Books:
Brave Dog, Gentle Dogs: How They Guard Sheep (2005); A Young Shepherd (2006); Puppies, Puppies Everywhere (2007); Cattle Kids: A Year on the Western Range (2007); The Shepherd’s Trail (2008)
Government Publications:
State of the County 2007-2008, for the Sublette Board of Commissioners, Pinedale, Wyoming.
Journalism:
PinedaleOnline, Pinedale, Wyoming: Cat began working for PinedaleOnline, an online news source, in the fall of 2006 after leaving a full-time newspaper reporting position. The online news site now hosts a webpage called Wolf Watch, which is Cat’s regular news blog.
Sublette Examiner, Pinedale Wyoming: Cat was feature reporter for five years for this award-winning weekly community newspaper in which she helped to found in 2001. Cat left the full-time staff position in November 2006, but still serves as a freelance reporter and photographer for the paper. Prior to founding the Examiner, Cat was a reporter for the Pinedale Roundup.
Cat is a correspondent for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup (since 2000), Agri-News (since 1999) Casper Star-Tribune (since 2001), Planet Jackson Hole (since 2006), Fremont County Voices (since 2006) and the Wyoming Business Report (since 2006). She’s also written for Native Peoples, Farm Times, Range, Shepherd and Planning magazines. She’s been an election stringer for the Associated Press since 1998.
Cat’s photographs now appear in Highlight’s High Five, and as weekly “Wild Life” in the Sublette Examiner.
Photography awards:
2008. Cat’s photography of livestock guardian animals was featured prominently in the new book, “Livestock Guardians: Using dogs, donkeys and llamas to protect your herd,” written by Janet Vorwald Dohner and published by Storey Publishing.
2007 Wyoming Business Council Agribusiness Division; two first-place wins in summer photo contest: “Spring Nursery” and “First Ride.”
2007 Wyoming Business Council Agribusiness Division; two first-place wins in spring photo contest: “Shear Muscle” and “Burro Snow.”
2007 Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibit: two works (“Moon Sheep” and “Herder”) chosen for juried state exhibit. Cheyenne, WY. Moon Sheep received purchased award, becoming part of state art collection.
2006 Art Show at the Dog Show Exhibit: “Nose to Nose” and “Running Guard” chosen for national juried exhibit. Wichita, KS.
2006 Wyoming Press Association: Second place, portrait: “Family Tradition.”
2005 American Sheep Industry photo contest: Grand Champion, open category: “Nose to Nose.”
2005 Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibit: “Truman’s Trail” chosen for juried state exhibit. Cheyenne, WY.
2004 Wyoming Press Association 1st place portrait/personality photo and sweepstakes photo winner: Girl with lamb
2004 WPA scenic/pictorial photo honorable mention: Island Moose
2004 American Sheep Industry photo contest: Second runner up, action category: “Summer Camp Arrival” photo.
Additional honors:
• 2007. Attended Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop at Chautauqua.
• 2007, June 11, 2007. National Public Radio’s All Things Considered aired show “Guardian Dogs Help Ranchers Protect Livestock,” featuring Cat, her livestock guardian dogs and her books.
• 2007 Spring: Wyoming Library Roundup magazine, cover photograph.
* 2005 Shepherd’s Voice award for print media – American Sheep Industry Association
* 2004 Portavoz award for media - Wyoming Wool Growers Association
* Outstanding news reporter 2003, Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts
• 2003, March: Shepherd magazine, cover photograph.
Journalism Awards:
2004 Wyoming Press Association (WPA) 1st place, In-depth reporting: “Brucellosis in Sublette County.”
2003 WPA 1st place, In-depth reporting: “Public trust doctrin”
2003 WPA 2nd place, Government issue reporting: “Sheep allotment complex”
2002 WPA, 1st place, In-depth reporting: “Food storage order.”
2002 WPA Honorable mention, In-depth reporting: “Instream flow”
2002 WPA 2nd place, Government issue reporting: “RS-2477 Erramouspe Road”
2000 National Newspaper Association (NNA) 2nd place, Best coverage of environmental issues, daily and non-daily newspapers.
2000 NNA, Honorable Mention, Democracy Award, daily and non-daily newspapers
2000 WPA Honorable Mention, In-depth reporting, large weekly: "Range reform lawsuit."
2000 WPA Honorable Mention, Special Section, large weekly:
"Century of Hunting."
1999 NNA 3rd place, Best coverage of agricultural news, daily and non-daily newspapers, circulation less than 5,000
1999 NNA 3rd place, Best coverage of environmental issues, daily and non-daily newspapers.
1998 WPA Honorable Mention, Government issue reporting: "Bighorn/Domestic sheep."
1998 WPA Honorable Mention, Best special section, Election '98.
1998 National Newspaper Association, 1st place, Best coverage of agricultural news, circulation less than 5,000
1997 Wyoming Press Association, Honorable Mention, Government issue reporting: "County inches forward on road."

 Author Cat Urbigkit with sheep
Writer/Photographer:

Cat Urbigkit has been a full-time writer since 1996. She is a correspondent for a variety of newspapers in the western region, freelances for several magazines, and is the author of a web-based news site for information about Rocky Mountain wolves.

Cat writes and photographs non-fiction books for children. She also has an adult non-fiction book on the history of wolves in Wyoming due for publication in 2008.

In 2001, Cat expanded her activities to include photography, focusing her efforts on documenting western Wyoming’s migratory sheep industry and the animals involved in this primitive method of agriculture. Her photographs capture sheep, guardian dogs and horses, as well as Nepalese and Mexican herders, Basque ranch owners, quiet camps and vast landscapes. Other topics Cat has included in developing her photography portfolio of more than 15,000 images include western cattle ranching, the natural gas industry, high desert cushion plants, domestic animals, Rocky Mountain wildlife and Indian relay racing.

Cat has won numerous awards for her journalism, her books, and her photography. She lives on a working sheep and cattle ranch in western Wyoming with her family and her livestock guardian animals.