Let’s make Max an Animal Kingdom winner — and help fight a terrible feline disease
Everyone who works at Trib Total Media knows two facts about our President and CEO Jennifer Bertetto: she brings the snacks for every group meeting, and she is the devoted caretaker of six (yes, six) cats.
One of those cats, Max, has done something amazing. Last year, he beat the disease called FIP (feline infectious peritonitis). Now healthy at age 7, he spreads FIP awareness through his Facebook page, Max’s Militia.
To help support FIP research, Max has entered a national contest: Animal Kingdom, a branch of America’s Favorite Pet. It’s open to all animals, of all shapes, sizes, and species. The winner is determined by popular vote, conducted online. The grand prize is $10,000, plus a two-page article in InTouch Magazine. If Max prevails, his human companions will donate the entire cash prize to FIP research.
Here’s where Trib readers come in:
If you’d like to help the brave and loyal Max, a proud resident of Lower Burrell, get his day in the national spotlight – and raise money to fight a terrible disease – please join our effort to get the vote out! The contest began last month and we’ve gotten Max into the quarterfinals. But now the competition is getting even tougher.
Click here for Max’s page on America’s Favorite Pet. The voting for this round begins Monday, Oct. 3, at 1 p.m. You can vote every 24 hours through Thursday, Oct. 13 at 10 p.m.
A few words about Maximillion: He showed up at the Bertettos’ home as a feral kitten, covered in fleas and very sick. They nursed him back to health and brought him into the clan of felines. Max is fond of the band KISS – his favorite place to hang out is among the four KISS teddy bears on top of the entertainment center.
Max fought bravely through 91 days of experimental treatment and another nail-biting 84 days of observation before he was declared cured from FIP. Prior to 2019, FIP was a death sentence to any kitty who received the diagnosis. Hope is on the horizon with promising treatments. But further research is necessary to provide additional anti-viral treatments that are also accessible to every family.
We hope that by highlighting Max’s journey through this contest, we can raise awareness about FIP. If we are fortunate enough to win, we can support ongoing research with the help of our friends at ZenbyCat.org and spread awareness about FIP nationwide.
Max is a very special and brave kitty. He has the sweetest personality and never met a stranger.
Support for Max, by the way, is completely nonpartisan. “Happy to see that cat get so far,” said Bluey, the Trib’s in-house puppy and Barketing Manager. “Let’s hope you two-legged folks get the clicks out!”
Thank you for joining our companywide effort to catapult Max to the top of Animal Kingdom – and help raise money to help more kitties battle Feline Infectious Peritonitis.
This has been a paid article submitted by our content partner.
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