Can You Answer These Questions Every Cat Owner Should Know?

By: Lauren Lubas
Estimated Completion Time
5 min
Can You Answer These Questions Every Cat Owner Should Know?
Image: Ashley Gill/OJO Images/gettyimages

About This Quiz

A division has been made and sides have been chosen. It is very clear that there are two types of people in this world: cat people and dog people. Cat people hate how easy it is to win a dog's affection. Dog people hate how cats are impossible to attract. Cat people love the pensive relaxation a cat relies on. Dog people love how they can bring their animals outdoors. It's obvious that the division between cat people and dog people is based on core values on what a pet should be, and while there are the occasional "animal people" speckled throughout the population, no one can deny that they do have their favorite species. 

If you identify yourself as a cat person, you probably know a thing or two about working for the love of a feline. However, there is much more to cat ownership than wondering if you're going to get too much attention or the cold shoulder in any given day. As a matter of fact, cats are incredibly complex creatures, and their every move is calculated precisely to their instinctual needs and their animalistic wants. If you think you know everything there is to know about cats, try to answer these questions that every cat owner should know.


Which of these is NOT okay for a domestic cat to eat?
Canned tuna
Raw chicken
Grapes
Fish
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cats, and most animals, can't digest the skin of grapes. However, most meats and fish are okay to feed your cat. Be sure to consult your veterinarian before feeding your cat table scraps.

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Which breed of cat has long hair?
Persian
Siamese
Sphynx
No cats have long hair.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Persians are long-haired domestic cats. Purebred Persians are known to be finicky, but they are worth a lot of money.

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Which of these is not an ideal toy for a cat?
A scratching post
A cat condo
A stuffed animal
Christmas tinsel
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A stuffed animal, a cat condo and a scratching post are all great toys for your cat. However, tinsel is something your cat can't digest, and you should try to avoid having it around, if possible.

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Is it okay for a cat to be overweight?
Yes. It's actually pretty funny.
No. Cats should be underweight.
No. It can cause them pain.
Yes. They don't get heart disease.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cats that are overweight often suffer from joint pain. This can make them mean to humans. It is important to keep an eye on your cat's weight and ensure that they are eating properly.

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What are cats most known for?
Their loyalty
Their agility
Their ability to talk
Their ability to make their own dinners
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Unlike dogs, cats can scale fences, walk tight ropes and jump incredibly high. They have the reflexes of… well, a cat. Their agility is unparalleled in the domestic animal kingdom.

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How often should you get your cat's teeth cleaned?
Once a year
Every five years
Never
Once a month
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Your cat's teeth are much like yours. Sure, they don't eat sugar, but their teeth wear down over time, and food does get caught in them. Unlike humans, can't can't clean their own teeth, so it is a good idea to schedule a cleaning once a year.

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If your cat doesn't like putting their paws on the ground, what could be the problem?
Your cat was bitten by a dog.
Your cat may have litter in its paws.
Your cat isn't hungry.
Your cat has conjunctivitis.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It is important to pay attention to the type of litter you use for your cat. Fine litters can often get stuck in a cat's paw, especially if the cat has been declawed. If you see your cat limping, attempt to clean its paws and change your litter brand.

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Where do cats like to sit when they are uncomfortable?
As high as they can get
On people's laps
On piles of clothes
As close to the vacuum as possible
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When cats are uncomfortable, they like to observe their territory. Additionally, being higher than new or unknown people (or other pets) is a great way for your cat to assess the situation while they adjust to the changes.

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What do you call a collective group of kittens?
An e-reader
A nook
A gang
A kindle
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A group of kittens is collectively known as a kindle. While this term isn't very common, it is specific to kittens, whereas any group of baby animals is often known as a litter.

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When a cat can see the bottom of its bowl, what does it usually do?
Eats the bowl
Stops eating and complains that it is hungry
Throws up into the bowl
Eats the rest of its food
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

For some reason, many domesticated cats consider the first glimpse of the bottom of their bowl to be a sign that they are done eating. This is especially annoying if your cat likes to push its food around before it even begins eating.

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What are cats notoriously afraid of?
Water
Fish
Small children
Spiders
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

For the most part, throughout their domestication, cats were not around water very much. For this reason, it is an unknown to them. They instinctively try to avoid water and hate the sound of rushing water.

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How do cats communicate with other cats?
They meow.
They use their tails.
They hiss.
Cats don't communicate.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While cats use their voices (meows) to communicate with humans, they are more inclined to use their tails to communicate with other cats. The position of a cat's tail can tell another cat if they are a friend or foe.

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How often should you give your cat a bath?
Only when it is absolutely necessary
Once a week
Whenever they smell
Only if they are sick
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In general, cats clean themselves very well. They will spend quite a bit of time grooming themselves throughout the day. For this reason, you should only give your cat a bath if it is completely necessary. If your cat has fleas, or your child spilled something on the cat, by all means, give them a bath. Otherwise, you shouldn't have to bathe your cat.

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If your cat brings you a dead rat, what is it doing?
Showing off its hunting skills
Asking me to save it for later
Giving me a present
Telling me that I'm next
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cats will often give their owners gifts in the form of dead animals. They are showing you appreciation for giving them food every day. If you are totally grossed out by this, thank your kitty for the gift and promptly dispose of it.

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How high can the average house cat jump?
Twice its own height
About 80 feet
About a foot
Five times its own height
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Most house cats can leap up to five times their own height. A cat's bone and muscle structure has evolved to make it an efficient hunter. Its leg muscles are set to add spring to their pounce to ensure that they catch the prey they are stalking. This makes a cat's jump pretty impressive.

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Why do cats always land on their feet?
They're magical.
They are bottom-heavy.
Their backbones float.
They instinctively turn their bodies when they begin to fall.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When a cat begins to fall, its body twists. While this first seems as though the cat is in a panic, it is actually using this motion to turn its body quickly. Cats try to land on all four feet at once. This helps them absorb the shock of the fall.

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How much time does a domestic cat spend sleeping?
23 hours a day
Eight full hours a day
About 12 hours a day
Cats never sleep.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cats spend a lot of time sleeping to regain their energy. Many cats spend a lot of time hunting (playing), so it is important for them to get as much sleep as possible. These little cat naps keep them energized for when they are awake.

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Why do people theorize that cats are liquid?
They have floating clavicles.
They don't have hip bones.
They don't have any bones.
Their whiskers can float.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cats have floating clavicles. This means that their shoulder bones aren't attached to the rest of their skeleton. They are held on with muscles. This allows cats to get into small spaces, stretch and squeeze into different shapes. Many people liken this to the way that water can get into pretty much anything.

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What are cats categorized as?
Predators
Whiskered
Padded-pawed
Asexual
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Even domestic cats are considered to be predators. You can see their predatory instincts when they stalk toys as they play. Additionally, their sharp teeth and intense agility are all evolutionary traits that mark them as predators.

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Which of these is an odd fact about newborn cats?
They are born deaf.
They are born without a sense of smell.
They are born without tails.
They are born without genders.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Even though cats have a keen sense of hearing when they are older, for about a week after they are born, cats are deaf. They rely on their sense of smell to find their mother and nurse properly. Once a cat's hearing is fully developed, they can hear up to two octaves higher than a human.

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Why does a cat have such a good sense of smell?
They have incredibly large noses.
It doesn't have an olfactory system.
Cats don't have a good sense of smell.
It has two olfactory systems.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cats use their sense of smell to hunt. While their sense of smell isn't as good as a dog's, it is five times better than that of a human. Cats have two olfactory systems: one where the smells past through the nose, and the other one is the vomeronasal organ, which is a scent organ that many other mammals have. It helps them smell other cats.

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How long does it take for a kitten's eyes to open after it is born?
One to two weeks
One to two hours
Three days
Two months
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cats are born with their eyes closed, and those eyes don't open for seven to 14 days. However, a cat's eyesight doesn't fully develop until they are approximately four months old. Cats use their eyesight to help them hunt in lower light.

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Why are cat's pupils slits rather than round like a human's?
Because it looks cool
So they can scare enemies
It helps their pupils contract and expand faster.
Because they rarely rely on eyesight
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cats can hunt in the light or in the dark, and the shape of their pupils helps them adjust to different kinds of lighting very quickly. This is a great way to continue hunts that go from lighter areas to darker areas.

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Where do cats NOT have whiskers?
Inside of their paws
Above their eyes
On their upper lips
Their tails
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Yes, cats actually do have whiskers on the inside of their paws. Whiskers are used to help cats measure areas that they are walking or running through. The whiskers on their paws are also used to help them understand spacial orientation and where they can move to.

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Why are cat tongues so rough?
To brush their hair
Because their mouths are always dry
Cats don't have rough tongues.
To help them smell
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While a cat's tongue can help it eat meat, the rough texture of the tongue can help a cat groom itself. A cat's tongue acts like a brush to help it remove knots from its fur and pull out any loose fur.

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Why are rescue cats such finicky eaters?
They choose food that is higher in protein.
They prefer garbage.
They just want to be difficult.
They developed a taste for sugar.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If a cat is used to scavenging for food, it instinctively chooses foods that are higher in protein, because it doesn't know when it will get its next source of protein. It is common to see rescue cats be more selective with their food choices.

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Do cats purr when they're in pain?
Yes, because they like pain.
No, cats only purr when they are content.
Yes. Purring is a sign of emotion and feeling.
No. Cats don't purr.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cats purr for a lot of reasons. If they are in pain, they may find purring a better form of communication than meowing. Always listen to your cat when it purrs; pay attention to what it is feeling. You may notice different pitches in your cat's purr. This is your cat trying to communicate with you.

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What breed of cat isn't likely to have whiskers?
All breeds of cats have whiskers.
Sphynx
Siamese
Domestic long-hair
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sphynx is a breed of cat that doesn't have any fur. While some Sphynx may have a whisker here or there, it is generally broken and doesn't do what cats usually need whiskers to do.

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What do you call a cat that has never had any human contact?
Wild
Feral
Natural
Diseased
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When a cat has never had contact with a human, it is known as feral. Many large cities have issues with feral cat populations, because they spread disease to domestic cats, and they can get a little dirty. Feral cats are nearly impossible to tame and can be very aggressive toward those who try to take them in.

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What is a great way to establish trust with your cat?
Jump on it
Hold it down to show it who is alpha
Allow it walk on top of you
Reprimand it
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When you first introduce yourself to a cat, allowing it to be above you is a great way to gain its trust. Allowing the cat to be above you will help the cat gain confidence. The cat basically wants to know if it can take you on, and if you allow it to get in your blind spots, it knows that you aren't a threat.

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Are cats territorial?
Yes, even if they are friendly with other cats.
Yes, but never with the litter box.
No. Cats often live in colonies.
No. Cats love to coexist with other animals.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cats are incredibly territorial. This makes it difficult to introduce new animals to your home if you have a cat who has already established itself there. If you choose to bring a new cat into your home, be sure to give your current cat its own space to ensure that it doesn't act out.

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What is the best way to stop a cat from scratching your couch?
Feed it more
Dump water on it
Give it something else to scratch
Declaw it
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cats can get really bored laying around the house all day, so it is important to keep them entertained. Feeding your cat in this situation is rewarding bad behavior. Declawing your cat can cause a lot of medical issues. It is best to put out a few scratching posts to ensure that your cat doesn't scratch your couch anymore.

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Why do cats rub themselves on their owners?
They are asking for pets.
They are petting their human.
They are scratching an itch.
They are getting their scent on their humans.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Many think that when their cat rubs itself on them that the cat is trying to get its owner's attention. On the contrary, a cat rubbing itself on you is a way for it to mark its territory. It is telling all other cats that you belong to it.

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Why do cats knock stuff off of shelves?
They're bored.
They're destructive by nature.
They're making room to lay down.
They are experimenting with gravity.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When cats are bored, they will make their own fun, and if you aren't going to play with them, they will find something to play with. If that gets your attention, great. If not, they can just continue to knock things down. To avoid getting your stuff broken, make sure you give your cat a lot of stimulation and toys.

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If you feed a stray cat, what generally happens?
You never see the cat again.
The cat will give you a dead rodent.
The cat will bring its friends the next day.
The cat will pee on your house.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you feed a stray cat, it will associate your home with food. If it has some stray buddies, it may consider letting their friends know that your house is a place for an easy meal. If you like random cats hanging around, go ahead and feed them. If you're not into it, consider turning the stray cat away.

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