“Crush” no more:
Specialists in humane animal handling equipment for over 50 years, MDC has always had a focus on cat welfare. Founding the “Must you Scruff?” campaign in 2017, the family-run business encouraged vets and nurses to question the need to routinely scruff cats and to think of alternatives. This year, they’ve been asking “Must you ’Crush’?”. The dictionary definition of “crush” is to press something very hard so that it is broken or its shape is destroyed whilst “cage” is anything that confines or imprisons.
MDC makes and sells this handy piece of kit but has never liked the term “Crush” cage nor its connotations. A competition was held to find a replacement name and hundreds of suggestions were put forward including Skitty Kitty Cage, Tiger Tamer, Karma Krate, Holding Hamper, Miaow Manager, CatchnCuddle, Restrain-O-Cat, and Feisty Feline Huggamatic 300!
A shortlist was put to the vote and the new name that will be used by MDC is “Restrainer Container”. Jackie Morgans RVN nominated the name, and along with four others won free attendance at this year’s ISFM World Feline Congress. Jackie said, “It’s great to have a new name for the ‘crush cage’ at last, let alone be associated with helping rename it. I’m really so pleased”.
MDC will be using “Restrainer Container” on all its promotional materials, website, and literature and will be suggesting that vets, nurses, vet schools, colleges, wholesalers, and distributors use the new name too.
Managing Director Kay Gibbins said, “We always promote being kind and respecting animals. We believe the names and terms we give to animal handling equipment and techniques should reflect the same message”.
MDC donates equipment and provides training in both the UK and abroad and sells to over 60 countries worldwide. Kay continued “It’s not just how we speak about animals and their care here in the UK, we also have to consider how products and their names (and uses) may be misinterpreted in non-English speaking countries. We feel Restrainer Container is clear and translates well. We will be using the name hereon in and hope others will do the same”.
