Winn Feline Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the health and well-being of cats, announces the inaugural Cures4Cats Day on October 21, 2017
This annual day of awareness is dedicated to highlighting Winn-funded research, the critical need for evidence-based medicine, early-stage biomedical research, and health answers involving cats.
Cures4Cats kicks off a year-long 50th anniversary celebration for Winn Feline Foundation. Since 1968, Winn-funded research studies have had broad impact on all cats, including:
- Recognition of feline blood types, allowing practitioners to avoid potentially fatal blood transfusions
- Discovery that dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), an often fatal disease in cats, is related to taurine-deficient diets, leading manufacturers to increase the amount of taurine in feline diets and saving thousands of cats each year
- Guidelines for the safe administration of oral medications in cats, encouraging cat owners to give their cat a small drink of water or treat immediately after a pill or capsule to induce swallowing and ensure the medication reaches the stomach without lingering in the esophagus, potentially leading to damage.
These and many other important impacts on feline health can be found on the Winn website.
“Every cat, every day benefits from Winn-funded research,” said Dr. Vicki L. Thayer, DVM, DABVP (feline), Winn executive director. “We are grateful to our dedicated donors, board members, and researchers who are committed to Winn’s mission and aim to provide all cats with a healthy future.”
For nearly 50 years, Winn Feline Foundation has funded more than $6 million in health research for cats at more than 30 partner institutions worldwide. Winn’s growth parallels that of feline medicine. Cats are no longer viewed as small dogs; they are now a major veterinary specialty. Today, cat owners expect and receive state-of-the-art medical care. They assume their cats will benefit from similar technological advances made in human medicine — and with increasing frequency, they do.
To help celebrate Cures4Cats Day, Winn’s highly anticipated 50th Anniversary book will be available for the first time. This beautiful book highlights the important feline health research made possible through Winn-funded research. The anniversary book is ideal for veterinary practice waiting rooms to help share Winn’s story with the pet-loving public.
To learn more about the exciting work of Winn Feline Foundation, sign up for the Winn Wins Wednesday e-bytes, a weekly email featuring information about Winn-funded research, the critical need for evidenced-based medicine, and early-stage biomedical research. To make a donation and support the work of Winn Feline Foundation, visit www.winnfelinefoundation.org.
