4-H goes to the fair

Gig Harbor teens show their cats in Puyallup

Susan Schell

of the Gateway

Two teens arrive at the Puyallup Fair and Events Center early in the morning before the public gates even open. Kelsey McAlexander and Kylie Hunter, members of the Gig Harbor group of the Pierce County 4-H Club, are returning for the second year to show their cats at the fair.

The cat barn is buzzing with activity as elementary- through high school-age 4-H members groom their cats, coddle them and place them in elaborately decorated cages. Each cage has a theme; the decorations themselves are judged at one point during the competition.

Group leaders gather for a morning meeting to discuss the day’s plans. Youths line up to get a time for their “herdsmanship duties.”

“Each member has a time for herdsmanship,” said Susan McAlexander, Kelsey’s mother. “They wear a vest and are a contact point for the public. They walk around and answer questions. They really have to know a lot about cats.”

Saturday was the Fitting and Showing competition. Each competitor was given a number, and the numbers were called in random order, making the show an all-day event.

The cats have to be squeaky clean, as the judges will look at their teeth, nose, ears, eyes and coat cleanliness, including their underbellies.

All the cats at the Puyallup fair are winners. To reach the state level, each cat had to win a blue ribbon at a qualifying county fair.

The 4-H members busy themselves at grooming tables with brushes, nail clippers, Q-tips, cotton balls and tissues, preparing their subjects for that all-important moment before the judge.

“This is good for the kids ’cause it teaches them total responsibility,” Susan McAlexander said. “The parents can’t do it. This teaches them how to groom, how to take care of the cat and organization.

“At the end of the fair, they have to put together a project book that describes what they’ve done.”

“There can’t be any dirt,” said Kelsey McAlexander, wiping the ears of her creamy orange-colored cat, Little Bit, who was taking it all in stride. “I have another cat at home, but you can only bring one. He’s totally mellow.”

“She could wear him over her shoulders,” Susan McAlexander said. “When he was little, he’d walk beside her down the street. He thinks he’s a dog.”

While calmness is a desired quality for 4-H cats, the brunt of the nerve-wracking is absorbed by the owners.

It was the first year at the fair for 10-year-old Hazel Atwill and her cat, Jelly Bean.

“It’s a lot of fun,” she said. “But I keep getting hungry. My mom said it’s because I’m nervous.”

Just then, a voice came over the loudspeaker at the cat barn: “The temperature is expected to reach 85 degrees today. I know all of you will take good care of your subjects. But remember to take care of yourselves. Drink plenty of water.”

After the cats are prepared, the members dress for the competition. They have to be neat and clean in appearance. In the Fitting and Show competition, they are judged along with their cats.

When their number is called, they gather their cats and proceed to the judging area, located in a separate barn next door. The cats are then placed in separate cages opposite the judges while their owners await their turn.

Audience members watch the competition from the bleachers. The judges sit with their backs to the audience, while the 4-H members face the crowd.

When they are called, the owners place their subjects on a table in front of the judge. That’s when the relationship between cat and owner is most apparent — most competitors appear to be presenting their most precious, prized possession before the king.

Besides the cat’s cleanliness, the members are judged for attentiveness, courtesy and how they control the cat. Even if a cat protests, wriggles or hisses, it can win a blue ribbon if the owner handles the situation well and displays coolness under pressure.

Finally, the judges ask contestants three questions relating to cats. The questions are based on what level and which of the 4-H handbooks the member is studying.

The competitors are divided into three categories: Juniors are elementary school students, intermediates are middle-schoolers and seniors are in high school.

The judges are volunteers, as are the students who clean the cat cages in the judge’s barn.

Each member who competes in the cat show may not walk away with a blue ribbon, but they will walk away with knowledge and life skills that will help them down the road.

A printout in the judge’s barn reads: “If you give your cat the understanding and affection he needs, he will return your affection and love a hundred times over.”

Reach reporter Susan Schell at 253-853-9240 or by e-mail at susan.schell@gateline.com.