WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK ” The International Cat Writers’ Association (CWA) honored top writers, photographers and editors in print, broadcast and online media at the 16th annual communications contest on Saturday at the Crowne Plaza White Plains Hotel.
This year, CWA offered corporate-sponsored special awards of $500 to $1,000, as well as its own Muse Medallions™ to winners in approximately 35 writing and graphic arts categories. The special awards in 2009 included topics in feline veterinary research, health, behavior, nutrition, seniors, kitten care, safety issues, the human-animal bond, rescue and rehabilitation, grooming and responsible ownership, plus awards for fiction and for new writers.
Here is a rundown of the winners in the regular and the special award categories. In the regular contest, each category was scored independently by three CWA member judges whose three scores were then averaged by the contest committee. Individuals had to score an average of 90 or better in order to become finalists and earn certificates. The top scorer in each category was awarded a Muse Medallion™.
These individuals earned Muse Medallions™ for scoring the highest in the following categories:
Monthly Magazine: Susan Logan, ed. Cat Fancy
Regional Magazine: Paul Glassner, ed. Our Animals
Magazine Article, Health & General Care: Fran Pennock Shaw, “Combat Heartworm,” Cat Fancy and Kim Campbell Thornton, “Kittenproof Your Home,” Kittens USA
Magazine Article, Behavior & Training: Nancy Peterson, “The Way to Tame a Feral Kitten’s Heart,” Animal Sheltering
Magazine Article, Any Other Topic: Julie Falconer, “Prowling the Divide,” Animal Sheltering
Magazine Column: Cimeron Morrissey, “Foster Focus,” Cat Fancy
Newspaper Article, Health & General Care: Fran Pennock Shaw, “Heartworm Disease”, Lancaster Sunday News
Newspaper Article, Behavior & Training: Sally Bahner, “What Worked for Rainy,” Pets Press
Newspaper Article, Any Other Topic: Anthony Nichols, “The Father of the Cat Fancy,” Our Cats
Newspaper Column: Gregory M. Simpson, “Sheltering an Animal’s Perspective,” Pets Press
Newsletter, Breed Specific: Brigitte McMinn, ed., Bengals Illustrated
Newsletter, National Circulation: Catnip, Arden Moore, ed.
Newsletter, Regional or Membership Circulation: Cimeron Morrissey, ed., Cat Tales
Newsletter Article, Health & General Care: Elissa Wolfson, “Cats and Babies,” Catnip
Newsletter Article, Any Other Topic: Kim Campbell Thornton, “The Lion in Your Lap,” Catnip
Newsletter Column: Arden Moore, “Editor’s Note,” Catnip and Nancy Reeves, “UBCF Newsletter Column,” UBCF Newsletter
Short Story: Clea Simon, “Dumb Beasts.” Dead Fall: Crime Stories by New England Writers
Poem: Lesléa Newman, “Old Girl,” Nobody’s Mother
Brochure, Pamphlet, Short Publication: Nancy Peterson, “I am not a crazy cat lady,” The HSUS
Annual or Long Publication: Su Ewing, Cats! Train Your Owner! (Cider Mill Press)
Opinion Piece, Essay, or Editorial: Nancy Reeves, “The Health of the Breed,” UBCF Newsletter
Books, Fiction: Shirley Rousseau Murphy, Cat Playing Cupid, (Wm. Morrow)
Books, For Children: Dandi Dailey Mackall, Starlight Animal Rescue, (Tyndale House Publishers)
Books, Health & General Care: Sheila Webster Boneham, The Multiple-Cat Family, (TFH Publications)
Books, Other: Rosie Sorenson, They Had Me at Meow, (Buster Hollow Productions)
Video, DVD, or TV Productions: Amy Shojai, “Pet Talk: Allergies, Toxoplasmosis, Flea Product Safety,” KXII-CBS
Radio, Podcast or Other Audio Presentation ” Guest Interview Format: Amy Shojai, “Pet Peeves: Cat-egorically Wrong! Cats, Babies, Myth-takes,” PetLifeRadio.com
Online Magazine, Newsletter, Website: Mary Anne Miller, felinexpess.com
Online Article, Health & General Care: Sandy Robins, “Cats and Toddlers,”BringPetsHome.com
Online Article, Behavior & Training: Amy Shojai, “Claw Training 101,” shojai.com
Online Article, Any Other Topic: Linda Mohr, “The Cat’s Mastery of the Present Moment,”Artipot.com
Online Column: Kim Campbell Thornton, “Creature Comforts,” msnbc.com
Blogs, Regular Blogs: Suzanne Stowe, “Crazy for Cats,” Catchennel.com
Black & White Photograph (single): Arden Moore, “Race for the Food Bowl,” Catnip
Color Photograph (single): Dr. Monica Shephard, “Frankie Meets Her Shadow,” Our Animals
Color Photographs (series): Janiss Garza, Sparkle the Designer Cat 2009, (Café Press)
Cartoon: Stephanie Piro, “20 Cats,” King Features
Illustrations (series): Michael Sleep, Purrlock Holmes and the Case of the Missing Treasure, (Felinity Press)
SPECIAL AWARD WINNERS
Here is a list of the special award winners in 21 categories.
2009 CWA Special Awards Winners
1.AKC COMPANION ANIMAL RECOVERY AWARD: “Let’s See Some ID,” Dusty
Rainbolt, Catnip
2.DR. JIM RICHARDS CORNELL FELINE HEALTH CENTER
VETERINARY ISSUES AWARD: “Good Medicine for Saving Lives,” Christine
Rosenblat and Paul Glassner, Our Animals
3.FANCY FEAST® LOVE STORY AWARD: “First-Time Fosterer,” Paul
Glassner, Our Animals
4.FORT DODGE / HEALTHY CATS FOR LIFE TURNING POINT AWARD: UBCF
Newsletter, Nancy Reeves, ed.
5.FRISKIES® WRITER OF THE YEAR AWARD: Cimeron Morrissey
“Cat Tales, A Gift of Love, So Happy Together, A Real-life Fairy Godmother, A
Walk on the Wild Side, Feline Superstar, Baby Love, Pedigrees by the Pound”
6.HARTZ EVERY DAY CHEWABLE VITAMIN AWARD: “Tiny Beads “Create a Big
Revolution in Cancer Treatment,” Dr. Phil Zeltzman, Dr. Phil Zeltzman’s
Newsletter
7.HARTZ GLAMOUR-PUSS AWARD: Fabulous Felines: Health and Beauty
Secrets for the Pampered Cat, Sandy Robins, (TFH Publications)
8.HARTZ MILK REPLACEMENT FOR KITTENS AWARD: “First-Time Fosterer,”
Paul Glassner, Our Animals
9.KATHRYN HOPPER “FRITZ-THE-BRAVE” AWARD: “Sammy the Survivor,”
Elissa Wolfson, Catnip
10.KARI WINTERS RESCUE AND REHABILITATION AWARD: “First-Time
Fosterer,” Paul Glassner, Our Animals
11.MERIAL HUMAN-ANIMAL BOND AWARD: “Deciphering Cat Chat,” Fran
Pennock Shaw, Catnip
12.PRO PLAN® PEDIGREED CATS AWARD: UBCF Newsletter, Nancy Reeves, ed.
13.PURINA® CAT CHOW® NUTRITION AWARD: “Nutrition for a Happy Healthy
Cat,” Kim Campbell Thornton, Cat Fancy Natural Cat
14.PURINA® ONE® HEALTH AWARD: “Sammy the Survivor,” Elissa Wolfson,
Catnip
15.PURINA® KITTEN CHOW AWARD: “First-Time Fosterer,” Paul Glassner, Our
Animals
16.STICKY PAWS® TRAINING AWARD: “Kitten Behavior 101,” Helen
Jablonski, Cat Fancy
17.TIDY CATS® FELINE BEHAVIOR AWARD: “The Lowdown on Litterbox
Issues, Part 1 & 2,” Arden Moore, Examiner.com
18.WORLD’S BEST CAT LITTER-ARY AWARD: A Cat’s Eye View of Life and
Love by Sterling, Marta Felber, (Life Words)
19.SHOJAI MENTOR AWARD: Betsy Stowe,
20.KUYKENDALL IMAGE AWARD: Bengals Illustrated, Brigitte McMinn, ed.
21.CWA PRESIDENT’S AWARD: Su Ewing, Cats! Train Your Owner! (Cider
Mill Press)
ABOUT THE CAT WRITERS’ ASSOCIATION, INC.
CWA was founded in 1993 and is dedicated to providing news, information, and education on all aspects of cat care and welfare, as well as improving the quality of writing about cats. CWA provides members with networking opportunities and encourages professionalism and communication among cat writers, photographers, artists, editors and broadcasters. Amy Shojai, of Sherman, TX, serves as president of this organization. Learn more by visiting the CWA website: catwriters.org
.