(BPT) - Close your eyes and imagine a world where pets are as healthy and happy as possible. Now open them and look at your own pet who gives you so much love and companionship. Big dreams for pets inspire big innovations, and that's exactly what one company does every day.

"Most people think of Purina as a pet food company. I think of Purina as a pet science company," said Sheri Smithey, senior vice president of Global Pet Care Research & Development at Nestlé Purina PetCare. "We have nearly 500 pet experts globally, ranging from veterinarians, engineers and animal nutritionists to pet behavior scientists, food scientists and immunologists, all working to understand the science of pets to create products and technology that will make their lives better."

Smithey's team is responsible for all aspects of R&D for Purina including nutrition, digital solutions, engineering, product development and packaging. She knows that by asking the big questions, you find the big solutions. The key to innovation is to start with the imagination.

Here are several examples of what Smithey's team imagined and the resulting innovations that now benefit pets worldwide:

Imagine: The daughter of a Purina scientist begged for a cat that she couldn't get because of her allergies. So, what if there was a way to reduce the major allergen in cat hair and dander so more people can have a cat in their home?

Innovation: The world's first allergen-reducing cat food, Pro Plan LiveClear, is an award-winning option that is a gamechanger for people with allergies to cats.

Imagine: What if senior dogs could think and act like younger dogs again, and instead of slowing down, rediscover energy and playtime?

Innovation: Pro Plan Bright Mind makes a difference for dogs ages 7 and older, featuring enhanced botanical oils that provide an additional energy source for senior dogs' brains, helping them to think and act more like when they were younger.

Imagine: What if we could know more about feline health simply by better understanding their litter box habits?

Innovation: The Petivity smart litter box monitor connects to a smart device to share crucial behavioral data that could show signs of potential health problems like kidney disease.

Imagine: What if there was an easy way to help keep dogs' and cats' teeth clean and healthy that doesn't involve the recommended daily brushing by their human friends?

Innovation: Dentalife is a treat that tastes good and supports the oral health of cats and dogs, giving confidence to pet owners everywhere.

Imagine: What if there were savory options to help entice the appetite that notoriously picky feline friends couldn't resist?

Innovation: By studying the taste and texture preferences of different cats, a new product form was created as supplemental feeding enhancements for those with selective palates: Fancy Feast broths and Friskies lil' soups.

"Our imaginations are the springboard to ask big questions and find big solutions, and all our work starts by observing how pets live today, identifying the challenges that lessen the length or quality of their lives, and imagining a future where those challenges no longer exist. Each project we create began with a simple word: Imagine," said Smithey.