16th Annual Cat Writers' Association Awards

Our Own Gregory M. Simpson for His "Sheltering an Animal's Perspective" Column
Billed as the "Academy Awards of cat writers" by the Cat Writers' Association President, Amy Shojai, the 2009 Muse Medallion award for best newspaper column in the country about felines was awarded to Gregory M. Simpson at the 16th Annual Cat Writers' Association Awards Banquet on November 21st in White Plains, New York, for his Pets Press "Sheltering an Animal's Perspective" column.
To be a finalist, Simpson's columns were first judged by a panel of other cat writers and scored an average of 90 of higher.  Once passing that hurdle, he became one of five recipients of a "Certificate of Excellence" in the newspaper column category, and became eligible to win the Muse Medallion as best in that category.
Simpson, who has been writing his column since 2002, remarked, "Frankly, I was shocked to win.  The other finalists are some of the best and most well-known cat writers in the country."  He added, "It feels really good to be recognized in this way by your fellow cat writers."