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Photogenic local pets win calendar spots
Workman Publishing Company
Calendars available at www.workman.com/calendars, or (800) 722-7202 or email orders@workman.com.
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Updated: January 2, 2013 2:10PM
Every dog will have its day — and so will a lot of cats.
That is, if the animals happen to be featured on a line of 2013 calendars created by Workman Publishing in New York. The company runs a photo competition each year, asking for the coolest shots of puppies, kittens, cats and dogs. Owners from all over the world and across the country submit photos of their pets.
Among this year’s photogenic critters are a young cat from Northbrook who graces Workman’s “The 365 Kittens a Year” 2013 calendar, and a young dog from Wilmette who appears on “The 365 Puppies a Year” calendar. The company also produces “Bad Dog,” “Bad Cat,” “365 Dogs” and “365 Cats,” among others.
Both local pets kindly designated their owners to comment about their celebrity status.
Little Bug, on the November page of the kittens calendar, explains owner Kyna England, is the second cat in the family to become a calendar star. In 2011, Workman published a photo of Little Man, England’s older cat. England had discovered the Workman contest a year earlier, when her mother gave her one of the calendars as a gift.
Despite his name, Little Man, a snowshoe Siamese, weighs in at about 12 pounds. “He’s a very big cat. He’s long, not fat,” explains England. “Just a big tomcat.”
The big guy and Little Bug, who tips the scales at something less than seven pounds, get along just fine. However, Little Bug is no slouch at the food dish — or anywhere there’s anything edible, notes England. “Whatever you’re eating, she wants it.” She suspects Little Bug has food radar. Any time food is being prepared, she says, the cat is on the spot. “She nips at your toes.”
Or she gets vocal, yipping, with “little barks, almost like a dog.”
There’s no question of Little Bug’s origins, though. England acquired her at an adoption event. A tiny cat, she was one of a litter of eight. “She was the smallest.” She won England’s heart — and a good home — because she was sneaking around her siblings, filching food as they slept.
Beth Alwin’s Buddah Boy was another youthful charmer. “He was an adorable puppy,” she recalls.
That was about four years ago, when Alwin took the shot that showed up on this year’s puppy calendar. Photos of dogs less than a year old are eligible for the puppy calendar, and there can be significant time lag between a photo submission and publication.
Buddah Boy appears inside and on the cover of the 2013 calendar. His photo is remarkable for showcasing his royal blue tongue, the mark of the purebred Chow Chow (Chow for short) that he is.
“That’s the only breed I’ve had,” says Alwin. Her mother had a Chow, so “I decided to stick with it.”
She’s been amply rewarded. Buddah Boy is a friendly, happy dog. He like to clean himself, and, as an extra blessing for Alwin, was easy to potty train.
“He’s really kind of a misunderstood cat,” she says.
However as a Chow, he’s in a weight class — 45-70 pounds — well beyond that of any cat.
Alwin also likes the fact that her dog comes from a very long, distinguished line of canines. Chow Chows, a Chinese breed, date back about 2,000 years. “It’s one of the oldest breeds,” she says.
And because Buddah Boy has grown up to be such a fine dog, Alwin felt he needed a companion. So she now has a young female Chow named Botsie, who has become Buddah Boy’s prodigy.
They get along very well, Alwin reports, and Buddah Boy has turned his cleaning talents on his young friend, licking and grooming her as needed, and adding a new line to his resume.
“He’s become very motherly,” says Alwin.
