Charities

Have You Got Cattitude? International Cat Care launches photo competition for vet clinics and their clients

vetreportFebruary 9, 2015

Leading feline charity, International Cat Care has launched a social media campaign aimed at raising awareness of its global Cat Friendly Clinic initiative, which is supported in the UK by Purina. Vet practice staff are invited to jump on board the ‘selfie’ craze and take photos of themselves or their colleagues in their clinic with a favourite feline friend. They can then upload the photo to the ISFM Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ISFMcats) where their clients and cat lovers from around the world can vote for their favourite.

The winning photo (with the most Likes) will be used by the charity to help raise awareness of the Cat Friendly Clinic programme, which aims to promote the wellbeing of cats visiting or being hospitalised in a veterinary practice. Accredited Cat Friendly Clinics fulfil a set of broad criteria that show they recognise the specific needs of cats and their owners, and place cat welfare high in their practice priorities. Cat owners in turn are able to seek out clinics that have taken steps to help them overcome common barriers to clinic visits and reduce the stress of their pet.

The Cattitude competition runs from now until the 24th April. The winning staff member will receive £200 worth of John Lewis vouchers and the practice £400 worth of Thames Medical vouchers to be spent on feline-friendly equipment.

Practices may upload as many photos as they like to the Facebook page, and will be able to encourage client engagement leading to ‘Likes’ for their photos through campaign support materials, which include downloadable in-clinic display posters, a series of supplied posts for their own Facebook page, written copy for their own clinic newsletter or email along with a proforma press release they can send to their local newspapers and publications.

Clinics can find more information on taking part in the Cattitude competition at www.facebook.com/ISFMcats or www.icatcare.org/cattitude. Details of the ICC Cat Friendly Clinic initiative and accreditation can be found at www.catfriendlyclinic.org along with a list of already-accredited vet clinics.