Upworthy's book GOOD PEOPLE, now available - take a look!

Shop
 Explore 

funny pets

Joy

15 of the funniest entries in the 2024 Comedy Pet Photography Awards contest

Which one is your favorite?

via COmedy Pet Photography Awards

Two funny entries in the Comedy Pet Photography Awards.

It's that time of the year again when Upworthy shares our favorite snaps from the Comedy Pet Photography Awards. We've handpicked 15 of the top 30 nominees in this year's competition to share, which include a headless horse, an angry Yorkie and a hungry tortoise.

The Comedy Pet Photography Awards were started by Paul Joynson Hicks and Tom Sullam, who are both professional photographers. They created this fun competition to highlight pets' vital role in our lives and to promote animal welfare.

While the contest is all about funny photos, it carries a meaningful message. “Through the Comedy Pets, we want to promote positive awareness of animal welfare issues and celebrate the incredible and valuable contribution that pets can and do have on our lives," the founders say on the competition's website.

Go to the Comedy Pet Photographic Awards' website to see all 30 of the competition's photos and vote on the People's Choice Category through June 2, 2024.

Here are Upworthy's 15 favorite photos from the competition.

1. "Dancing Queen" by Vera Faupel (Germany)

comedy pet awards, funny pet photos, photography awards

"What can I say, this dog (Pepper the Pointer) loves to jump!" — Vera Faupel

2. "Cat in a Trap" by Kenichi Morinaga (Japan)

"Cat in a trap it looks like the video game Super Mario World." — Kenichi Morinaga

3. "Hard Workers" by Atsuki Ohshima (Japan)

"They give their all in every situation." — Atsuki Ohshima

4. "Not Just for Cats" by Sarah Haskell (England)

"Hector saw the cat do it...so thought he would give it a try ....and this is about as far as he got before reversing out the way he came. But the cat made it look so easy." — Sarah Haskell

5. "What am I Thinking?" by David Kertzman (Brazil)

"A little shake of the head and... where is everyone? I was lucky enough to click at the exact moment the head disappeared." — David Kertzman

6. "Grumpy Dog" by Luiza Ribiero (Brazil)

"Meet Nick Barry, a 5-year-old Yorkie with a special talent for hilarious expressions. This may not be his most flattering photo, but that frown is undeniably captivating — a true portrait of a dog who doesn't need smiles to win our hearts." — Luiza Ribieo

7. "Who Are You?" by Sylvia Jiang (England)

"Loki and a lion." — Sylvia Jiang

8. "Peekaboo" by Bernard Sim (Singapore)

"Look, ma, no eyes!" — Bernard Sim

9. "New Rose" by Jonathan Casey (United Kingdom)

"Edgar loves to eat flowers, and her favorites are dandelions for spring, snapdragons for summer and here she can be seen gobbling a whole Gertrude Jekyll rose last September. We grow them for her and as she is elderly we handfeed her, sometimes snapping her in between bites as you can see." — Jonathan Casey

10. I Believe I Can Fly" by Julie Smith (Ireland)

"Flying poodle." — Julie Smith

11. "I Think I Saw A Mouse" by Debby Thomas (USA)

"This beautiful and athletic gelding loves to try to fly off the ground! This is one of the series of leaps he performs." — Debby Thomas

12. "It's Cold" by Tammo Zelle (Germany)

"Our dog had a lot of fun in the snow, but unfortunately ice crystals always stick to his paws." — Tammo Zelle

13. "Sun Lover" by Alina Vogel (Germany)

"This is Freddie, he was my first Hamster and probably the most photogenic ever. Freddie died recently and that's the last honor I want to pay my little friend." — Alina Vogel

14. "It's Time to Get Up" by Lock Liu (China)

"Every morning, my dog wakes me up by lying on my chest until I open my eyes." — Lock Liu

15. "The Proud Pup and His Best Friend" by Darya Zelentsova (USA)

"Ludo von Lickenface, the sweetest 16-year-old rescue pup, strikes a pose alongside his beloved guardian, David." — Darya Zelentsova

From Your Site Articles

pets

Joy

Cat who refuses to eat wet food without a side salad has people 'warning' owner

"Next thing you know he’ll be demanding oat milk in his latte."

With permission from Dina Moeller/Instagram

Shaggy has to have his greens with his meal.

Cats have a reputation for being fickle little weirdos, and for good reason. Perhaps your Persian wakes you up every morning by affectionately chewing on your hair. Maybe your tabby has a pet almond that he carries around like a security blanket. Maybe your Maine Coon likes to sleep with his face buried in your shoe.

Since finickiness is an innate feline trait, it shouldn't surprise us to hear about a kitty's particular peculiarity, but it often does. because just when we think we've heard all of the strange things that cats do, someone shares a new one that makes us laugh, scratch our heads and say, "Huh?!"

For instance, meet Shaggy, the cat who won't eat his wet food unless it's accompanied by a side salad.

"Side salad" is not some cute nickname for a kitty treat, by the way—we're talking about a literal salad on an actual salad plate, human being-style.

Witness:

@the_shags2021
#blackcat #housepanthers #funnycat #spoiledcat #pickycat #catseating #healthyeating #becausecats #salads #catsareweird

Shaggy's owner, Dina Moeller, tells Upworthy that he started off life as a feral cat. Now here he is living the bougie life, full-on expecting a fancy, multi-course meal.

The good people of the internet, of course, have had a heyday in the comments, "warning" Moeller about this behavior.

"Actually cats shouldn’t eat sides of salad," wrote one person. "They should not because, long term the cat will end up expecting a candle lit table with a glass of wine and live smooth jazz. You need to be more careful."

"You shouldn’t feed your cats salads," wrote another. "If you do, they may end up becoming baddies and making gym girl/bro thirst trap videos on IG before moving on to becoming health gurus who are only licensed by YTube 😂."

"Don’t do this!! The cat will ingest iron from the leafy greens, become too strong, and take over your entire family (and then the world) 😔," cautioned another.

"Next thing you know he’ll be demanding oat milk in his latte," added another.

Many people joked about Shaggy requesting a wine list and cleansing his palette, while other cat owners chimed in to commiserate with their own kittys' quirks:

"My black cat prefers to drink hot water (not warm), which I have to leave for him on the side of the bathtub every morning. I have no idea how we got there either 😂," shared one person.

"My cat won't eat the dry food if she's not there to see it poured," shared another. "This is fun at 4:30am."

"I have to sit with Tiki while he is eating his wet food and the entire house must be silent. I sneezed during his dinner the other night and ruined his whole meal 😂," shared another.

Many people suggested that Shaggy might have "whisker fatigue" from using the bowl for his wet food and suggested putting it on a flat plate like the salad.

But as Moeller's showed in another video, the whiskers do not appear to be the issue, as Shaggy will go to the fridge and shove his entire face, whiskers and all, into the bag of salad.

@the_shags2021
#catsareweird #blackcats #funnycat #spoiledcat #healthyeating #becausecats #housepanthers ##catsarelife #whiskerfatigue #saladcat #catseating

But it's not just salad that Shaggy craves.

"He steals all my food," Moeller tells Upworthy. "Bagels out of the toaster, fights me for muffins or scones, tries to get cookies out of containers or wrappings! Nothing is safe from his appetite!"

While it's not great for cats to eat too much human food, Moeller has discussed Shaggy's habit with her vet and is cautious about what kind and how much people food he gets. There's only so much you can do with a cat's unique quirks, though—and Shaggy's got plenty of them.

"He’s kind of a cat’s cat and a bit of a punk," says Moeller. "Doesn’t listen. Nothing scares him when he’s determined to do something good, bad or unsafe. Eats the plants when he wants to annoy me or get my attention. He gives me a hard time when I work at my desk past 6:30pm."

Shaggy is quite the talker, too, having "conversations" with Moeller. "He likes to hide behind behind the shower curtain in the bathroom when I’m in there," Moeller adds. "When I call his name and wonder out loud where he is, he will burst out from under it as if to say, 'Here I am!'"

Here's to our cats and all their quirky quirks. You can follow Shaggy on Instagram and TikTok.

pets

Joy

15 of the best entries in the 2023 Comedy Pet Photography Awards contest

Which photo do you think is funniest?

via © Sophie Boynton/Comedy Pets and © Masayoshi Yamamoto/Comedy Pets

A diving doggie and frisky feline

It’s time again for what has become an annual Upworthy tradition, sharing our favorite photos from the Comedy Pet Photography Awards. We’ve selected 15 of the top 25 nominees in the competition, and they include a dog that looks like a superhero, a chubby cat that sits like a human and a cute encounter between a canine and a rodent.

The competition was created by Paul Joynson Hicks and Tom Sullam, both professional photographers, to celebrate the vital role that pets play in our lives and to encourage engagement in animal welfare.

The contest may feature funny photos, but it has a serious message. “Through the Comedy Pets, we want to promote positive awareness of animal welfare issues and celebrate the incredible and valuable contribution that pets can and do have on our lives,” the competition’s creators say on its website.

“Once again, we have been treated to some really funny entries in the competition, and such a wide range of animals this year from ferrets to tortoises to donkeys as well as hundreds of hilarious cats and dogs,” Tom Sullam, co-founder of the Comedy Pets said in a statement. “The job is now on to find the Overall Winner of Comedy Pets 2023 and, of course, the People’s Choice Award winner where everyone can get involved. Go to the website to learn how to vote for your favorite finalist.”

The 25 shortlisted nominees will now be judged by a panel of animal lovers from the fields of broadcasting, wildlife conservation and photography. The winners will be announced on August 11.

Here are our 15 favorite nominees from the 2023 Comedy Pet Photography Awards.

1. "A Life Changing Event" by Michel Zoghzoghi (Lebanon)

cats, funny cat photos, comedy pet awards

A kitty looms over another kitty.

"Alex is the shy one. Max is the playful one. Together they form a lethally cute duo. I had more fun taking photos of these two than during my most adventurous wildlife photography trips." — Michel Zoghzoghi

2. "Barking" by Chris Porsz (U.S.)

dogs, funny cat photos, comedy pet awards

A diving doggie.

"In March 2019 I was sat in the Union Square dog run when I spotted a lady with a pink bag in her hand throwing a ball to her dog which sat down facing her. The dog then launched itself and flipped in mid-air to face me and snap! As you can see the lady with her hand on her head was as surprised as me and I think she is saying 'Phew!' I have searched in vain via the NY media to find the owner so that I can send her a copy. ... I am hoping this competition can help me find the mystery woman and her leaping dog. You never know!" – Chris Porsz

3. "The Big Boss" by Kenichi Morinaga (Japan)

A chubby cat with attitude.

"Big Boss is the boss around here. He is gentle and kind." — Kenichi Morinaga

4. "Kylian's Sleep" by Katia Pillonel (Switzerland)

A dog and a stuffed orangutan

"Kylian could not sleep in another bed. Maybe he dreamt of being in the jungle." — Katia Pillonel

5. "When Digging Gets Serious" by Sophie Boynton (U.K.)

A dog with his head in the sand

"Shadow was digging holes as normal at the beach when all of a sudden, he was showing off his new technique! Luckily the camera was at the ready for this crazy position!" — Sophie Boynton

6. "Albert Einstein" by Masayoshi Yamamoto (Japan)

A cat sticking out its tongue

"He stuck out his tongue at me like the famous Einstein photo." — Masayoshi Yamamoto

7. "So This is The Source of Happiness" by Corinne Mooser (Switzerland)

A dog surrounded by hemp plants

"That explains so much :D (Don't worry, it's just regular, industrial hemp)." — Corinne Mooser

8. "Oscar" by Lana Polykova (Russia)

An Afghan greyhound with amazing hair

"Yes, his name is Oscar. He is an Afghan greyhound and is very pleased with himself." — Lana Polykova

9. "Keep Your Eye on the Ball" by Gill Woodcock (U.K.)

A dog cranes its neck back trying to get a ball.

That dog has an incredibly flexible neck.

10. "Zorro Reborn" by Karl Goldhamer (Germany)

A dog that looks like it's wearing a Zorro mask

"The avenger of the poor is back, but this time as a dog and not on a horse, but in a car!" — Karl Goldhamer

11. "A Lovely Couple" by Lana Polykova (Russia)

A dog and a woman with similar hair

"I couldn't get past this couple!" — Lana Polykova

12. "Who are You?" by Udo Krauss (Germany)

A dog and a mouse sniff each other.

"Our cat Lilly played with a mouse, we saved the mouse, and our dog Amy was fascinated by the mouse." — Udo Krauss

13. "My Face When My Crush Says 'Hi'" by Kerstin Leichtenmüller (Austria)

A dog playing in a pile of leaves

"We tried to get a dreamy autumn photo of Milo, but instead of lying a bit on his side, he rolled around like crazy. His family loves this shot because it shows his personality better than any other picture." — Kerstin Leichtenmüller

14. "Flying Poodle" by John Young (U.K.)

A poodle that appears to be flying

"This is Barney, our toy poodle, caught mid-flight whilst running." — John Young

15. "Bidule as Goalkeeper" by Felix Larcher (France)

A cat that looks like it's playing goalie

"Playing with our cat named Bidule, with a paper ball." — Felix Larcher

From Your Site Articles

pet photos