Cat Writers’ Association Membership and Awards

I am proud to enter my work in the annual Communications Contest given by the Cat Writers’ Association. I have entered materials in this contest since 2007 when I and won my first awards. This very blog won a Muse Medallion for entertainment in the 2011, 2013, and 2016 and a Certificate of Excellence in the 2015 Communications Contests along with a number of articles, photos, and pieces of artwork.

About the CWA

Conceived on November 21, 1992, the Cat Writers’ Association is a worldwide, 300 members plus organization comprised of a wide variety of talent, supporting evolving mediums and platforms such as Fine Arts, Journalism, Social Media, Graphic Design, Writing, Radio, Television, Videography, Podcasts, Websites, Blogs, Photography, Illustration, Cartoons, and so much more! Their goal, whether through humorous and lighthearted pieces, to serious, highly technical information is to improve the quality of cat information for the general public and to inspire, educate, and inform.

Muse Medallions

The MUSE™ Medallion is awarded to the entry in each category receiving the highest average score from three independent judges. All judges are volunteers and are Professional Cat Writers’ Association members. To become eligibile for a MUSE™ Medallion, each entry listed here has received an average score of at least 90, and has been awarded a Certificate of Excellence.

Certificates of Excellence

The judges have read, thought, contemplated, puzzled, agonized — and decided! Each entry was independently judged by 3 Professional Cat Writers’ Association members. Winning a Certificate of Excellence means that the average of those three judges’ scores for the entry is 90 or above — a high bar to cross!

Following is a list of my awards with links by year.

2023

A.2 WRITTEN ARTICLE: GENERAL CARE – SHORT
Safety With Cats in Art and Craft
Pittsburgh PetConnections Magazine
Certificate of Excellence
(this link will take you to the magazine website to read)

A.7 WRITTEN ARTICLE: RESCUE & ADVOCACY – SHORT
Can Trapping Cats Be Fear Free? Find Out Here
Fear Free Pets website
Certificate of Excellence

K.6 ILLUSTRATIONS (SERIES)
Klepto Cat Covers 62-67
Certificate of Excellence
Calico Cat Mysteries Covers 12-17
Certificate of Excellence

L. FINE AND COMMISSIONED ART
Peach Begonias, Watercolor
Certificate of Excellence
Witness Purrtection Program, Pastel
Certificate of Excellence
Nikka’s Jupiter Ball, Pastel
Certificate of Excellence

2022

A.8 WRITTEN ARTICLE: RESCUE & ADVOCACY – LONG
Rescue Story: Meowza! Two Broken Legs!
Certificate of Excellence
MUSE™ Medallion
(Tie with Arden Moore — Adoption Today)

A Checklist for Community Cats in Winter Weather
Certificate of Excellence

A.8 WRITTEN ARTICLE: RESCUE & ADVOCACY – SHORT
Rescue Story: Sometimes It’s the Best You Can Do

K.6 ILLUSTRATIONS (SERIES)
Klepto Cat Book Cover Illustrations 55-61
Certificate of Excellence
MUSE™ Medallion
Calico Cat Book Cover Illustrations 5-11
Certificate of Excellence

L. FINE ART
Commissioned Portrait: Bug
Certificate of Excellence
Commissioned Portrait: Sunny
Certificate of Excellence
Featured Artwork and March Desktop Calendar: Tri-color Girls Settling Down for a Nap
Certificate of Excellence
Featured Artwork: Mischief, a New Holiday Painting
Certificate of Excellence

2021

WRITTEN ARTICLE: BEHAVIOR/TRAINING
Cooperative Care for Cats
SPECIAL AWARD: Fear Free Pets Award
Sponsored by Fear Free Pets
Published in PetConnections Magazine, Spring 2021 issue, page 24. You can read it in the archives, if you have trouble with the platform ISSUU, let me know.

WRITTEN ARTICLE: RESCUE & ADVOCACY – SHORT
They Are All Simply Cats
MUSE™ Medallion
Published in PetConnections Magazine, Summer 2021 issue, page 22. You can read it in the archives, if you have trouble the platform ISSUU, let me know.

ILLUSTRATIONS (SERIES)
Calico Cat Mysteries Cover Illustrations books 1, 2 and 3
Certificate of Excellence
MUSE™ Medallion

Klepto Cat Mysteries Cover Illustrations books 48 through 53
Certificate of Excellence

FINE ART
Waiting on Christmas Night
Certificate of Excellence

Draw Me Like One of Your French Cats and Bath, Interrupted
Certificate of Excellence
MUSE™ Medallion
The girls each won their own Certificate of Excellence, but had to share a Muse Medallion!

2020

WRITTEN ARTICLE: HEALTH
“Leading Your Cat to Water and Getting Her to Drink It “
The Creative Cat
Certificate of Excellence

WRITTEN ARTICLE: BEHAVIOR/TRAINING
“Nothing Like a Good Scratch”
Pittsburgh Pet Connections Spring 2020, March 2020, Page 20 using the link below
https://issuu.com/pghpetmag/docs/petconnection_vol_7_issue_4_030420_final_digital_h/20
Certificate of Excellence

WRITTEN ARTICLE: LIFESTYLE
“Commissioned Portrait: Brothers, Paladin and Percy”
The Creative Cat
Certificate of Excellence

WRITTEN ARTICLE: RESCUE & ADVOCACY
May is Animal Guardian Month
The Creative Cat
Certificate of Excellence

PHOTOGRAPHY: SINGLE IMAGE

1. “Floofy”
The Creative Cat
You’ll find her in the article “Rescue Story: Happy Feral Cats”
Certificate of Excellence

2. “A Little Mom Love”
The Creative Cat
You’ll find them in the article “Rescue Story: Mom and Kittens Rescued”
Certificate of Excellence

PHOTOGRAPHY: SERIES

“Rescue Story: Happy Feral Cats”
Certificate of Excellence

FINE ART

1. “Mimi at the Window”
Commissioned watercolor for CWA greeting card
(I’ve since retitled this “Mimi’s Little Visitor)
Certificate of Excellence

2. “Paladin and Percy”
pastel, commissioned portrait
Certificate of Excellence

2019

Written Article: Feline-Human Bond (medium length)
Fragments
Certificate of Excellence

Written Article: Rescue & Advocacy (long length)
Trapping a Mother Cat Using Her Kittens
Certificate of Excellence

Written Article: Rescue & Advocacy (medium length)
Stray and Feral Cats and TNR
Certificate of Excellence

Blog/Website: General
The Creative Cat
Certificate of Excellence
MUSE™ Medallion

Illustrations (Series)
Klepto Cat Book Covers 33–40
Certificate of Excellence

Fine Art
Stained Glass Feline Family Commissioned Portrait
Certificate of Excellence
Commissioned Portrait Trio, Lucy, Ethel and Bubba
Certificate of Excellence
Mimi in the Formal Garden Commissioned Painting
Certificate of Excellence
MUSE™ Medallion

2018

Annual or Long Publication
Rescue, Foster, Rehome, Repeat 2019: Pittsburgh C.A.T. 2019 Calendar
MUSE™ Medallion
Certificate of Excellence

Article
Rescue Story: Resourceful Mom Cat Gets Her Kittens Rescued
CWA Kitten Care and Rescue/Adoption Award

Illustration: Series
Klepto Cat Covers 27 through 32
MUSE™ Medallion
Certificate of Excellence

Fine Art
Allegro Moderato
Kuykendall Image Award
Sponsored by the Cat Writers’ Association
Certificate of Excellence

Chocolate Bath
Certificate of Excellence

Commissioned Portrait: Feebee, Amber, Buckley, Allegra and Ruby, and the Red Maple
Certificate of Excellence

2017

Annual or Long Publication
Rescue, Foster, Rehome, Repeat 2018: Pittsburgh C.A.T. Calendar
MUSE™ Medallion
Certificate of Excellence

Online Article: Rescue/Advocacy
The Kitten Game, Pet Radio Show
Special Award: Hartz™ Milk Replacement for Kittens Award
MUSE™ Medallion
Certificate of Excellence

TNR With a Side of Adoption and Outreach, Pet Radio Show
Certificate of Excellence

Illustration (Series)
Book cover illustration and design: Klepto Cat Mysteries 21-26
Certificate of Excellence

2016

PR/Humane Education Press Kits
HCMT/Pittsburgh CAT calendar
MUSE^© Medallion
Certificate of Excellence

Online Article/Any Other Topic
“Buddy Gets a Miracle”
Certificate of Excellence

Blog Entertainment
The Creative Cat
MUSE^© Medallion
Certificate of Excellence

Illustrations Series
Klepto Cat Mysteries
Certificate of Excellence

2015

WRITING

Magazine Article/Rescue & Advocacy
“Spectacular Seniors”, RescueMe Magazine

Poem
Upon Seeing Himself in a Mirror

PR/Humane Education Press Kits
Homeless Cat Management Team

Online Article/Any Other Topic
“Sometimes This Is What Cat Rescue Looks Like”

Online Column
Homeless Cat Management Team Volunteer Profiles

BLOG

Blog: Entertainment
The Creative Cat

ART AND ILLUSTRATION

Cartoon
One Long Kitty
Fun Things Bella Does With Her Tail

Illustration Single
Kennedy
Snowy Morning

Illustrations Series
Klepto Cat Mystery

2014

WRITING

“Tail Vaccines for Cats Could Save Lives”, Pittsburgh PetConnections
Magazine Article: Health & General Care
Certificate of Excellence

“The Invisible Cat”, Pittsburgh PetConnections
Magazine Article: Rescue/Advocacy
Certificate of Excellence

“Never Enough Time, But Enough Time to Love”, Pittsburgh PetConnections
Magazine Article: Any Other Topic
Certificate of Excellence

Once
Poem, thecreativecat.net
Certificate of Excellence, Muse Medallion

PUBLICATIONS

12 Sketches of Cats
Annual or Long Publication
Certificate of Excellence

feline style sampler
Books: Gift
Certificate of Excellence

PHOTOGRAPHY, ART AND ILLUSTRATION

“Frankencat and Old Grand Dad”
Color Photograph (Single)
Certificate of Excellence

“Purring Points”
“Saturday Morning”
Cartoon
Certificate of Excellence

“The TNR Story”
Illustration (Single)
Certificate of Excellence

2013

OVERALL

The Creative Cat
Blog: Entertainment
Certificate of Excellence, Muse Medallion

WRITING

“My First Litter”,
Online Article Opinion Piece, Essay or Editorial
Certificate of Excellence

ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY

“Cats After Van Gogh”
Illustration (Series)
Certificate of Excellence, Muse Medallion, President’s Award

“Cranberry Goes to the Block Party”
Illustration (Series)
Certificate of Excellence

2012

WRITING

The Gift of a Morning, Poem
Certificate of Excellence, Muse Medallion
(I also recorded this poem with a narrative slideshow, but the award is for the poem.)

“An Angel Named Penny”, Online Article on Rescue
Certificate of Excellence

“The Tails of Nine Orphaned Kittens”, Online Article on Rescue, LifeWithCats.tv
Certificate of Excellence

“Litter-ary Cats: T.S. Eliot”, Online Article on Any Other Topic
Certificate of Excellence

“The Alchemy of Love”, Online Article on Any Other Topic
Certificate of Excellence

“What’s the Matter?”, Online Article on Any Other Topic
Certificate of Excellence

“Photographs and Memories”, Online Article on Any Other Topic
Certificate of Excellence

“A Therapy Cat For Visitors as Much as Residents”, Online Article on Any Other Topic
Certificate of Excellence

ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY

“Mimi in the Mirror”, Black and White Photograph (Single)
Certificate of Excellence

“Parsley Eyes”, Color Photograph (Single)
Certificate of Excellence

“Being Used as a Fort”, Cartoon
Certificate of Excellence

“Purple Cats, Red Blanket”, Illustration (single)
Certificate of Excellence

“Daily Sketches”, Illustration (series)
Certificate of Excellence

2011

“The Creative Cat”, Blog: Entertainment
Certificate of Excellence, Muse Medallion

“On Dying and Death, and Remembrance”, Opinion Piece, Essay, or Editorial
Certificate of Excellence, Muse Medallion (here is a link to the original article , an edited version was published).

A Wonderful Gift, Illustration (single)
Certificate of Excellence, Muse Medallion

16 Portraits of Rescued Felines, Illustration (series)
Certificate of Excellence, Muse Medallion

22 Cats Notepaper, Illustration (single)
Certificate of Excellence

“Birdwatching“, Black & White Photograph (Single)
Certificate of Excellence

2010

Peaches and Peonies, Single Illustration
Certificate of Excellence, Muse Medallion
“Pawprints and Raindrops” Poem
Certificate of Excellence, Muse Medallion
(it’s also one of the poems I recently recorded and created a slideshow for accompaniment)

2008

“Cute Kittens” Color Photograph Series
Certificate of Excellence, Muse Medallion

“Focus on Felines” Online Article
Certificate of Excellence

“Late in the Year” Black and White Photograph
Certificate of Excellence

“Mr. Peach on the Rug” Color Photograph
Certificate of Excellence

“Cats Around the House” Color Photograph Series
Certificate of Excellence

2007

“Senior Cat Care: Beyond Food and Water” Online Article
Certificate of Excellence, Muse Medallion
Special Award: Hartz Everyday Chewable Vitamin Award

“Feline Intelligence” Online Article
Certificate of Excellence

black cat and cwa program — Giuseppe wants to know just what this is about.

Copyright

All images and text used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission, although links to your site are more than welcome and are shared. Please ask if you are interested in using and image or story in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of an image or a product including it, check my animal and nature website Portraits of Animals to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.