how fun! i think, though, as a challenge entry, the composition is what is holding the score down. as a centered subject, it is too deep in the image. also, there's not quite enough contrast between the subject and the white house behind it. this is a nice bw, and i hope it doesn't get lost in the shuffle of this huge challenge. good luck!
It looks like the ground in front of the cat is in focus but the cat itself might not be... I would suggest a less centered approach next time. Try putting the subject on the left 3rd. You could even take this image and chop off either the left side or the right side to see how it works.
Interesting perspective. Perhaps this would be better if there was more contrast between the cat and the background, he/she seems to blend in to the white house behind.