The “Paws-N-Claws” 4-H Club of Jefferson County is inviting youth and their adult guardians to the 4-H’s “Cat Project” for an orientation meeting.

Paws-N-Claws meets at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10, in the Washington State University Extension classroom at 97 Oak Bay Rd. in Port Hadlock.

Laurie Hampton, the main club leader for Paws-N-Claws for the 30 years it’s been active in Jefferson County, noted that the 4-H Cat Project is one of the more recent additions to the curriculum.

Hampton summarized the Cat Project as “a companion animal project,” whose goal is to teach 4-H Club members to be good cat owners.

“4-H Club members learn about the many aspects of cat care, as well as the history of cats,” Hampton said. “4-Hers also get to have fun by decorating cat cages, and learning about cat costumes.”

Although all cats are welcome in the 4-H Cat Project itself — “most of the cats in this cat project are household pets, not purebreds” — Hampton requested that no cats be brought to the Oct. 10 orientation meeting.

Paws-N-Claws meets twice a month, and actively participates in other county and state-level events in the 4-H Program. Events teach values such as leadership, public speaking, record keeping, community service, fundraising, and both the county fair and the Washington State 4-H Fair.

“4-H parents and other adults are strongly encouraged to attend and participate as well,” Hampton said. “This is not a drop-off club. It takes all of us to make everything that we do happen.”

Hampton outlined that are no requirements to join the 4-H Cat Project.

“Youths without cats are welcome to join us,” Hampton said. “There’s no specific number of people whom we’re looking to recruit. Youths and adults who come to Paws-N-Claws do so because they love cats, and they stay because 4-H is a good fit for them and their families.”

Among the 4-H Cat Project’s recent successes is Paws-N-Claws club member Gwen Mathews, who took part in the Washington State 4-H Fair in Puyallup last month with her cat Chloe.

Mathews received a trophy as the Intermediate 2024 Washington State 4-H Cat Showmanship Champion.

“Intermediate” refers to how 4-H members compete by age and grade groups, and youths in grades 6, 7 and 8 qualify as “Intermediates.”

“‘Showmanship’ is a competition class unique to 4-H, and happens in every 4-H project,” Hampton said. “In the Cat Project, it requires that the 4-H member present their cat to the judge and, using a routine, show their cat’s condition, which is its grooming and health, and its conformation, which is how the cat is physically put together.”

From there, the 4-H member is tasked with answering at least five questions, in five different areas of knowledge, to demonstrate their cat knowledge. Hampton can be reached at catwoman@olympus.net.

For more information about the 4-H Club of Jefferson County, email county 4-H Coordinator Anji Scalf at anji.scalf@wsu.edu, or visit extension.wsu.edu/Jefferson/4-h online.