A story of cats in boxes has been the rage this year. Beyond its novelty, is the reality that the story appears in a medium not affiliated with an animal health publication. This is another example of the realities of the human-animal bond, the digital evolution, continual scrutiny of animals in the food chain and zoonotic risks place animal health topics into non-traditional media.
Source: The Conversation, April 17, 2017.
Twitter’s been on fire with people amazed by cats that seem compelled to park themselves in squares of tape marked out on the floor. These felines appear powerless to resist the call of the #CatSquare. Let this be a lesson to all cat people, cats need boxes or other vessels for environmental enrichment purposes says Nicholas Dodman. He writes about the recent internet sensation showing cats in tight spaces, containers and even a box outline taped on the floor.
Also see: Embrace digital communication, Veterinary Practice News, June 14, 2017. Wendy Myers urges veterinary teams to abandon post cards and embrace text and email reminders.
INSIGHTS: The cat box story is being considered for Top Story of 2017. Influencers with broad reach often shift a market without fully understanding the consequences; cage-free eggs, for example. It remains critical for animal health companies and their professionals to diligently promote animal health and care from expertise and science platforms. We need to invest time and resources to educate, maintain and grow our collective influence over animal health issues and animal owners.