Celebrity Judge Betty White Chooses Winning Cat Photograph for Contest

Morris Animal Foundation and Sergeant's® Pet Care Products Call Photo Contest a Boon for Felines

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Jan 19, 2011, 06:00 ET

DENVER, Jan. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Cats are notoriously hard to photograph, but the results can be well worth the effort. This was certainly the case for Morris Animal Foundation's first Happy Healthy Cat Photo Contest, sponsored by Sergeant's Pet Care Products and judged by longtime foundation trustee and actor Betty White.

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Hundreds of funny, outrageous and adorable cat photos were submitted. Only the best of the best made it to the final round and were sent to Betty White to be judged.

Brittany Carper of Seguin, Texas, took the grand prize for her picture of two kittens drowsing on a blanket. Her photo will be the cover photo of Morris Animal Foundation's publication, AnimalNews, and she will receive a gift card to Petco and an assortment of pet products from Sergeant's. Runners up were a photo from Jane Kirkland, of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, of a happy-go-lucky cat and dog enjoying an afternoon in a canoe, and a quintessential image of the bond between cat and man from Lauren Parry, of Riverton, New Jersey.

Visit www.Research4Cats.org/cat-photo-contest to view the winning photos.

"Morris Animal Foundation wanted to showcase what wonderful companions cats are," said White. "This contest was a great way to shine a spotlight on America's favorite pet. Even though it was hard to choose just one picture, I'm glad I could help celebrate happy, healthy cats with other cat lovers like me."

With more than 93 million cats living in U.S. households, cats are officially America's No. 1 furry friend. Unfortunately, many of these cats aren't getting their fair share of health care and health research. The photo contest was an effort to celebrate the second anniversary of Morris Animal Foundation's Happy Healthy Cat Campaign, which is an unprecedented effort to improve diagnostics, preventions and treatments for feline diseases and to help solve overpopulation and behavior issues in cats.

"Morris Animal Foundation has funded studies to advance feline health for 60 years, and Betty White, as a trustee and sponsor, has played a vital role in our efforts, so we were pleased to have her judge the contest," said Paul Raybould, executive vice president for Morris Animal Foundation. "Sergeant's stepped right up to sponsor our effort. It was great to work with them on this opportunity to celebrate cats."

About Morris Animal Foundation

About Sergeant's Pet Care Products

Sergeant's Pet Care Products, Inc., is based in Omaha, Nebraska, and is a leading supplier of pet supplies, including flea and tick remedies, health and well-being products, natural and formulated treats, rawhide chews, toys, accessories, dental items and aquatics. Sergeant's has been caring for pets since 1868 and is America's oldest full-line pet supplies company with one of the most trusted names in pet care. For more information, visit the Sergeant's website at www.sergeants.com.