Cats
0Loading crowd target
0Loading crowd target
8correct to beat the crowd
135 free Cats trivia questions with answers. Cats have captivated humans for over 10,000 years, from the temples of ancient Egypt to millions of modern homes worldwide. Whether you are a lifelong cat owner or simply fascinated by these enigmatic creatures, this quiz will test your knowledge across breeds, behavior, biology, and history. How many of these 135 questions can you get right?
30 of 135 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01How many lives are cats traditionally said to have?
Nine
In English-speaking cultures, cats are traditionally said to have nine lives, likely due to their remarkable ability to survive falls and dangerous situations.
Q 02What sound does a contented cat typically make?
Purring
Cats purr when they are content, though they may also purr when stressed or unwell. The exact mechanism of purring involves the rapid movement of the laryngeal muscles.
Q 03What is a group of cats called?
A clowder
A group of cats is called a clowder. A group of kittens is called a kindle or litter.
Q 04The Savannah breed was created by crossing domestic cats with which wild species?
Serval
The Savannah descends from a domestic cat crossed with a serval, the long-legged African wild cat; the first such kitten was born in 1986 and TICA accepted the breed in 2001.
Q 05The Bengal breed was created by crossing domestic cats with which wild species?
Asian leopard cat
The Bengal descends from crosses between domestic cats and the Asian leopard cat, Prionailurus bengalensis, whose species name gave the breed its name.
Q 06What is a baby cat called?
A kitten
A baby cat is called a kitten. The term comes from the Middle English word 'kitoun,' which was derived from Old French 'chitoun' or 'cheton.'
Q 07How often does a lapping cat's tongue touch the water's surface?
Four times a second
Cats lap about four times a second: the tongue tip touches the surface and pulls a column of water upward, and the jaws close before gravity pulls it back, as a 2010 MIT study showed.
Q 08In 1888 an Egyptian farmer uncovered a burial site holding hundreds of thousands of cats where?
Beni Hasan
The 1888 find was at Beni Hasan, where a farmer broke into a vast cat cemetery; tons of the mummies were later shipped to England and sold as fertilizer.
Q 09What color are most kittens' eyes when they are first born?
Blue
Almost all kittens are born with blue eyes. Their permanent eye color typically develops between 6-8 weeks of age as melanin production increases.
Q 10How many toes does a typical cat have in total?
18
Most cats have 18 toes — five on each front paw and four on each back paw. Cats with extra toes are called polydactyl cats.
Q 11How does the thickness of a cat's whiskers compare with its ordinary hairs?
More than double
A cat's whiskers are more than double the thickness of its ordinary hairs, and their roots sit about three times deeper in the skin, surrounded by dense nerve endings.
Q 12What is a female cat called?
A queen
A female cat is called a queen, especially when she is pregnant or nursing. An unspayed female may also be called a molly.
Q 13A cat's hearing extends up to roughly what frequency, far beyond the human limit of about 20 kHz?
79 kHz
Cats hear up to about 79 kHz, roughly four times the human ceiling of 20 kHz, which lets them pick up the ultrasonic calls of rodents.
Q 21What is the world record for the longest domestic cat ever recorded?
48.5 inches (123 cm)
Stewie, a Maine Coon from Reno, Nevada, measured 48.5 inches (123 cm) from nose to tail tip in 2010 and holds the Guinness record for the longest domestic cat ever.
Q 22What is a 'polydactyl' cat?
A cat with extra toes
A polydactyl cat has more than the usual number of toes. This genetic trait is especially common in certain populations, including cats in Boston and Key West, Florida. Ernest Hemingway was famous for keeping polydactyl cats.
Q 23What is the term for a cat with two different colored eyes?
Heterochromia
Q 14In which US state was the Ragdoll breed developed in the 1960s?
California
Ann Baker developed the Ragdoll in Riverside, California, in the 1960s, starting from a white longhaired cat named Josephine.
Q 15Cats can see using roughly what fraction of the light that humans need?
One-sixth
Cats can see with about one-sixth of the light humans need, thanks to a reflective layer behind the retina and a high density of rod cells that work in dim light.
Q 16Approximately how many hours per day does an adult cat sleep?
12-16 hours
Adult cats sleep an average of 12-16 hours per day, making them one of the sleepiest mammals. This behavior is an evolutionary adaptation from their wild ancestors, who conserved energy between hunts.
Q 17What is the term for a cat with three distinct fur colors (black, orange, and white)?
Calico
A calico coat combines white with patches of black and orange; a tortoiseshell has the black and orange without the white, and nearly all cats with either pattern are female.
Q 18What is the name of the reflective layer behind a cat's retina that enhances night vision?
Tapetum lucidum
The tapetum lucidum is a reflective layer of tissue behind the retina that bounces light back through the eye, giving photoreceptors a second chance to detect it. This is what causes cats' eyes to glow in the dark.
Q 19Which breed of cat is known for having no fur?
Sphynx
The Sphynx is known for its apparent hairlessness, though it carries a fine layer of peach-fuzz hair; the breed descends from a natural mutation first seen in a litter born in 1966.
Q 20Which compound in catnip triggers the plant's famous effect on cats?
Nepetalactone
Nepetalactone, a volatile oil in catnip leaves, triggers the response; cats detect it at under one part per billion, and silver vine and valerian provoke a similar reaction.
Heterochromia iridis is the condition where a cat has two different colored eyes. It is most common in white cats and certain breeds like Turkish Vans and Turkish Angoras.
Q 24Which wild species is the direct ancestor of the domestic cat?
African wildcat
The domestic cat descends from the African wildcat, Felis lybica; wildcats were domesticated in the Near East about 10,000 years ago alongside early farming.
Q 25Adult cats push their paws in and out on soft surfaces; what is this behavior thought to be?
A holdover from nursing as kittens
Kneading is a holdover from nursing as kittens, when they push against the mammary glands to stimulate milk flow; some adults still suckle on blankets while doing it.
Q 26Which cat breed is known for its flat face and long, luxurious fur?
Persian
The Persian cat is famous for its flat (brachycephalic) face, round eyes, and long, dense coat. Persians have been one of the most popular cat breeds since the Victorian era.
Q 27What kind of illness is toxoplasmosis, the reason expectant mothers avoid litter boxes?
A parasitic disease spread via cat feces
Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that cats shed in their feces; it also spreads through undercooked meat and from mother to baby during pregnancy.
Q 28Larry, Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office from 2011, took up residence at which address?
10 Downing Street
Larry arrived at 10 Downing Street from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in February 2011 and was kept as a civil-service cat rather than any prime minister's personal pet.
Q 29The Egyptian Mau, one of the fastest domestic breeds, has been clocked running faster than what speed?
30 mph (48 km/h)
Egyptian Maus have been clocked running faster than 30 mph (48 km/h), helped by a loose flap of skin between flank and hind leg that lengthens their stride.
Q 30In which country did the Siamese cat breed originate?
Thailand
The Siamese cat originated in Thailand, which was historically known as Siam. They were considered sacred and were kept by Thai royalty. Siamese cats first appeared in Europe in the late 19th century.