ARM & Hammer Celebrates 3 Most “Purrfectly Impurrfect” Cats, Awards Corresponding Shelters $10,000 Each
Church & Dwight Co., Inc., the maker of ARM & HAMMER Cat Litter, announced the three winning cats from its “Purrfectly Impurrfect” campaign, including JR from Dutchess County SPCA in Hyde Park, NY, Frank from Focus on Ferals in Kent County, MI and Grace from Colonial Capital Humane Society in New Bern, NC. Each of these shelters will receive a $10,000 donation from ARM & HAMMER Cat Litter, plus professional counseling services provided by Pam Johnson-Bennett, Certified Cat Behavior Consultant to help transition the cats into their new homes upon their adoption.
The Purrfectly Impurrfect campaign was held here between Oct. 29 – Nov. 30, 2020. It invited shelters and cat lovers to nominate any shelter cat(s) who are being overlooked because of their age, appearance or misunderstood personalities with the goal of helping these cats find loving homes. In the four short weeks the campaign was live, the Feline Generous site received nearly 2,000 nominations.
“When ARM & HAMMER asked me to join the panel of cat experts I knew it was going to be a tough decision to select only three “purrfectly impurrfect” cats since every single feline that was nominated would make a wonderful, loving pet,” said Pam Johnson-Bennett, Certified Cat Behavior Consultant. “We’re delighted to celebrate JR, Frank and Grace and share their touching stories to help them get adopted. I look forward to working with the three lucky families that will get to call these cats their own and help make sure they have a smooth transition into their new homes.”
Purrfectly Impurrfect Winners’ Stories
Cat: JR
Shelter: Dutchess County SPCA
Location: Hyde Park, NY
“When the call came for a cat lying lifelessly on a porch, we expected the worst. We found a very strange looking cat with pus-filled eyes and mangled, painful ears. Infested with fleas, covered with dirt, skinny & starving, it was clear he’d been on his own a very long time, struggling to survive. He was so weak that he could barely get up. Over several weeks, he began to improve. He endured a complex surgery to repair his eyes. His ears, however, were damaged beyond repair. The tissue was thickened so no air gets into the ear canals and as a result they are chronically infected and extremely painful. He has lost his hearing and is in constant pain. JR needs a rare surgery called a bi-lateral inner ear ablation. This surgery will remove both of his ears and although he may look a little peculiar, he will be pain-free.”
Cat: Frank
Shelter: Focus on Ferals
Location: Kent County, MI
“Do you ever look at a special cat and your heart explodes with love? And then you think about everything that kitty has been through and you burst into tears? That’s how I feel with Frank, and I think you would too if you met him. He came in as a stray with an ear infection that required antibiotics right away and a cheek injury where a bone fragment was eventually removed. He’s FIVE and he’s clearly been through a lot but without his physical scars, you’d never guess he had a hard past. He’s just so easy to love. He has quirky facial expressions and cries out for attention. Other cats, like his best friend Pickle and volunteers, like me, are drawn to him. But Frank’s charm hasn’t been enough to win over a family of his own. He’s still waiting…”
Cat: Grace
Shelter: Colonial Capital Humane Society
Location: New Bern, NC
“Grace has been in our shelter for 2,801 days. She came to us as a kitten and now she is a little over 8 years old. Grace is a volunteer favorite. if she graces you with her head butts and purring then you should feel very honored. Grace is very picky about which humans she chooses to let into her world but she is the Mama cat of the shelter. She will take the most timid, scared cats under her wing and make them feel comfortable. She shows them the ropes and mothers them until they feel safe and secure. Grace recently had to have surgery for a tumor, and she came through the surgery like the strong female feline she is. Because of Grace’s standoffish nature with most humans, she tends to get overlooked at the shelter.”
“ARM & HAMMER is overwhelmed with the outpouring of heartfelt stories we received about ‘purrfectly impurrfect’ cats in need of good homes,” said Rebecca Blank, Group Brand Manager, ARM & HAMMER Pet Care. “We are thankful for all the shelters and cat lovers who participated and helped raise awareness for those cats who are often overlooked but make wonderful pets. As a result of the incredible response, ARM & HAMMER™ is excited to announce we’ll be donating an additional $50,000 to shelters and shelter cats in need each year with the establishment of our Feline Generous ‘Kitty.’ We can’t wait to meet and support more and more loving cats in need through this effort.”
Feline Generous is an online platform that easily connects people to a network of local cat shelters across the country to help increase adoption and generate product and monetary donations, with a specific focus on cats who tend to be overlooked due to age, illness, appearance or misunderstood personalities. Feline Generous is meant to inspire cat lovers to celebrate the joy that comes from adopting a cat by giving back to local shelters that make cat adoption possible in return. If you’re a cat welfare organization interested in joining the network simply email your contact info and the shelter’s logo to: FelineGenerous@churchdwight.com.
To view all the “Purrfectly Impurrfect” nominations, read more about the campaign’s panel of cat experts and to learn how shelters can join the Feline Generous network today and get updates on campaigns in 2021, click here.