Cat of the Month Photo Submission

Important!
Due to the rising popularity of our little photo contest, your entry may not be featured in the following month and could be instead 2-3 months later. Submitting an entry does not guarantee placement in the contest so it is very important that you submit all of the required information and read the guideline provided below.

If you choose not to submit the required information or follow our clearly listed guidelines below, your image will not be accepted into the contest.

To submit a valid entry:
Send your photo as an email attachment to cats@thecatconnection.com, providing us with your name, your pet's name, pet age, breed, and brief pet bio. If selected as a winner, we will ask for a more lengthly bio to share with our readers.

If you would like to submit more than one cat into the contest, please submit them in separate email entries. Please do not send us your entire kitty photo album.

Please follow these guidelines when submitting your photo:

•Do not embed your photo within the body of your email message. Attach all photo files in the following format:
"your cats name". jpg

•The minimum file size we will accept is 200x200 pixels at 72 dpi (120k file size).

•Information and image must be in ONE email. If multiple emails are recieved for one entry, that entry will be rejected.

•DO NOT crop your photos into circles or irregular shapes, add decorative borders, backgrounds, captions/text, colorizing or otherwise manipulate your cat's photo from it's original state. These images will not be accepted into the contest. Each cat should be showcased in his or her purest form.

•No copyrighted images will be accepted. Please DO NOT steal images off of the internet and attempt to pass them off as your own. Trust us, we've seen them all. If we do suspect your image may have been lifted from elsewhere, we will require that you provide proof that the image is indeed yours to be eligible for this contest.

•Please DO NOT combine multiple images to make one. Your entry may be rejected or edited to follow our guidelines.

•Please DO NOT enter someone else's cat. If your friend has a great image, please tell them about the contest and have them submit it. If we receive multiple entries for a single cat from multiple emails, the image will be disqualified.

•Our staff web designer is very busy so please make sure your photo is in focus and lit well enough to see your cat in the photo without retouching. Scanned photographs and digital camera images are recommended and work best. Please no camera phone or web cam images.

We have the right to reject any image that is out of focus, too small, manipulated or contains images/information that can be considered offensive.

•We can also accept hard-copy submissions. Just drop your photo off at Cat Connection or send by mail. We will scan it for you and post it to our site. Please provide your contact information, your cats name and bio, and a self-addressed stamped envelope, if you would like your photo returned.

• Should you wish to enter your cat in more than one of our monthly photo contests, each month's photo must be different for a minimum of 1 year. A photo that has been entered previously will not be accepted. A winning photo can not be re-submitted.

• Only one image of your cat will be accepted for each month. If more than one image is submitted, we will decide which one to place in the contest. Once the contest has started, we can not alter/change and image.

How are the Winners Determined?
While uniqueness of photo and your kitty's cuteness will certainly factor into the equation, The Cat Connection Cat of the Month Winner (chosen by our shop cats), will be based heavily on criteria such as photo quality (focus, lighting, etc.) and composition. A second Cat of the Month Winner will also be determined by popular vote via On-Line voting and awarded a prize.

Voters are only allowed to vote one time for one cat. Secure polling software is used to ensure that all votes originate from a unique email address and/or computer so no one can stuff the ballot box! Please do not set up multiple email accounts as we will catch you and you will be eliminated from the contest if suspected of foul play. Please contact us if you suspect someone of stuffing the ballots or cheating.

If your kitty's photo is chosen as a winner, you will be notified via the email address used to submit your photo, by telephone, or by mail. You will need to provide information on where we can send your kitty's prize. Both Cat of the Month Winners will receive a prize of our choosing.