Cats Are Curious! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Their claws curl downwards

Cats are proficient climbers, and they often take to trees for protection. Going up a tree is a lot easier than going down for them - and it all has to do with their claws. Have you ever notice that their claws curl downward? Because of this anatomical feature, it is easy to climb trees, but they cannot climb down the way you would expect - head first. If they want to get down on their own volition, they must back down, and that is a bit tricky.

Answer: Camel

Watch a cat walk. He moves both right legs at the same time, and then both left legs. This is called a pacing gait. Camels and giraffes are the only other animals who walk in this manner. Although cats use a pacing gait when they walk, as they speed up into a run, they use the diagonal gait, with opposite forelegs and hind legs moving at the same time.

Answer: True

While the female cat, called a queen, is in heat, she ovulates several times. So, depending on her mating experience, the eggs can be fertilized by more than one tom cat and the kittens in the same litter may have different fathers. This process is called superfecundation. To be fair, this is also a common occurrence in dogs.

Answer: Tail

A cat's whiskers are typically 2-3 times thicker than his other hair, and they are longer as well. On a cat's cheek there are typically 12 vibrissae, but he also has some above his eyes, near his ears, and on his forelegs. They are important to a cat because he is a bit nearsighted, and the whiskers aid in his sensory perception. He can detect changes in air current, and even motion and vibrations with them. For example, how does a cat know if he has killed the mouse in his mouth? His vibrissae can detect any of the mouse's movements. They can also help keep small particles of dust away from the cat's eyes and ears, and, believe it or not, help with his body balance, allowing him to land on his feet!

So puny humans, beware! Don't try to pluck your cat's whiskers or even trim them. Don't pull on them, and remember how important they are to your cat's well being.

Answer: Stubbs

This is totally true - well, kind of. Talkeetna is a historical district, so there has never been a mayoral race, but there was apparently an attempt to convince Alaskans to write his name in on the 2014 Senate race ballot, and he even appeared on a campaign video!

Stubbs was abandoned with the rest of the litter at Nagley's General Store in 1997, and received his name because he didn't have a tail. He continued to "hold court" there until his death in 2017. The town explains that their intention was to use Stubbs to attract tourists, which they did at the rate of 30-40 a day during tourist season.

Answer: She leaves me "gifts"

Adult cats make a variety of sounds, and while hissing doesn't always mean disapproval, for an adult cat it usually means that she feels threatened. While kittens will try to nip a person's hand, an adult cat who bites is usually harboring some resentment toward the person, and a horizontal tail on a cat means that she is feeling aggressive or afraid.

Now, what about those gifts that my neighbor's cat leaves? Those chewed up mice, dead birds, or mangled snakes? The cat may just be showing off her hunting talents, needing praise, or she may just want to say, "I love you".

Answer: They are crepuscular animals

It must be remembered that cats were wild at one time. Even if that was thousands of years ago, they still have a lot of the same instincts as their ancestors. Cats are crepuscular, which means they are most active at dawn and then again at dusk. They must conserve their energy for "hunting" at those times, and sleep a whopping 13-14 hours a day, an estimated 70% of their lifetime!

Although the exact reason why cats are crepuscular animals is unknown, it is thought that the tendency might have developed in order to avoid competition with diurnal and nocturnal animals or to avoid heat stress in hotter climates.

Answer: Milk

This may seems odd because kittens and adult cats really do appear to like milk, but the truth of the matter, though, is that as they get older most adult cats become lactose intolerant. Their body cannot properly digest dairy products, and the typical result is diarrhea.

Milk isn't the only food that cats shouldn't have that they will, nevertheless, eat. Tuna that was processed for human consumption doesn't contain all the nutrients that cats need and may also cause mercury poisoning. If you should run out of your cat's favorite kibble, cooked fish is okay, along with cooked meat and eggs - remember cats are carnivores - and they even like cooked brown rice that has been mashed up!

Answer: False

Cats spend a lot of time grooming themselves, and since most breeds are hairy, it makes sense that they will have hairballs. A cat's tongue has papillae - this is what causes the tongue to feel rough - that actually serve to move loose hairs down their throats. Most of the time the hair will pass through the digestive system, but sometimes it collects in the stomach and forms a hairball.

It is estimated that cats can typically have one or two hairballs each month (or less) that they usually get rid of by vomiting. This is a normal process and usually doesn't cause cat owners any concern. Sometimes, however, a hairball can become lodged in the cat's digestive tract, so if the cat continually tries to throw up a hairball that never comes it, that may be cause for concern. Did you know that the technical name for a hairball is a bezoar?

Answer: Egyptian Mau

Even though evidence of the oldest domesticated cat in the world has been found in Cyprus, historians agree that the Egyptian Mau is the oldest domesticated cat, possibly dating back as far as 10,000 years ago. As the ancient Egyptians became farmers, they needed cats to help them keep rodents out of their grain storehouses. Cats became gods, such as Bastet, who protected Lower Egypt and was a goddess of childbirth.

They were also prized pets, with many of them being mummified and placed in the tombs of their masters; there is even evidence that when their pets died, the ancient Egyptians shaved their eyebrows and mourned their loss until their eyebrows grew back!