Catspreading 'Big Boss' among finalists of Comedy Pet Photography Awards

 cat
cat

Countless pet owners claim that their dog or cat is the funniest animal on the planet. And those assertions might actually not be too far from the truth, as evidenced by the 2023 finalists of the Comedy Pet Photography Awards. From a poodle flying through the air to a kitty sticking its tongue out to the camera, house pet hijinks have reached a whole new level.

The winners of the contest will be announced August 11.

A life changing event

cats
cats

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.

Barking

dog and people
dog and people

In March 2019 I sat in the dog run in Union Square in New York City when I spotted a lady with a pink bag on her hand (to keep her hand clean) throwing a ball to her dog, which sat facing her. The dog then launched itself and flipped in midair 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 New York media to find the owner so that I can send her a copy. No [luck], so I'm hoping this Pet Comedy competition can help me find the mystery woman and her leaping dog. You never know!

The big boss

cat
cat

Big Boss is the boss around here. He is gentle and [his] kindness just [as] big.

Kylian's sleep

dog and stuffed animal
dog and stuffed animal

Kylian could not sleep in another bed. Maybe he dreamt of [the] jungle....

When digging gets serious

dog
dog

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!

Victory

cat
cat

Perfect landing pose, right?

The three greys

dogs and a woman
dogs and a woman

Karin and her two dogs. Don't they all look almost the same?

Albert Einstein

two cats
two cats

He [stuck] out his tongue at me [just like the] famous Einstein photo.

The 498th round of hide and seek

dog and cat
dog and cat

Misty the spaniel desperately wanted to play with Nala, the dignified older lady of the menagerie. She wasn't that keen; fortunately Misty was pretty terrible at hide and seek.

Football free kick

pets
pets

The pressure of football and waiting for the free kick.

So, this is the source of happiness

dog
dog

That explains so much. (Don't worry, it's just regular hemp for industry.)

The first outdoor walk

ferret
ferret

Tiny happy ferret Boudicca (only 2.5 months old) enjoys her first outdoor walk.

Oscar

dog
dog

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

Bidule as goalkeeper

cat
cat

We were playing with our cat named Bidule, with a [ball of paper].

Keep your eye on the ball

dog
dog

Trying in vain to catch the ball.

Pop up

cat
cat

He seems to pop out of the autumn leaves, doesn't he?

Ball play silhouette

dog
dog

Bobby reaching for the ball against a beautiful sunset. We were taking photos of Bobby as the sun was quickly setting and disappearing behind the hill. I was changing the setting on my camera, to keep the detail on a black dog against a nice sky and soon realized to just go with the simple option and shoot him as a silhouette.

Zorro reborn

dog
dog

The avenger of the poor is back, but this time as a dog and not on a horse, but in a car! The obligatory black mask is a must, of course.

A lovely couple

woman and dog
woman and dog

I couldn't get past this couple!

Little Daisy and her big future

dogs
dogs

Two sisters from different litters: self-confident Crystal and cute baby Daisy.

Is it a seal or a dog?

dog
dog

There's a hiding place under the sofa where Louis likes to hide. That day I took his tennis ball from "his place," he got angry and put his head out through the hole barking asking for his ball back. That's when he turned into this angry seal, and I decided to register the moment.

Edgar's dandelion

tortoise
tortoise

Beautiful Edgar's favorite foods are the leaves and dandelions. Here she's seen taking her time to savor the flavor.

Who are you?

dog
dog

Our cat Lilly played with a mouse. We saved the mouse, and our dog Amy was fascinated by it.

My face when my crush says "hi"

dog
dog

We tried to get a dreamy autumn photo of Milo. 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.

Flying poodle

dog
dog

This is Barney, our toy poodle, caught mid-flight while running.