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A Purrfect #BetterWithPets Summit In Brooklyn

November 10, 2015 / 28 Comments
If you love cats, sharing makes us purrrr :-)

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I had the pleasure of attending the annual Purina #BetterWithPets summit at the Brooklyn Expo Center in New York City. This year the invitation-only, one-day event explored emotional wellness and the evolution of the bond between pets and the people who love them through three panel discussions and experiential exhibits.

Last year was my first year attending the insightful event Click to read our post. Yes, I was the only person wearing cat ears and felt a little foolish so I decided not to this year. At registration, a pr person who remembered me from last year says, “Where are your cat ears?” Ah, the power of personal branding. I learned my lesson and whole lot more with a diverse group of passionate pet people of every stripe. The media and digital influencers like bloggers mixed and mingled, listened and learned from the panelists and an impressive team of experts from Purina.

Did you know Purina has a global team of over 400 scientists including behaviorists, nutritionists and veterinarians? I really like that their research is ethical and non-invasive for pets.

The fun and learning actually began the day before. Isn’t learning more fun when it’s fun? I believe in the power of face-to-face connections and the creative synergy of ideas sparked by simple conversation and impromptu meetings. For me, being impossibly curious and gregarious, it happens just about anywhere from elevators to the ladies room. I made amazing connections again this year. Even a brief encounter can spark an innovative idea or for bloggers, fodder for content months down the road. Lesson: Be curious. Ask questions. Be open. I overcame my shyness long ago when my passion for pets trumped any insecurities.

Pets make us happier and healthier, physically and emotionally but it’s a two-way street. Pets give us so much, the onus is on us to return the favor by providing for their wellness. Not just simple feeding and vet visits but really taking into consideration how we impact their lives and environment.

As Nina Leigh Krueger, Chief Marketing Officer for Nestlé Purina PetCare said in her opening speech at the summit, “Caring for pets doesn’t just make us better pet partners, it makes us better people.” I couldn’t agree more. Pet parenting is about responsibility and commitment. It easy to be enamored over a kitten. It’s not so easy over the long haul. Commitment is what I’ve advocated for years and now have to walk my talk with a 21-year-old cat in palliative care. It’s no different than caring for any family member except Merlin has four legs.

Purina revealed results at the summit from a recent survey that showed that nearly half of the 1,000 millennials surveyed own a cat and that 88 percent of cat owners consider themselves similar to their pets. They are taking pet care seriously and will influence what pet ownership means in the future. And the future is meow.

Attendees were flown in from all over the U.S. and we stayed at the pet-friendly W Hotel in Manhattan. The cat blogging world is a small one and it’s always a thrill when we see each other in person. The lobby and bar soon filled with lively chatter and shrieks of joy from old and new friends. We shared news, promoted ideas and gabbed about life. As different as we all are, we share a deep bond and common language with a three-letter word: p e t or around here, c a t.

Bright but way too early for this night owl, (breakfast next to Dr. Marty Becker helped perk me up. He moderated one of the panels) we were shuttled from our hotel to Brooklyn. I hadn’t been there in ages and didn’t notice the scenery as my seatmate, a Purina exec and I happily chatted non-stop. Registration was a breeze and huge thanks go to the indefatigable marketing team and Nespresso (I’m long-time customer of the brand which happens to be owned by Purina’s parent company) for my 5-star caffeine fix.

better with pets summit
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Water, caffeine, laptop. It’s hard to feel grumpy with Grumpy Cat stickers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Suitably caffeinated, it was time to find a seat in the cavernous space with wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling windows laid out with audience seating, bar-height and regular dining tables.

The Better with Pets Summit opened host, the funny Emmy-nominated comedian and writer, Josh Gondelman who sweetly dished about life with pets and specifically his dog, a senior rescue pug.

P.S. November is Adopt A Senior Pet Month

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Photographer David Williams insisted I pose in the moderator’s seat before the panel began. It marked the beginning a fun but informative day.

The day unfolded with scenes likes this which looked normal until you took a closer look. Wait, isn’t that Kady and Eli (in purple) shirt from Cats of Instagram? If you have any doubt about cats being popular, Kady has 4.6 million followers on Instagram. And hmmm, a white Sleepypod carrier nearby means…

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Celebrity cat Pudge who belongs to Kady is in the house! Pudge sat as non-plussed as the rest of the audience towards her and I smiled at the new normal.

Pudge the cat #betterwithpets
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So, life is better with pets? Obviously, says Pudge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting back to curiosity. Yeah, I think like cat. I like to observe in stealth mode like cats do with one eye open. I kept moving all day between chairs and locations to gain a different perspective and notice what everyone is doing or not doing. There was a massive amount of video filming and photography capturing it all and projected on multiple screens so I didn’t feel the need to sit still.

I hung out a lot in the media room where I chatted, interviewed panelists, ate lunch and watched writer and Housewives Of New York reality TV star Carole Radziwill get ready for her keynote. I probably should asked for a selfie with her but didn’t. I was happy to get my mini-red carpet moment by the step and repeat wall. The camera may add 10 pounds, but I felt positively whale-like next to the svelte Ms. Radziwill. But it was time to think like a cat. Even the fattest cat always know how to pose with elegance, right?

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The event, while well-paced was jam-packed with information. Too much to cover it all today. I’ll be posting next week about the one HUGE insight I learned and can’t stop thinking about. As someone who works professionally with cats and shelter cats, I keep up to date with the latest research and most of the enrichment info was not news to me and I’ve written about it over the years i.e. how to recognize stress in cats and targeting unlikely sources of stress like synthetic perfumes or how to lower stress in the shelter setting i.e. shelter cats feels less stressed in cages placed higher at human eye level. That was so true when I was working with hoarder cats at the shelter. It’s scary having a hulking human hovering above a cage.

Some new data shared will please or surprise some cat lovers. i.e. cats prefer it play more if they initiate play with humans. Stereotypes about cat lovers being introverted are changing. Millenials will soon bypass baby boomers as the largest demographic of cat owners, but older cat lovers feel more confident about whether they know their cats love them. Cats like to work for their as much as dogs and food puzzles help. Whether new or not, hearing the panelists share their experiences in a conversational mode made it fresh and engaging for everyone.

There’s never been a more exciting time in history to be a pet parent.

Mikel delgato, sandra lyn, christina ha
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Moderator Hal Herzog with Sanda Lyn, Christina Ha and Mikel Delgato

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’d already connected online with one panelist and delighted to meet Mikel Delgato, a cat behaviorist in person. I’d quoted her on a piece about her research about black cats and adoption bias. Look for an interview with her in another post. All the panelists were approachable and in good spirits; the energy in the room palatable and made me think…

Pets can be as healing for us as we are for them.

The biggest heart-centered moment (with a few tears) came during the third panel “Raising Pets and Kids” moderated with charm and grace by veterinarian Zara Boland. It featured Jayne Vitale (North Shore Animal League), Stasha Becker a photographer of mostly kids with pets, behaviorist Dr. Ilana Reisner and Charley Bednarsh, director of Children’s Services, Brooklyn Family Justice Center. Their stories about the impact of pets on children hit the message home, passionately. When we treat our pets well, beginning at an early age, the rewards are incalculable as adults and for society. I’ve often said compassion is always in fashion but never more necessary than ever now.

After lunch, we headed to a large interactive area but I confess to zipping through on my way to where all the cat lovers were hanging out. I could have happily stayed in the cat room all day for obvious reasons. The room was a great example of how to create a sensory-enriched environment designed to make cats thrive.

Seeing blogger friends having fun like Deb Barnes ( Zee and Zooey) and Caren Gittleman ( CatChat With Cody) was a highlight. Everyone was smiling and felt right at home. That’s the power of pets. One of the panelists, Purina behaviorist, Sandra Lyn answered questions and the well-socialized cats including trained actor cats from Cybercat Exotics.

deb and caren cat bloggers Save

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sandra Lyn Save

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By 4 pm the summit with a cocktail reception and I got to connect with friends and colleagues, I’d missed earlier like Chris Poole, the mastermind behind Cole and Marmalade who is curating the cat video reel for my Cat Film Fest at Sea. We were both thrilled to meet Rob Moore famous for the videos of his cats Shorty and Kodi. He has over 2 million followers on Facebook. Thanks, Rob for the pic.

Rob Moore (Shorty and Kodi
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Left: Chris Poole ( Cole & Marmalade) and Rob Moore (Shorty & Kodi)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then it was time to get shuttled back to the hotel. My seatmate good luck continued. This time, I sat with and chatted happily with Dr. Francois Martin, the section leader of the Purina behavior group which designs the cat and dog wellness, enrichment and socialization program. The icing on the cake; he’s from my hometown of Montreal. We were both tired after a very long day but he was incredibly kind and generous. That’s what I love about the Purina culture. From scientists to marketing execs, they’re nice. You can’t fake authentic passion. Phony fades. Authentic energizes and innovates. That one just one of many insights garnered from the summit. And simply, people are #BetterWithPets.

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Purina is biggest pet food brand in the world but feels like a small company who cares about community. And they do, by giving back 30 million dollars a year to pet welfare and pet communities. The Purina for a Better With Pets summit was purrfect.

How do your cats make life better for you? Tell us in your comments.

This post is sponsored by Purina® but Cat Wisdom 101 only shares content we feel is of value and relevance to our readers.

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