Winn Feline Foundation News

Winnie's Corner

Winnie
Meow...
Oh my! I was lazing in the sunshine when I had a flashback to my life before I was adopted and provided a loving home by my human. What a horrible memory!

Several of my brother and sister kittens were in the same cage, climbing over each other and mewing loudly to get the attention of the many humans looking but not choosing. Yes, we were fed, and luckily we were reasonably clean but the unending activity and stress of the small cage was overwhelming.

Choose me, choose me, we would all cry and clamber over each other as a potential owner would pass by.

Then there she was. The most beautiful human I could imagine. She picked me up, gave me a hug and said "this one is for me". 

I might have to give her some extra love today!

Memo to cat owners:
June is National Cat Adoption month - time to make some extra room in your heart and house and help reduce the number of homeless kitties. Most cat adoption centers and shelters do an excellent job caring for their charges. But their care and attention can never substitute for a loving home.

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Quote of the Month

Cats must have three names -- an everyday name, such as Peter; a more particular, dignified name, such as Quaxo, Bombalurina, or Jellylorum; and, thirdly, the name the cat thinks up for himself, his deep and inscrutable singular Name.

-T.S. Eliott 
British Author and Poet 
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Every Cat, Every Day Benefits from Winn-Funded Research ~ June, 2016
And the Recipient Is...

Annette Louviere (DVM 2016, University of Georgia) is the recipient of the 2016 Winn/AAFP (American Assn. of Feline Practitioners) joint scholarship. Selection is based on academic achievement, leadership, and dedication to and excellence in the study of feline medicine, health and welfare. 

A committee of four consisting of two members from Winn and two from the AAFP selected Annette from a group of 49 superb applicants from around North America. 2016 is the first year Winn and AAFP joined in this collaborative effort to support a veterinary student.

To know more about Annette, she states her best study aid has always been her own pet cat, Mak, a 7-year-old male neutered Siberian. Mak has never had a straightforward problem, and even today he continues to battle various ophthalmologic issues that started at a very young age.

With a lifelong passion to better understand cats, Annette has a strong drive to pursue feline focused medicine. Multiple student leadership positions and activities have enabled her to share this passion with fellow veterinary students and local communities. Her postgraduate mission is to highlight the uniqueness of feline medicine and significance of understanding feline behavior for owners and veterinarians alike. It is with this commitment to enrich the lives of feline patients, as well as their owners, that Annette is pursuing veterinary medicine.

Winn is excited to join with the AAFP, an outstanding feline-dedicated organization, providing this $2500 scholarship to now Dr. Annette Louviere.
 

Down To The Wire In Vegas 

Dr. Mark Cousins and son at an earlier Winn Symposium in NOLA
Just a Final reminder to stay in Vegas and attend the 38th Annual Winn Symposium.
Don't miss it!

The program will be held on
June 30th from 4-6:30 p.m. during the CFA annual meeting, Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa in Las Vegas.
 
Scheduled speakers for the Symposium are

Dr. Leslie Lyons - "Genetics and Precision Medicine: State of the Art Health Care for Cats!"

Dr. Nicholas Dodman - "Feline Compulsive Disorders"

The presentations are approved by AAVSB RACE for 2 CE credits for veterinarians and veterinary technicians/technologists.
What About FIP?

In 2015, Winn recognized the 10th Anniversary of the Bria Fund for FIP Research. With the dedicated fundraising support of the Bria Fund and other donors, Winn has funded over $350,000 toward finding answers for this lethal disease, feline infectious peritonitis (FIP).

Are we any closer to answers? In recent years, Winn has funded four studies evaluating the use of protease inhibitors as a potential treatment for FIP. The results of these earlier studies has led to a clinical trial at the University of California-Davis treating cats with FIP with a protease inhibitor drug. A news report about the clinical trial can be found here and an interview with Dr. Niels Pedersen, who oversees the clinical trial, has just published in Catster.

If you want to follow what is happening in the world of FIP and FIP research, you can Like and follow SupportFIPResearch on Facebook. Like and follow LeoFIPWarrior also on Facebook about his journey through treatment in this clinical trial.

Remember ~ the Bria Fund continues to raise money to find more answers about FIP and develop additional treatments for this deadly disease.

 

Dr. Katie Tolbert
Winn funded research at 2016 ACVIM Conference

Dr. Katie Tolbert presented the current results from her Winn-funded research (W15-011, MT15-005) at the 2016 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Conference (ACVIM) June 10 in Denver.

The title of the abstract presentation was "Evaluation of the presence and role of Cysteine Protease 30 in feline T. foetus". Tritrichomonas foetus is a protozoan parasite that causes a chronic diarrhea in cats that is difficult to treat effectively and safely. Her projects demonstrate that CP30 is expressed by T. foetus isolates and may be important in the pathogenicity of T. foetus. Therefore, CP30 is an important research target for the prevention and/or treatment of feline trichomonosis.

Dr. Jody Gookin

A new podcast: more research information on T. foetus infection in cats

Dr. Jody Gookin sat down with Winn for a podcast about her 2016 Winn-funded research project which is available for sponsorship on the Winn website:
  • W16-053: Efficacy of a new treatment for cats with ronidazole-resistant Tritrichomonas foetus infection
Dr. Gookin covers what type of infection Tritrichomonas foetus is in cats, how it was discovered, the current status of diagnosis and treatment of this infection, and the role this new project can play in the future treatment of this disease.

Winn is proud to offer information about cat health and current research.


Important Planned Giving Tip for June

The IRS reports a surge of phone scams in recent years by people claiming to be the IRS.  These scammers often threaten taxpayers with arrest, seizure of assets, deportation, and more.  The IRS states that they will never:

    *Call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.
    *Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
    *Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
    *Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
    *Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

For any questions, please contact info@winnfelinefoundation.org



At Home Diabetic Monitoring

There are several ways in which pet owners can be proactive in managing their pet's health. At home monitoring of cats with diabetes mellitus can be helpful in optimizing the management of this chronic disease. Learn about some low and high tech options available for monitoring diabetic pets:

Learn More
Dr. Matthew Kornya, 
Winn blogger and volunteer

Dr. Matthew Kornya, who works with Dr. Elizabeth O'Brien at The Cat Clinic of Hamilton, ON, Canada is one of five veterinarians who volunteer to summarize research publications regarding cat health for Winn's twice weekly Cat Health News Blog.

Winn appreciates the volunteer efforts of Dr. Kornya, a rising star in the world of feline medicine.
Read a recent blog of Dr. Kornya's about the efficacy of enteral diets.
Honored Donors for May 2016




Atlantic Himalayan ClubDr. Marcus BrownMelanie Bernstein
BIOMEDBravos Valley
Cat Club
Dr. Steve Callahan
Benjamin ElbirtRenee FerreroDr. Josephine Fike
Lena GubarevLeigh Anne JimenezJohn Kennedy
Dr. Charlotte LacroixMeg LambertHeather
Mohan-Gibbons
Dr. Glenn OlahDr. Arnold PlotnickGary/Darcy Seagraves
Lorraine SheltonDr. Wendy SimpsonDr. Larissa Taylor
Robert/Dr. Vicki ThayerDr. Kelly St. DenisSusan Gingrich
Tennessee Valley
Cat Fancier's
Adam TrostermanDr. Dean Vicksman
Vranos Family FoundationDr. Daniel WatsonRachel Zimmer
Claus/Susanne Wehnert


Thank You!

On the Calendar 


ASPCA's Adopt a Shelter Cat Month

What an excellent reminder and time to find that special cat to join your family! Visit one of your local shelters today.
Thank you for your continued support.

Winn Feline Foundation Board of Directors

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Phone: 201.275.0624, ext 701

637 Wyckoff Ave., Suite 336
Wyckoff, NJ 07481