Cat Writers' Association, Inc.

2000 CWA Communications Contest
Muse MedallionTM (*) & Certificate of Excellence Winners

The regular category entries below were scored independently by three CWA member judges who had no knowledge of who else shared their judging assignments. Each judge awarded points on a scale of 1-100, and forwarded the results to the Contest Chair. The three scores were then averaged by the Contest Chair to calculate the Certificate of Excellence winners and Muse MedallionTM recipients. Judges were asked to include comments when possible, and comments that were available have been published here.

Muse MedallionIn the past, the three to five highest scoring entries in each category automatically received a Certificate of Excellence award-but at times this meant recognition went to less-than-outstanding work. Therefore, the Contest Committee determined entries must reflect a certain standard of excellence to be mentioned as a finalist. The Certificate of Excellence citations below indicate the entry received an average score of 90 points or higher. Recipients of the Muse MedallionTM (shown right) scored highest in this outstanding field of excellence and are indicated by an asterisk(*).

Congratulations to all of the winners!


Category I. Magazines & Newspapers

1: Yearbook/Annual

    Cats Quarterly - Pampering Your Cat
    * Cats USA - Amanda Luke
    Kittens USA

2: Magazine

    * Best Friends Magazine
    Cat Fancy Magazine
    Cats Magazine

3. Special/One Shot Magazine


    no entries

4A: Magazine Article -- Feature on Health or Care Topics

    * A Primer on Cats for Dog Owners, Wendy Christensen
    Acupuncture: An Ancient Alternative, Moira Allen
    Little Orphan Kitty, Kim Thornton
    Why Your Cat Must Eat Meat, L. A. Foster & Darlene Arden

4B: Magazine Article -- Feature on Any Other Topic

    * Coming in from the Cold, Karen Commings
    Does Cat Licensing Work? Beth Kalet
    * Domestic and Animal Violence: Fitting the Pieces Together, Nancy Marano
    Pet Overpopulation, Karen Commings
    Shambala, Marla Brooks

4C: Magazine Column

    Ask the Vet, Elaine Wexler-Mitchell, D.V.M. (Dec., March, May)
    * Behavior & Training, Pam Johnson-Bennett
    Serving Animals, Susan Easterly

5A: Newspaper Article, Feature, or News Story

    * Achoo! Pets Get Allergies, Too, Fran Pennock Shaw
    Purebred Cats Vary Widely, Steve Dale
    The Kittens Are Coming, Vera Lawlor

5B: Newspaper Column

    * Dayton Daily News - Columns, Rosamond M. Young (Oct., Feb., June)
    My Pet World, Steve Dale
    Pet Beat, Peter Mandel

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Category II. Newsletters or Regional Publications

1: Newsletter - Breed Specific

    ACCA Newsletter
    * Maine Coon International Network Magazine
    The MCBFA Scratch Sheet

2: Others/Newsletter Format

    * Alley Cat Action

3: Others/Magazine Format

    * The Whole Cat Journal
    Our Animals

4: Article or feature

    A Matter of Kindness, Debra Berdan Trace
    Breathing Easier, Joan Hustace Walker
    Feline Infectious Peritonitis, Joan Hustace Walker
    * The Language of the Cat, Wendy Christensen
    To "C" or Not to "C", Joan Hustace Walker

5: Column

    Cat Chat, Nancy Marano
    Editor's Notes, Sally Bahner
    * From the President, Ed Sayres

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Category III. Short Story, Poetry, Humor, Miscellaneous

1: Short Story
    A Cat Named Turtle, Ellen Perry Berkeley
    A Gentle Good-Bye, Toni & Ed Eames
    * Tenth-Life Cat, Pauline Griffin

2: Poem

    Blue Lament, Andrea Dorn
    * Prince Charming, Betsy Stowe

3: Book of Poetry

    No entries

4: Humor (Feature, Article, Book, Etc.)

    7 Habits of Highly Effective Cats, Tom Schreck
    Confessions of a Cat Guy, Brad Kollus
    Dear Hobbes (8/99), Dusty Rainbolt
    * How I Got the Girl and Her Cats, Tom Schreck

5: Series, Subject-Related (Entire Series)

    * Riding the Natural Product Wave, Fran Pennock Shaw

6: Brochure/Pamphlet

    * Cats Indoors! Rhonda Lucas Donald
    Tricks of the Trade: Essential Feral Cat Care for Long-Term Management,
    Megan Draheim Wild About Cats, Louise Holton & Becky Robinson

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Category IV. Books

1: Fiction
    Cat's Claw, Alex Matthews
    * Romeo and Julia, Annie Kimberlin
    Cat in a Jeweled Jumpsuit, Carole Nelson Douglas

2: Children's

    No winner.

3: Young Adult

    No entries.

4: Care & Health (inc. Breeding, Medical, Grooming)

    * ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats, James Richards, DVM
    The Cat Handbook, Karen Leigh Davis

5: Behavior & Training

    * Communicating With Your Cat, J. Anne Helgren

5: Single Breed Books

    Guide to Owning a Cornish Rex Cat, Greta Huls
    * Guide to Owning an Oriental Shorthair Cat, Lynn Miller

6: Other

    * The Stray Cat Handbook, Tamara Kreuz
    Three Cats, Two Dogs, One Journey Through Multiple Pet Loss, David Congalton

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Category V. Non-Print Media

1: Video or Television Presentation
    * Trap, Neuter, Return: A Humane Approach to Feral Cat Control, Becky Robinson

2: Audio Tape or CD

    No entries.

3: Radio Presentation

    * Pet Central, Steve Dale (WGN Radio)
    Pet Talk America, Bob Vella

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Category VI. Electronic/Online Presentation

1. Electronic/Online Presentation

    * CFA Fanc-e-Mews, Karen Lawrence

2. Single Online Article

    Bringing Tang Home, Gina Spadafori
    * Do Cats and Dogs Dream? Camille Smith
    Do Not Disturb: Kitty's on the Can, Camille Smith
    Should You Hesitate to Vaccinate, Sandra Toney

2. Online Column

    Ask the Experts - Behavior, John Wright
    Cats at Petplanet: Nutrition Basics, Sandra Toney
    * Way of Life - Emotional Health, Amy Shojai

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Category VII. Graphic Arts

1A: Photography - Black & White
    * Bryant & Harrison, Paul Glassner
    Cali & Squash, Betsy Stowe
    Pigeon on a Bench, Betsy Stowe

1B: Photography - Color

    Dee Cee Waiting to Pounce, Jana dePeyer
    Get Back Soon, Bob Walker
    * Treat Yourself, Bob Walker

1C: Series of Photos or Photo Essay - Color

    * Catnips - Series, Bob Walker
    Holiday Cards, Paul Glassner
    The Latest on Mitzi, Sandra Toney

1D: Series of Photos or Photo Essay- Black & White

    Bossier City Pets, Jeri Holloway
    Stages of Kittenhood, Weems Hutto
    Time in a Baby Bottle, Weems Hutto

2: Illustration

    No entries.

3: Series of Illustrations

    * Home Alone: You Can Have a Happy Cat, Buck Jones

4: Cartoons

    * "Critters" - Evening Broadcast, Bryan Hendrix

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