Vet Med’s “Ellen DeGeneres” (Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service) and Cory Cat Blog’s “HISS – Gene Simmons” (United Paws of Tillamook).

FURminator hosted the “FUR Creature” contest to spread the word about the dangers of cat hairballs. With the help of pet bloggers, consumers were able to see for themselves how, when used a few minutes twice a week, the FURminator helps to relieve pet owners of the mess of loose fur and hairball worries.

While some hairball treatments (lubricants, diets, etc.) address the problem after the hair has already entered the cat’s body, a FURminator deShedding Tool prevents the hair from getting into the cat’s body in the first place.

A gallery of the National Hairball Awareness Day Contest entries can be viewed on the FURminator Facebook page.

Winner to Receive $1,000 Animal Charity Donation

In conjunction with National Hairball Awareness Day, which is April 27, FURminator, the #1 premium brand in complete skin and coat care in the pet specialty category, is hosting a “FUR creature” contest to spread the word about the dangers of cat hairballs.

A group of over 30 pet bloggers has taken on the FURminator challenge to present celebrity-themed “FUR creatures.” With the help of these pet bloggers, consumers will see how the FURminator deShedding tool helps to relieve pet owners of the mess of loose fur and hairball worries when used a few minutes twice a week. “FUR creations” include the likes of Ellen DeGeneres, Conan O’Brien and Justin Bieber—all made from excess fur as a result of a deShedding session.

Pet blogger submissions will be posted on the FURminator Facebook page starting on April 2. Here, a voting tab will allow visitors to vote for their favorite celebrity “FUR creature” through April 20, with a winner announced on April 27, National Hairball Awareness Day. Once a winner has been selected, FURminator will make a $1,000 donation to the “FUR creature” winner’s animal charity of choice.

“Although hairballs may be a humorous subject to some people, they are no laughing matter for cat owners and their more than 90 million feline companions,” says Cathy Heimberger, FURminator’s Marketing Director. “FURminator deShedding tools aid in this issue by decreasing shedding up to 90% and reducing hairballs. By preventing hair from getting into a cat’s body in the first place, cat owners can also avoid the use of hairball treatments like lubricants and gels.”

With options for both small and large breeds, the FURminator line of deShedding tools for cats (MSRP $42.99-49.99) enables cat owners to easily find the right size product for their pet. In addition, each size tool offers both long and short hair varieties for optimal results.

To vote for your favorite “FUR Creature” and view all of the entries, visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FURminator.

Through professional photography, Pics of the Litter highlights some of the Animal Protective Association of Missouri's longest canine residents in true style. Photographer Lynn Terry and Brighton Agency have teamed up to give these dogs the snapshots they deserve in the hopes they'll find a loving home. FURminator® was on hand grooming and deShedding the dogs to beautify them before going in front of the camera.

Check out this video for a behind the scenes look at some lucky dogs getting the royal treatment for their photo shoot. Who wouldn’t want to adopt one of these guys?

For more information about Pics of the Litter, visit http://brightonagency.com/picsofthelitterstl/.

Drum roll please… the winner of the 2011 FURminator National Hairball Awareness Day Contest has been announced!  Congratulations to Paris Permenter and John Bigley of www.DogTipper.com.  “Hairy Potter,” Dog Tipper’s FURtastic figure, cast a spell on the judges with his whimsy, creativity and broom!

Dog Tipper has designated the Humane Society of Williamson County as the charity of choice for the $500 prize money.

Thanks to everyone for making National Hairball Awareness Day such a HUGE success! All contest entries can be found at www.facebook.com/FURminator.

"Hairy Potter" - http://www.dogtipper.com/bloggie/2011/04/meet-hairy-potter.html

You know your pet. We know pet hair. Because different dogs and cats require different grooming tools and techniques, it's important to establish a regular grooming routine specific to your pet's needs. Here are a few great tips for maintaining a professionally groomed look:

• It's important to start grooming dogs and cats at a young age because it gets them used to being brushed and sets the foundation for lifelong skin and coat health.
• While weekly deShedding is fine for short hair pets, medium to long hair pets may need to be deShedded a few minutes each day to prevent mats, tangles and dirt.
• If your pet does have mats and tangles, it's best to brush your pet to remove them before using the deShedding tool. Using the tool on matted or tangled fur can bend or break the teeth.
• When you groom, brush or deShed your pet, check for any changes in your pet’s skin and coat. Talk to your professional groomer or see your veterinarian if you notice anything unusual.
• While shaving may seem like a good fix for your dog's shedding, it can change the texture of the coat, interrupt the natural shedding cycle and impair your dog’s ability to regulate body temperature. FURminator® deShedding Tools provide a healthier solution to shedding management.
• The condition of your pet's coat is directly affected by his diet. Feeding your pet advanced nutritional food has many benefits for improved overall health, like a shinier coat, strong muscles, and healthy teeth and bones.
• Keep your deShedding sessions fun and positive. Remember, you can always take a break and continue the session later if necessary.

Did you know...?

• When dogs and cats shed their dead undercoat hair, it is so a new coat can come in.
• Everyone knows that spring and fall are heavy shedding seasons, but did you know that dogs take their cues from the sun? They shed more in these seasons because the changing amount of daylight causes their bodies to prepare for a new season's coat.
• This also means dogs that live indoors under artificial light can't rely on Mother Nature's clock, so they tend to shed year-round.
• Similarly, the 70% of the cat population that lives exclusively indoors tends to rely on grooming to activate shedding cycles. In the summer, cats groom less, causing more shedding than in winter months when they groom more often.
• A cat spends 30% of its life grooming.
• Ewww. Hairballs are caused when cats ingest hair during grooming. FURminator® deShedding Tools remove the loose hair from the cat's fur, which reduces the hairball problems and minimizes resulting constipation issues.
• Puppies and kittens do not shed at all, but the older a dog gets, the more it tends to shed.
• Long-haired dogs don't necessarily shed more than short-haired breeds.
• Contrary to conventional wisdom, poodles do shed. Their shedding cycle is much longer than most animals making them appear not to shed.
• Shaving an animal's coat does not reduce shedding. This process merely makes the hair that is shed much shorter. Shaving a pet also puts him at risk without protection from the sun or extreme temperatures.
• Diets rich in fatty acids, like omegas 3 and 6, promote a healthy, shiny coat, which can help your pet shed less overall.
• Shedding is a natural process. You can't eliminate shedding, but you can reduce it by up to 90% with FURminator deShedding products.