Momma Kat at home with Bear Cat with their award plaque.
Katherine Kern a.k.a. Momma Kat was presented the CWA Goodnewsforpets Human-Animal Bond Award at the 25th Annual CWA Banquet May 18 in St. Louis, Mo.
The award was presented by CWA Co-Founder and Past-President Amy Shojai to Kern for her winning post, “Do cats need human interaction or are they completely fine on their own?” Kern also won a coveted Muse Medallion for the post.
Goodnewsforpets has sponsored the award for the last three years.
“I truly appreciate Lea-Ann (and Goodnewsforpets) for continuing the award and honoring the bond between humans and their cats — that bond is the reason so many people dedicate their career to cats,” said Kern.
Lisa Lippman, DVM who judged the award agrees. She commented in her judges remarks, “I think one of the most common misunderstandings about cats is that they are independent to the point of indifference. When in reality, cats are often just as bonded to their humans as dogs (though they show it in a very different way!)
I chose the entry as the winner because it represents one of the most important facets of the human animal bond. Whether it be between pets and their owners or pets and their veterinarians….while we cannot always expect animals to show us affection in ways that make sense to our human brains, we can learn to interpret their love for us and appreciate the subtle power of the human-animal bond.”
Lippman concluded, “As a veterinarian, I need to rely on minute cues to help me understand what is wrong. Animals can’t speak to us, so we have to learn to interpret their language. Whether it’s in a veterinary setting or at home, learning to understand how our pets communicate with us (even if it’s not always in the way we’d like) is crucial to the success of the pet-human bond.”
Amy Shojai, CWA Co-Founder and a Germinder20 Power of Pink Honoree presented the award.
Lea Ann Germinder and CWA Co-Founder Amy Shojai
“I’m thrilled that Kathie Kern won this award and Amy Shojai was the one presenting it to her. Our relationship with CWA began when Amy Shojai was president and our relationship with Kathie is just getting started. It’s a fitting way for Goodnewsforpets to join in to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Cat Writers Association,” said Lea-Ann Germinder, editor and publisher of Goodnewsforpets.com.
Past recipients of the Human-Animal Bond award sponsored by Goodnewsforpets are Deb Barnes, immediate past-president and Ramona Marek, a previous writer for Goodnewsforpets.
A special shout-out to the Shojai Mentor Award Winner Ramona Marek, the Michael Brim Distinguished Service Award Winner Janiss Garza and the President’s Award Winner Fran Pennock Shaw.
Kern has earned additional awards as a blogger and writer and you can find more of her work at mommakatandherbearcat.com.
Congratulations to All!
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