Animal Science
4-H Cat Project
The Colorado 4-H Cat Project teaches youth all aspects of responsible cat ownership.
Unit 1 focuses on choosing, caring for, grooming, and understanding cats, including breed identification, health care, and safety. Unit 2 builds these skills through training, showing, and reinforcing responsible ownership. Unit 3 encourages leadership by comparing cat life stages, organizing shows and clinics, understanding local laws, and teaching others about cats.
Counties who offer cat shows may require completion of the Companion Animal e-Record. If you are completing a Display Board for your project to exhibit, you must use the Cat-Display Board e-Record.
Project Overview
Unit 1
Designed for members 8-18 years old.
Inspiring youth to:
- Gather information about owning a cat
- Decide on best type of cat
- Properly groom a cat
- Communicate procedure and benefits of spaying/neutering
- Use body type to help identify different breeds
- Name, locate and describe at least 15 body parts
- Conduct a cat hazards home survey
- Decide on type of litter preferred
- Develop a budget
- Create an up-to-date record of vaccinations
Unit 2
Designed for members 8-18 years old.
Inspiring youth to:
- Learn more about cat identification
- Learn about training and showing cats
- Gain knowledge about responsible cat ownership
Unit 3
Designed for members 8-18 years old.
Inspiring youth to:
- Compare aged vs younger cat
- Identify cat’s body system
- Organize a cat show
- Conduct showmanship clinic
- Learn and record community cat laws
- Assess own leadership skills
- Teach cat activity
Official Project Materials
Materials & Curriculum
Member Resources
Find Your County
Counties play a crucial role in 4-H by providing a platform for young people to learn and grow.
Counties facilitate the delivery of 4-H programs that are of particular interest in their area and qualified, compassionate adult leaders run local clubs to support our youth 4-H members.
To find out if this project is supported locally, contact your local extension office.
Upcoming Events
Currently there are no events scheduled at this time associated to this page. Please check back for the latest events as they are scheduled.
Project Tips
- Complete the Companion Animal e-Record if you are showing your cat
- Complete the Cat Display Board e-record if you are only doing a display board to complete the project
- Do as many activities in the manual as possible
- Share new skills through demonstrations, talks and exhibits
- Find a topic for your exhibit from what you have learned
- Help put together a cat show at your county fair
- Enter your exhibit in your county fair
- Help put together a vet clinic for cat members in your club
Judging Criteria
- Project will be judged on your completed e-record (demonstrations, talks, story, and pictures, with at least one action shot of you doing something with your project)
- e-Record should be neat and legible
- A display board illustrating a topic investigated during the project year
Careers
Groomer
Provide grooming and salon services for owners of cats
Retail
Provide sales of products at different retail levels for cat owners
Veterinarian
Provide veterinary health
services to cats
Showing
Be a professional fitter or
shower at cat shows
Rescue Operations
Work with emergency disaster organizations to assist with animals during a disaster or at animal care facilities
Journalist
Provide informational
articles and resources
for those involved in the
cat industry
Zoologist
Study the effect of
nutrition, environment,
genetics and more for
cat populations
Information Technology
Support individuals and businesses that provide feline services, remote work, and education