Spot the Cat Trivia Quiz

Answer:

The Australian Mist is a relatively new cat breed, developed in the country which gives it its name in the 1970s. The breed is a cross between Burmese, Abyssinian and tabby cats, with the 'mist' part of the name referring to the unusual shades of coat which appear. Despite the name, the Balinese cat doesn't come from Bali or even from Indonesia. It was bred in both the UK and USA from Siamese cats which were long-haired due to a recessive gene. By selective breeding, a long-haired version of the Siamese cat was developed, with the blue eyes and coloured points (extremities) associated with the breed. The Birman, by contrast, does originate from Burma, now known as Myanmar. It is another long-haired cat with some resemblance to a Siamese but its paws are white. Only the ears, nose and tail are coloured.

The Burmilla originated in the UK and is a cross-breed between the Burmese cat and the Chinchilla Persian cat - the name combines the names. The first Burmillas were, according to various sources, created accidentally when cats did what cats do to create kittens. The cats come in various shades but always have a silvery tinge to their coats. The Chartreux originates from France, where the two world wars nearly caused the breed to die out. They are described as medium to large cats and they have coats of bluish grey, although the shades can vary from a silvery grey to a dark slate grey. The Dragon Li is also known as the Chinese Li Hua and is a descendent of wild mountain cats. Although it has been around for a long time, it was only accepted as a standard breed in 2010. It has tabby like markings and is known for its independent nature.

The Japanese bobtail really does come from Japan where the cats were used to keep rodents under control, by monks initially and then in the silk industry. As you'd expect, the tail is short and resembles a pom-pom with some bends or kinks in some cases. The coats can be any colour. Korat cats are native to Thailand and are known for their blue/grey fur. The name comes from a nickname for one of Thailand's provinces, and the cats are considered to bring good luck. Originating in Russia, the Peterbald is a modern breed and often hairless or with only a fuzzy coat. It is a popular breed for those with allergies. Dating from the 1990s, the name is derived from the city of St Petersburg.

Another Russian cat, thought to have originated around Arkhangelsk (Archangel), the beautiful Russian Blue has a silvery-grey coat which developed naturally, not through human intervention. The Siberian, also called the Siberian Forest Cat, also comes from Russia and has medium to long hair (well, Siberia is known for being rather chilly). It comes in a range of colours. The Singapura is a petite cat which generally weighs only from 4 lb (1.8 kg) in females to 6 lb (2.7 kg) for males. Their colours are shades of brown.

The final three cats are the Somali, Tonkinese and Turkish Van. The Somali is bred from the Abyssinian cat to be a long-haired version, primarily in the USA. The name is derived from Somalia, one of the neighbours of Ethiopia, which was formerly known as Abyssinia. The Tonkinese is a cross between the Burmese and Siamese cat breeds and resembles the Siamese with its markings. The Turkish Van was developed in the UK from cats acquired in Turkey. They are relatively large cats and are known for their white bodies with coloured tails and facial markings. Unusually, Turkish Vans like water and enjoy swimming.

The dog breeds thrown in to muddy the waters are the Barbet, a water dog from France, the Belgian Tervuren, one of the Belgian shepherd breeds and the Beauceron, a herding dog from France. The Chinese crested is an often hairless dog breed, the Coton de Tulear is a small breed from Madagascar and the Havanese is another white dog breed originating in Cuba. Lowchens are a rare breed which came from Europe, probably France, initially, the Pumi is a Hungarian sheep dog and the Vizsla also comes from Hungary, and is a hunting dog breed.