$100 Royal Canin SPAYED/NEUTERED™ Food Giveaway!!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Cat overpopulation is a problem and we know that spaying or neutering our cats is an important step in preventing it. According to Royal Canin, 88% of pet cats are spayed or neutered and this physical alteration, albeit beneficial, effects kitty's body in many ways:

30% decrease in energy needs + 20% increase in appetite = 3.4 times more likely to be overweight.

Steve Dale, certified behaviorist, author and host of "Steve Dale's Pet World" radio show chimes in with, "Feline obesity is an epidemic and can lead to other health issues such as diabetes, arthritis and non-allergic skin condition."

In August, when I introduced you to Royal Canin's SPAYED/NEUTERED™ food, I was getting ready to let my cats test it. I was intrigued by the science behind it; all their formulas contain controlled fat levels to maintain weight and added antioxidants promote health through every life stage. The line includes dry formula for cats and kittens as well as canned that can be used as a meal or as a complement to the dry kibble.

I have to say my cats were immediate fans. Even Phoebe, who is known for her picky-pants, gobbled it up right away. She has a small mouth and sometimes large pieces are hard for her so she refuses to eat them. This seemed to be the perfect size and shape. My cats have been eating it for over a month and are still as enthusiastic as ever over it.

Do you think your cats would like to try it? Royal Canin has offered a very generous giveaway to Catladyland readers: $100 of free SPAYED/NEUTERED™ formula dry food (four 6 lb bags of food -- winner chooses the formula)!

Giveaway Details:

• You must comment WITH YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS and indicate interest in qualifying for the giveaway.
• The giveaway opens at 6am Central today(10/2/12) and closes at 11:59pm Central on Sunday, 10/7/2012.
• The giveaway is open to readers in the 48 states.
• Once contacted, you will have 48 hours to respond or another name will be drawn.
• Winners will be chosen via randomizer.org.

Want to Try a Sample of Royal Canin's New SPAYED/NEUTERED™ Cat Food?

Every responsible pet parent knows the importance of spaying and neutering their furry kids; there's no question about it, right? We want to put a halt to pet overpopulation and encourage adoption of shelter animals. Along with the obvious benefits, the procedure can lead to hormonal and behavioral changes that can cause cats to become overweight, due to decreased energy needs and an increase in appetite. 

Our friends at Royal Canin, a leader in science-based nutrition for pets, is introducing its new SPAYED/NEUTERED™ line of feline formulas that includes balanced nutrition and appetite control to help manage these changes -- providing a new way to feed cats in the U.S.

"Many owners may notice that their cat seems lazy, has an insatiable appetite or begs for food. What they don't understand is that the decreased energy and increased appetite are a major side effect of spaying and neutering," says Steve Dale, certified dog and cat behavior consultant and host of Steve Dales Pet World radio show. "This new food from Royal Canin is the simple solution to help spayed and neutered cats maintain weight and therefore better health throughout their lives."

“Since the vast majority of America’s pet cats - 88 percent, in fact – are spayed or neutered, there is a great need for a diet that addresses the decreased energy and increased appetite that result from the procedure,” says Dr. Brent Mayabb, veterinarian and manager of education and development at Royal Canin. “We are proud to introduce the most comprehensive health nutrition solution that can help control appetite and support a cat’s decreased energy needs, which is now available at your local pet specialty store.”

All of the new SPAYED/NEUTERED™ formulas contain controlled fat levels to maintain weight and added antioxidants promote health through every life stage. The line features four dry formulas for cats and kittens, as well as a canned formula that can be used as a meal or as a complement to the dry kibble.

Need further convincing? Listen to Steve Dale himself. The guy knows what he's talking about.

I know there are a variety of foods and feeding philosophies out there and I am not posting this as an invitation to debate any of it. I just find the science behind all of it fascinating and am excited to try this food on my cats, two of which have struggled with weight gain on and off since their spay and neuter. 

Guess what?? YOU can try the new SPAYED/NEUTERED™ food! In conjunction with the new formula, Royal Canin is launching a national campaign called You Share, We Give, which benefits the American Humane Association. The program encourages pet parents to “share” information about spaying and neutering in exchange for free SPAYED/NEUTERED™ food samples. Here's how it works:

• Click here for the Facebook page explaining the program.
• Share the Royal Canin infographic.
• Receive a downloadable coupon for a free sample of the SPAYED/NEUTERED canned formula.

Additionally, Royal Canin is donating $25,000 to the American Humane Association in support of feline health research! How cool is that?

So why not obtain your sample and see what your cat thinks? They are never short on opinions!

Catlady Heaven!

Last week I attended the BlogPaws conference in Salt Lake City. For those of you unfamiliar with the event, BlogPaws is a place where pet bloggers gather to learn, network, meet up with old and new friends, and have FUN! This year was no exception. Unfortunately, Catladyland didn't win the Nose-to-Nose Social Media Award for Best Humor Blog, but we were grateful to be a finalist and thrilled for Yasmine at Cat vs Human for her well-deserved win! 

One of the best parts of BlogPaws is hanging with my catlady friends. It's like catnip for the soul to bond with JaneA from Paws and Effect, Tamar from I Have Cat, Robin from Covered in Cat Hair, Deb from The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey, Kate from Moderncat, Amy from Sebastian the Sensitive Soul, Joanne from Tiniest Tiger, Ingrid from The Conscious Cat, Joseph and Robbin from TPPC.TV, Stephanie from Catsparella, Teri from Curlz and Swirlz, Rachel from We Have a Situation (and her cool mom), Caroline from Romeo the Cat, Janiss from Sparkle the Designer Cat, and Dorian from Your Daily Cute. I also met some great new friends like Peter from Vox Felina, Debbie from Glogirly, Amy from Love Meow, and Jaime from Thoughts Fur Paws. I only wish Caren from Cat Chat could have joined us; it was not the same without her smile.

Now I know you don't need proof that catladies (and cat gents) can rock it out, but here it is anyway!

Amy, Stephanie, Robin, me, and Tamar on awards night -- lookin' hot!!

JaneA, me, and Robin

Janiss, Debbie, and Tamar

Peter and Kate...how adorable are they??

Ingrid, Robin, me, and Sam...SMOOCH! I love me some Robin!

And there was kitty schwag! We always come back from BlogPaws with tons of goodies for the cats. This year, the favorites were both procured from the Moderncat/Jackson Galaxy Catification Lounge:

Phoebe inspects the new scratcher we won from the lounge.

I cannot tell you what a hit the Lickety Stick cat treat was!

And all these shenanigans wouldn't have been possible for me without the generous sponsorship of Royal Canin. This year, they are laser-focused on CATS! We received samples of their brand new spay/neuter cat food. I learned how nutritional needs change once a cat's hormones are altered post-spay/neuter. I am looking forward to offering this food to my cats and sharing the results with you. At the Royal Canin table was a super-cool Kitty Cam that streamed a live view from the Clowder House Foundation in St. Louis. During the conference, every time someone Tweeted with the hashtag #RoyalCaninGives, they donated a bowl of food to the adoptable, on-screen cats at Clowder House! Thanks so much to Beth, Lindsey, and whole wonderful team from Royal Canin -- I enjoyed getting to know you and am grateful for the delicious dinner Friday night!

Another shout-out to Dan and the team from Purina who treated some of us to a super-fun happy hour. It's always fun to hang out that them!

I'm already looking forward to next year! Thanks, Yvonne, Tom, Chloe, Caroline, and the entire BlogPaws Team -- you did it again!