Cat Planet Trivia Quiz

Answer: Siamese

Siamese cats are intelligent and very social. They do not thrive when left alone without human company or that of another feline. In the last half of the 20th century, breeders tended to favor the more angular, Oriental-shaped head and lean body style over the more traditional apple-shaped head and stockier body.

Answer: Egyptian mau

The breed gets its name from the ancient Egyptian word for cat. Maus are noted for extreme devotion to their humans and their speed and agility. Uniquely, they have an abdominal flap that allows them additional flexibility and extended stride. They have been known to run at 30mph/48km/h. All of the other breeds listed are hybrids.

Answer: Abyssinian

Abyssinians have a silky, uniquely, ticked coat of uniform color with the exception of some darkening on the spine and hind legs. While typically ruddy, (a deep, coppery brown), sorrel coats (cinnamon red) are also acceptable in the show ring. They are playful extroverts like most Oriental breeds, however, they are not talkers and have very soft voices. Abbys are especially good at fetching and affectionate with their humans but don't take well to strangers.

Answer: Turkish van

Vans are a large breed named for Lake Van in eastern Turkey. The breed has a unique piebald gene producing an all white coat with coloring on the tail and small portion of the head. Their coats are semi-longhair, water-resistant with no undercoat making for easy grooming. Vans, unlike most domestic cats, love to play in water.

Answer: Norwegian forest cat

Norwegians are large cats with dense, semi-longhair coats. In fear of losing the breed, the Norwegian Forest Cat Club was founded in Oslo in 1938. The breeding program was halted by German occupation in 1940. After the war, the late King Olaf named it as the national cat.

The breed was not exported out of Norway until the late 1970s, but was quickly recognized by American & European cat organizations.

Answer: Russian blue

Russian blues are medium sized, have a soft, dense blue-grey double coat and bright green eyes. They were first seen outside of Russia in Great Britain in the 1871 cat show and were called Archangel blues in honor of the town in northern Russia from whence they were imported. Perhaps because of the necessity of outbreeding during WWII, blues are extremely healthy.

While not completely hypoallergenic, blues have a lesser effect on people with cat allergies.

Answer: Carthusian

Chartreux cats are named after the Grande Chartreuse, the head monastery of the Carthusian order. Legend has it that the breed was brought to France by crusaders that subsequently joined the order. Chartreux resemble Russian blues in size and coat, but instead have orange colored eyes. Examples of the breed appear in French art & literature dating to the 16th century. Charles de Gaulle had a Chartreux.

Answer: Maine coon

While all of these breeds are among the largest, the Maine coon typically is the largest of the group. This shaggy, long-haired cat's average size is 17-25 lbs. They have tufted paws that act as snowshoes allowing them to be superb year-round hunters. Friendly, intelligent, playful and patient, the coon makes an outstanding family or therapy pet. "Cosie" the coon won the first cat show in America in 1895.

Answer: A sign of good luck

The beckoning bobtail cat statues, one paw raised and waving, are ubiquitous in Japanese homes and businesses. Their intelligent, human-oriented disposition makes them easily trained to a leash or to learn tricks.

Answer: British shorthair

The British shorthair is thought to be a descendant of cats brought by Roman soldiers in the 1st century AD. They are intelligent and have an easy-going temperament making them an excellent choice for stage and film. British shorthairs get on well with all manner of people, other pets and livestock. However, they are notorious for not liking to be picked up.