The Ultimate Cat Fancy Quiz

Where do scientists believe that cats were first domesticated?

Egypt

Cyprus

A grave excavated in 2001 in Cyprus contained a cat buried close to human remains, which dated back more than 9,500 years.

China

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The ancient Egyptians commonly mummified house cats.

TRUE

Ancient Egyptian families commonly gave their cats a respectful burial by mummifying the animal.

FALSE

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How long do scientists believe that the Egyptians have kept cats as pets?

3,000 years

6,000 years

Until 2008, scientists believed that cats reached Egyptian homes around 4,000 years ago, but new discoveries revealed that cats were actually treated as pets in Egypt as far back as 6,000 years ago.

9,000 years

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Cats did not reach the Far East until the past 2,000 years.

TRUE

FALSE

Remains found in the Shaanxi province suggest that humans kept cats as pets in China more than 5,000 years ago.

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All domestic cats are descended from a Middle Eastern wild cat known as Felis silvestris.

TRUE

Felis silvestris-- or cat of the woods -- is the ancestor to all modern house cats.

FALSE

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Who declared black cats to be incarnations of the devil?

Pope Leo I

Pope George V

Pope Gregory IX

It was Pope Gregory IX who gave black cats their bad name. He called them incarnations of the devil in 1233 in "Vox in Rama."

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It takes longer for a black cat to get adopted from the shelter than a non-black cat.

TRUE

It takes an average of four to six days longer for a black cat to find a home than a cat with another coat color.

FALSE

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How old was the oldest cat who ever lived?

23 years

29 years

38 years

Crème Puff the cat holds the record for oldest cat of all time. He was born in 1967 and died in 2005 at the age of 38.

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What percent of their DNA do tigers and domestic cats share?

90 percent

93 percent

96 percent

Tigers and pet cats share 96 percent of their DNA, while humans and chimps share 98.8 percent.

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What is so special about the cats owned by author Ernest Hemingway?

They lived longer than average.

They had extra toes.

Hemingway owned numerous polydactyl cats, many of whom had extra toes. An estimated 40 to 50 of his cat's descendants still live at his old home in Key West.

They were extremely large.

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How many toes does the average cat have on its back foot?

3

4

Cats typically have five toes on the front foot and four toes on the back. Those with the polydactyl gene can have several more on either the front or back feet.

5

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Grumpy Cat is a girl.

TRUE

The infamous Grumpy Cat -- aka Tardar Sauce -- is a female feline.

FALSE

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What kind of cat is an exotic?

Siamese

Bengal

Persian

An exotic is essentially a Persian cat that has been bred to have short fur. It was the most popular cat breed in the U.S. in 2015.

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What is a group of kittens called?

kittle

kindle

A group of kittens is a kindle, or litter. Groups of adult cats are called clowders or glarings.

kattle

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What was the most popular name for cats in 2015?

Luke

Olivia

Bella

Bella was the most popular cat name in 2015, according to a study released by a national pet insurance company.

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Cats spend 30 to 50 percent of their day grooming.

TRUE

Cats spend 30 to 50 percent of their day grooming. While this may seem like a lot, grooming isn't usually a problem unless you spot bald patches or excess hairballs.

FALSE

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Some cats don't respond at all to catnip.

TRUE

Only around 50 percent of cats respond to catnip, and the sensitivity for this herb is inherited from the feline's parents.

FALSE

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Your cat can be allergic to you.

TRUE

One in 200 cats actually suffers from feline asthma, which can be triggered by human skin cells, dust and cigarette smoke.

FALSE

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Cats only spend about 35 percent of their time awake.

TRUE

Cats spend 50 percent of the day in light sleep and another 15 percent in deep sleep, which means they are awake only 35 percent of the time.

FALSE

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Purring is always a sign of pleasure.

TRUE

FALSE

Purring can be a sign of pleasure, injury or pain. It may serve as a natural form of pain relief and help with healing when the cat is injured.

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Cats can only meow while exhaling.

TRUE

While cats can only meow while exhaling, they can purr on both the inhale and exhale.

FALSE

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When is the prime age period for building friendships between cats and dogs?

2 to 9 weeks

Cats and dogs are most likely to form friendships when they are exposed to one another between the ages of 2 and 9 weeks.

12 to 24 weeks

6 to 9 months

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How fast can a cat run?

15 mph

30 mph

A domestic cat can hit speeds of 30 mph -- about as fast as Usain Bolt.

45 mph

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Cats who are let outside rarely roam very far from home.

TRUE

Cats allowed to roam free have an average travel range of less than 4.9 acres. Feral cats, on the other hand, can have a range as large as 1,351 acres.

FALSE

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At what age can a female cat become pregnant?

5 months

A female cat can get pregnant as young as 5 months of age. Fortunately, females can also be spayed when they are as young as 2 months.

8 months

1 year

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How many kittens are in the average litter?

3

5

The average litter contains 5 kittens, and mommy cats can have up to 3 litters per year.

7

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How many kittens were in the largest litter ever born?

8

19

A record litter of 19 kittens -- 4 stillborn -- was born in the UK in August 1970.

27

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Cats have no sense of taste for sweet things.

TRUE

Keep your ice cream to yourself! Cats can't taste sweets, but they can taste things humans can't, such as specific amino acids.

FALSE

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What percentage of owned cats in the U.S. are spayed or neutered?

31 percent

51 percent

91 percent

Of the 74 to 96 million owned cats in the U.S., an estimated 91 percent are spayed or neutered.

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How many stray cats are there in the U.S.?

40 million

70 million

There are an estimated 70 million stray cats in the U.S. Fortunately, around 35 percent of all owned cats are acquired as strays, which means a happy ending for millions of furry felines.

90 million

FINISH QUIZ