They tell me I’ll need a week of recuperation, i.e. no going in to work, but that’s simply not on. Ideally I’d walk straight from the recovery room to my office (it’s only a five-minute walk). However, I will try to stay home for a day. In the meantime, this seems like a good time to start the cat contest.
The rules are simple. Send in one photo of your cat (or cats, if you’ve more than one), along with a paragraph of no more than 250 words giving a backstory. This could be either a description of how you acquired the beast, some of his winsome habits, or anything else to show the awesomeness of your kitteh. There will be three prizes. “Win” gets an autographed hardback edition of WEIT, while “place” and “show” get autographed paperbacks. And of course the winners (and probably others) will be featured here as well.
Even if you don’t think your cat will win, send it anyway. They will be great material for future posts on readers’ cats. (Be aware that submission entails my right to post your photo/entry).
Judging: There will be three celebrity judges (chosen for their atheism and love of cats): Ophelia Benson, Russell Blackford, and Miranda Hale. They will rank the entries, and the winner will be the cat with the highest overall ranking. The decision of the judges is final.
Deadline: Because it may take time to photograph your beast and write a paragraph, I’m closing the contest in one week: 5 p.m., December 1.
Where to send your entries: if you google “Jerry Coyne University of Chicago,” it will take you to my University web page with my email address. Send stuff there.
To show what you’re up against, I present a formidable contender. Kink—named for his malformed tail—is the beloved cat of “Doc Bill,” who posts here frequently. Doc Bill sent me this message and photo some time ago:
Just send me the prize and retire it. Kink’s a winner in all respects. Social, vocal, smart (vocab of 12+ words) and laid back. Srsly, is anybody going to beat this?
Fig. 1. The haughty Kink
“However, I will try to stay home for a day. ”
For goodness sake, take it easier than that.
A friend had his prostate reamed out (not the same as a nose job, to be sure) but, since there are no pain nerves in the area, he paid no attention to the Dr. saying “Rest, no lifting, no exercise” and was promptly back in the hospital a day later with a nasty hemorrhage.
So stay home more than a day and don’t blow your nose – or sneeze! We will all understand.
Sent in the winning entry. The cat above is no chance. All hail Cheeky!
I am, sadly, catless at the moment, having raised four beautiful animals from kittenhood through senescence.
Ophelia and Miranda would’ve liked to have met Puck, Peaseblossom, and Oberon, if for no other reason than to share “Oh, like in Shakespeare?” stories.
Baby, of course, was named for the eponymous jaguar in the Billy Wilder screwball comedy.
Ha, I hadn’t thought of that. Perhaps Russell could change his name to Orlando for the nonce.
My latest cat “Kitty” turned up 8 months ago skinny as a rail, in heat, and obsessed with windows, replacing Tompkins, who was blind for his last 6 years. Funny how that works; never have to go looking for a new cat.
Anyway, my picture is of Kitty spreadeagled about 1 1/2 feet off the ground, catching a freshly caught (dead or nearly dead) shrew that she had tossed into the air for sport. Pure joy. She gets frustrated as hell if the weather is too inclement for hunting.
Unfortunately (for this contest) the picture exists only in my memory.
The window obsession has abated. I wonder what her other life was…
Kink saw his picture and said,
“I haz prouds.”
So cute.
Kink is a noble kitteh! Very cute.
Bugger that means Cheeky’s out of the running. Oh well, he’s still cutest in my opinion.
Kink’s whiskers are … impressive and white. Very white.
My secret agent cat has just gone on a mission to snatch that prize. He’s currently invading Jerry’s email box and deterring all other contestants from winning.
First-time poster/long-time reader here. I sent a photo of the formidable (but very cute) kitteh that shares my home!
All the kittehs are above average!
Kink sez “You haz smarts for a peoples.”
It’s hard to imagine a prettier and more self-assured kitty than Kink.