2002 Special Award Winners

Steve Dale wins the Friskies® Publication of the Year Award for his syndicated newspaper column, "My Pet World." Steve also takes home a Muse Medallion^TM for his radio presentation, Show #60, on Animal Planet.

AWARD # 1:

FRISKIES® PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR AWARD
Steve Dale, My Pet World
Award: Baccarat cat figurine and $500

Comments: "The articles are well written and informative. They seem to reach a wide audience with good, varied information. In addition to great medical and behavioral Q&A's, he has written some great columns on animal-related subjects from pet insurance to search and rescue dogs."

Wendy Christensen wins the Iams® Cat Food Responsible Cat Ownership Award (shown here) as well as the Tidy Cats® Feline Behavior Award for her book, Complete Guide to Cat Care (St. Martin's Press) - presented by Valerie Stern for Iams. Wendy also takes home Muse Medallions^TM for Illustration and for her Series of Illustrations in the book, Why Cats Do That (Willow Creek Press).

AWARD #2:

IAMS® CAT FOOD RESPONSIBLE CAT OWNERSHIP AWARD
"The Complete Guide to Cat Care" by Wendy Christensen and the staff of the Humane Society of the United States
Award: $500 and a commemorative plaque

Comments: "I found The Complete Guide to Cat Care by Wendy Christensen and the staff of the Humane Society of the United States to be an easy choice for first place. While there are many cat care guides in the marketplace, this one does not take a stuffy textbook approach. It is written with a true appreciation of the nature and needs of the cat and communicates this information in a most interesting and readable manner form the first to the last page. The subject matter includes an extensive treatment of the psychological and emotional needs of the cat-an important topic that is often overlooked in cat care books. Cat ownership is a privilege and this book will provide cat owners with the information they need to provide compassionate and responsible care."

Jodi Alessandrini (shown here) and Kathy Kinser win the Merial Human-Animal Bond Award for their book, Kitty Stuff (Pallachip Publishing) - presented by John Hasenfluegl for Merial. They also win the Muse Medallion^TM for Care & Health Book.

AWARD #3:

MERIAL HUMAN-ANIMAL BOND AWARD
Jodi Alessandrini and Kathy Kinser, "Kitty Stuff"
Award: $1000 and a commemorative award

Comments: "What a project. I laughed, cried and learned a lot from the materials you sent. Thanks for giving me this opportunity. The book "Kitty Stuff" by Jodi Alessandrini and Kathy Kinser gets my vote as the best all round product. This cleverly written book is a purrfect way to commit the entire family to the needs and well being of a feline family member. Through all phases of the kitty's life there are educational tips to share, clever quips, and places to document your special kitty's life stages and experiences. In addition to reminders of regularly needed vet visits, the health care sections list physical indicators to alert you to signs your friend may need to go to the veterinarian. A round-of-a-paws to the best content and illustrated kitty life book I have ever read."

AWARD #4:

PET CARE FORUM VETERINARY ISSUES AWARD
Roxanne Willems Snopek
Award: $500 with a commemorative plaque

Comments: "Based on the criteria set forth for the winning article-best article informing the general cat-owing public about technical advances and innovations in feline veterinary medicine-I've selected Roxanne Snopek's article on feline dentistry as the outstanding article.
Ms. Snopek did a great job breaking the issue of dentistry into easily digestible bullet points. She also did a nice job using lay terminology to explain technical processes to the average cat owner.
The other articles were excellent and informative, but I felt the article on dentistry did a better job of getting straight to the point and really connecting familiar topics (i.e., human dental care-something we're all familiar with) to the topic of the article."

Elissa Wolfson wins the Purina® Cat Chow® Nutrition Award for her article, "Essential Fatty Acids: Are they essential for your cat?" (Cat Watch, 2-02) - presented by Julie Kahn for Nestle Purina.

AWARD #5:

PURINA® CAT CHOW® NUTRITION AWARD
"Essential Fatty Acids: Are they essential for your cat?" by Elissa Wolfson
Award: $500 and a commemorative plaque

Comments: "The article is well-written, easily understandable, and timely. It explores the question from various angles, and gives appropriate cautions for owners interested in these supplements. (Ms. Wolfson's article on Herbal Medicine was also excellent, and would have been my first choice, except that it really has nothing to do with nutrition!)"

Fran Pennock Shaw (our newly-elected President) wins the Purina Special Care® Health Award for her article, "The Developing Focus on Feline Pain Control" (Veterinary Practice News). Fran also wins Muse Medallions^TM for Health Care Magazine Article, Magazine Feature - Other, Newspaper Article, Feature, or News Story, and Series - Subject Related.

AWARD #6

PURINA® SPECIAL CARE® HEALTH AWARD
Fran Pennock Shaw, "The Developing Focus on Feline Pain Control"
Award: $500 and a pewter bowl

Comments: "This was a really difficult decision! It really came down to two pieces that were the most difficult to decide between. The reason for the difficulty is that they both address relevant, emerging issues facing cats and cat guardians: pain and cognitive dysfunction.
In the end, my vote goes to Fran Pennock Shaw's article entitled: "The Developing Focus on Feline Pain Control" that appeared in Veterinary Practice News.
Pain is a long under-recognized (and consequently under-treated) problem in cats. Ms. Shaw has, in this article, addressed the most common misconceptions that stand in the way of cats receiving adequate pain management. She provides a forum for comment by several of the most vocal and well-respected voices in feline pain management. The article is well-balanced, but maintains a tone of advocacy on behalf of beings that cannot advocate for themselves - - vis-a-vis cats that must undergo procedures that cause pain.
Congratulations to Ms. Shaw for shining a revealing light on this relevant and critical topic of interest to so many in the animal-loving world."

Amy D. Shojai wins the Purina® Kitten Chow® Kitten Award for her book, Complete Kitten Care (New American Library) - presented by Julie Kahn for Nestle Purina. Amy also takes home Muse Medallions^TM for Behavior & Training Book, Series of Black & White Photos, Online Column, and Single Black & White Photo.

AWARD #7

PURINA® KITTEN CHOW® KITTEN AWARD
Amy Shojai, "Complete Kitten Care"
Award: $500 and a pewter bowl

Comments: "I thought this book was very complete and addressed the most important aspects of kitten care. I especially liked the fact that Shojai addressed society's penchant for the "disposable" - reminding people that acquiring a pet means "for life," not just until the cuteness wears off. Good use throughout of visual aids that help focus the readers' attention on important information. The only subject that was not touched on, and should be in future versions, was that of legislative issues and how important it is that pet owners fight coercive legislation in their communities."

Wendy Christensen wins the Tidy Cats® Feline Behavior Award as well as the Iams® Cat Food Responsible Cat Ownership Award (shown here) for her book, Complete Guide to Cat Care (St. Martin's Press) - presented by Valerie Stern for Iams. Wendy also takes home Muse Medallions^TM for Illustration and for her Series of Illustrations in the book, Why Cats Do That (Willow Creek Press).

AWARD #8

TIDY CATS® FELINE BEHAVIOR AWARD
"Complete Guide to Cat Care" by the Humane Society of the United States
Award: $500 and a monogrammed pewter bowl

Comments: "I like this book because it presents comprehensive and up-to-date information on caring for and living with cats, as well as for solving common problems. Good solid information is presented in a straightforward, organized way that does not get silly or anthropomorphic. The author demonstrates appreciation for felines, and encourages owners to be advocates for pets."

Kari Winters wins the PeerlessHealth CATalyst Award for her article, "How To Be a Good Veterinary Client" (The Pet Press) - presented by Mahmoud Shojai for PeerlessHealth.

AWARD #9:

PEERLESSHEALTH CATALYST AWARD
Kari Winters, "How to Be a Good Veterinary Client"
Award: $500 and a commemorative award

Comments: "It was a tough call between the entries. The reasons that I chose Kari Winters' article are as follows: Hers was an article I would happily see disseminated to every cat owner for it accuracy, usefulness and clarity. She took on a topic-visiting the veterinarian's office-that is potentially fraught with bias and emotion, and presented it in a clearheaded, no-nonsense and fair manner. From start to finish, her article was filled with useful points and tips, with nary an extraneous sentence or word. While unquestionably addressed to the cat owner, she has written an article I have no doubt veterinarians would be pleased to hand out to their clients, as she admirably expresses their point of view in a way that laypeople can easily understand. I have high hopes that Kari Winters, with the encouragement of the Peerless Health CATalyst Award, will continue to write such accessible and level-headed articles on essential topics in the difficult and sometimes neglected field of feline health-improving cat owners' knowledge of and sensitivity to their cats' well-being."

Ann Fisher wins the ASPCA Special Humane Award for her book, Living in the Shadows (Amythyst Publishing) - presented by Marion Lane for ASPCA.

AWARD #10:

ASPCA SPECIAL HUMANE AWARD
Ann K. Fisher, "Living in the Shadows"
Award: $500 and a certificate

Comments: "I selected Ann Fisher's book for several reasons. First, she addressed a very timely topic and that is what to do with stray and feral cats. This concern is none that perplexes many individuals in communities throughout America, and her work approaches the concern with a wealth of information. She discusses the tragedy of pet overpopulation with this group of animals in particular, and she also suggests ways to prevent the cruelty that many of these cats suffer. Second, she writes in a simple, sequential and informative style. A person could come to the work with no knowledge or a wealth of questions and still find the chapters that pertain to each individual's questions. Furthermore, she presents a work that is clear and concise in its explanations. Lastly, I found her appendix quite helpful. She presents not only a discussion of some serious issues related to stray/feral cats, but she also provides her reader with a wealth of resources, including groups addressing the feral cat problem, spay/neuter programs, equipment suppliers, etc. overall, I believe her book best adheres to the guidelines set forth."

Barbara Florio Graham wins the Sticky Paws Training Award for her article, "Training a Cat Like a Dog" (WalMart Pets, 3-02) - presented by Chris Ruben for Sticky Paws.

AWARD #11:

Comments: "I felt that Barbara Florio Graham's article, "Training a Cat Like a Dog," did a very nice job of presenting the patient, take-it-as-it-comes style needed to train cats. Her five Rs of Respect, Respond, Reward, Reinforce and Repeat are an apt reminder of how to go about the process of training. I thought that her attention to the concept that you work with the natural behavioral tendencies of your cat will certainly help the average cat owner understand how to get started, and proceed successfully."

Beth Adelman wins the 2002 Shojai Mentor Award

AWARD #12:

SHOJAI MENTOR AWARD
Beth Adelman
Award: $500 and a commemorative award.

Catherine Crawmer wins the 2002 Kuykendall Image Award (and the Muse Medallion^TM) for her photo, "Cat Jumping" - presented by CWA Vice President Michael Brim.

AWARD #13

Kris Rerecich wins the 2002 CWA President's Award (and Muse Medallion^TM) for her newsletter, Feral Cat Activist - presented by CWA President Kim Thornton.

AWARD #14:

CWA PRESIDENT'S AWARD
Kris Rererich, "Feral Cat Activist"
Award: a commemorative plaque

All photos © Betsy Stowe, 2002.