Bloglander

Several weeks ago, on a whim, we thought it would be fun to have a Cat Friday photo contest of cats wearing Halloween costumes. The Internet has clearly proven there's little else that people love more than silly cat photos, and what's more silly than a cat wearing a Halloween costume? We figured we would get maybe — maybe — five or so submissions, because frankly, putting a cat into a costume is a lot of work. Most people give up at the first scratch, as they probably should, and most cats will hate the experience so much you'll never get a good photo. (Note: We did not encourage anyone to force their cat to wear a costume.)

As the days after announcing the contest went on, we were delighted by the submissions we received, and then absolutely surprised. Either by a chance Google search for "cat halloween costume photo contest" or some other act of fate, people from all over the U.S. submitted photos of their cats in cute costumes. In the end, around half of the submissions were from outside the Inland Northwest. That alone made it hard for us to pick a "favorite" or a winner, and really, let's be honest: ALL of these cats deserve recognition for their efforts. So, we decided to feature all of the submissions here for everyone to enjoy, as we did so much. There is a small catch, though. We will feature one "winner" in a special Cat Friday ad in an upcoming print edition of the Inlander. There was no plan for a prize at first, since we doubted we'd receive more than a few submissions at all. Next year, though, we'll plan to have some exciting treats in store.

So, without further delay, we present the amazing submissions in this year's Inlander Cat Friday "Halloween Cats Photo Contest." Thank you to everyone who participated! We'll notify our "winner," to be featured in an upcoming print edition of the Inlander, via email.

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Harley the "Bat Cat" from Howard, Penn. Submitted by Beth and Colleen.

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Leaper the vampire kitty, a Siamese and Abyssinian mix from Columbia, Penn., submitted by PJ.

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Peaches the cowgirl (cow-cat?), from Spokane, submitted by Holly Prosser.

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Bali the kitty-shark, from Denver, Colo. Submitted by Christel.

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Polly, a nine-month-old "Dracula" kitten from Atlanta, Ga. Submitted by Kristie Feltner.

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Maddie, a cute "old witch," from Spokane, Wash. Submitted by Will.

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Claire the Maine Coon, from Spokane, Wash. Submitted by Mary Charbonneau.

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Pancakes the hotdog, from Spokane, Wash. Submitted by Carrie Paine.

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Peppermint Patty in a monster hat, from Spokane, Wash. Submitted by Melanie Fiegl.

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Kanga, the 15-year-old Himalayan, from Spokane. Submitted by Katrina.

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Quila the shark-cat, from Spokane. Submitted by Jessica Leach.

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Beatrix, another local shark cat, from Spokane. Submitted by Melissa.

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Geo the lobster, from Philadelphia. Submitted by Rachel.

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Geo's sister, Gracie the ladybug-cat, also from Philadelphia. Submitted by Rachel.

Monkey, another cute witch, from Long Beach, Calif. Submitted by Courtney.

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"Her Royal Highness" Drama, from Morris Plains, NJ. Submitted by Laura Bean.

Jinxy, who is Halloween cat enough without a costume, her owner says, from Columbus, Indiana.

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Nathan the cowboy cat, from Spokane Valley. Submitted by Amanda.

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Daisy, another adorable witch kitty, and Nathan's brother, from Spokane Valley.

Jitters, a cat dressed as a "crazy cat lady," from Torrance, Calif. Submitted by Leah Workman.

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Justus, a dapper Scottish cat, also from Torrance, Calif.

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Melvin the witch, from Pittsburgh, Penn. Submitted by Abby.

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Sam, an alumni of SpokAnimal, looked adorable this Halloween. From Spokane, submitted by Sallie Sears.