January 16, 2012 " North American Veterinary Conference, Orlando, Fla. " Ceva Animal Health today announced its support as a cosponsor of the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) Cat Friendly Practice Initiative. The program was launched today during a press conference at the North American Veterinary Conference.
In the United States, there are 86 million owned cats and 78 million owned dogs. 1 Almost twice as many cats than dogs never visit the veterinarian. Of the cats that do visit the veterinarian, they average 26% fewer visits than dogs. 2 This leaves many cats undiagnosed and untreated for illness, disease, pain and discomfort.
“This initiative gives every veterinary hospital a chance to become a cat friendly practice by providing the tools and guidance needed to deliver the optimal level of veterinary care for cats. Our support demonstrates Ceva Animal Health’s commitment to helping address significant feline issues in veterinary medicine,” said Elizabeth Hodgkins, DVM, Esq., Director, Veterinary Services of Ceva Animal Health.
The new program encourages veterinarian practices to better accommodate the distinct needs of cats by providing strategies to accomplish this. AAFP has developed guidelines and resources, including a toolkit, to build and maintain a practice that fosters a cat friendly environment.
“We are pleased to welcome Ceva Animal Health as one of the first cosponsors of the Cat Friendly Practice Program. Ceva is taking a leadership role in this important initiative to help veterinarians improve the health and well-being of cats,” said Elizabeth J. Colleran, DVM, Past President of the American Association of Feline Practitioners.
Ceva believes that veterinarians are the key to healthy pets and relationships. The company continues to support a number of educational efforts for veterinarians and cat owners. Last year, Ceva sponsored a cat owner brochure published by the AAFP for veterinarians to help cat owners select cat carriers that reduce the stress of transporting their cats to the veterinarian.
Ceva’s Feliway® brand synthetic feline facial pheromone replicates the pheromone used by cats to mark their territory as safe and secure. By mimicking the cat’s natural facial pheromones, Feliway creates a state of familiarity and security in the cat’s local environment.
About Ceva Animal Health: Ceva’s key companion animal products include the Vectra® line of parasiticides, AdaptilTM (formerly D.A.P.) and Feliway® pheromone behavior aids and Senilife® neuroprotection for aging pets. Ceva Biomune’s key poultry products include CEVAC® Transmune IBD, Vectormune® FP and Vectormune® HVT. Ceva Biomune Campus and the North America Zone headquarters are both located in Lenexa, Kansas. Visit www.ceva.us.
About Ceva Santé Animale: Ceva’s parent company is a global veterinary health company focused on the research, development, production and marketing of pharmaceutical products and vaccines for pets, livestock, swine and poultry. Its headquarters is in Libourne, France. Visit www.ceva.com.
About AAFP: The American Association of Feline Practitioners improves the health and welfare of cats by supporting high standards of practice, continuing education, and scientific investigation. For more information, go to www.catvets.com.
Sources Cited from AAFP:
1 2011 Bayer Healthcare, L.L.C., Brakke Consulting, Care Usage Study.
2 American Pet Products Association 2011-12 Pet Owners Survey.