Find That Ragamuffin! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ragdoll

The Ragdoll breed is pointed, meaning its extremities (face, legs, tail and ears) are lighter in colour than the body. The name comes from the cat's purported quality of lazily flopping in the arms of anyone who might pick her up. Although this breed was developed in the 1960s by an Ann Baker from Riverside, California, this cat breed's origins have otherwise been shrouded in mystery and intrigue.

To indicate where the letters were found:

My first can be found in [R]OME but not in MILAN
My second can be found in P[A]RIS but not in NICE
My third can be found in [G]ENEVA but not in BERN
My fourth can be found in ISLAMABA[D] but not in PESHAWAR
My fifth can be found in T[O]RONTO but not in REGINA
My sixth can be found in CA[L]AIS but not in BORDEAUX
My seventh can be found in MANI[L]A but not in DAVAO CITY

Answer: Persian

The words split up into the syllables sounding roughly like 'Per' (for purr) and 'sian' (for shun). The cats actually do come from Iran - as hinted - and were documented to be imported into Italy as far back as the 1620s. Although the cat is associated with long and luxurious white fur, almost any colour from chocolate, silver and lilac can be found in this cat.

A white Persian played Snowbell, the sassy cat in 'Stuart Little' (1999).

Answer: Cyprus

We're definitely talking about the Cyprus breed here, not the cypress tree! That's 'Cy' (from sigh) and 'prus' (from press). In 2004, some 4000-year-old archaeological remains of a Cyprus cat were unearthed, inviting some researchers to claim that this might be one of the oldest domestic cat breeds of all.

This medium to large cat breed can weigh over 15 pounds and is stocky and muscular - not a tree but built like one, perhaps.

Answer: Siberian

The sound parts for this cat are: 'Si' (from say), 'ber' (from beer) and 'ian' (from eon). This cat, unsurprisingly, is native to Russia and its triple coat is well adapted to protect it from the cold. It has been reported to produce less dander than average, and some people with cat allergies have found that they can tolerate a Siberian in their home.

The breed has however been vulnerable to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a heart problem that breeders screen out where possible.

Answer: British Shorthair

'Of or relating to Great Britain' is 'British', 'Short' is 'Little' and a Leporid would be a hare, so 'hair' is the homophone we're looking for. The British Shorthair has a round face and a dense coat that resembles a teddy bear, as hinted at, and often comes in a blue-grey coat with yellow eyes. Like the British people, the breed can be somewhat reserved, but is often reported to be placid and loving.

The breed became somewhat rare after World War I, but breeders mixed it with the popular Persian breed to restore the nobility of this cat.

Answer: Snowshoe

The white ice crystals are 'snow', and the protective foot covering is 'shoe'. Put them together and you have a Snowshoe, but if you try to walk on him I very much doubt you'll come out of it unscathed! It's quite a rare breed, since it has a distinct pattern of markings that develop from recessive genes.

It's also another relatively new breed that popped up in the 1960s, when breeder Dorothy Hinds-Daugherty bred unusually marked Siamese cats with bi-color American Shorthairs.

Answer: Bengal

"[Ben gal]lantly rescued this spotted cat breed from atop the oak tree."

I don't usually see the answers to hidden word puzzles right at the start, so I hope that didn't trip you up. This hybrid of a domestic cat and a leopard cat can look a little wild, but its temperament is often described as playful and curious. Jean Mill bred the first Bengal by accident, wanting a companion to keep her 'lonely' leopard cat company. It took four generations of breeding to create the safe and domestic Bengal that became popular in the mainstream.

Answer: Highlander

The top 'LANDER' is high, so put them together and you get a Highlander. The hint referred to the 1986 film featuring Connor MacLeod, an immortal warrior who could only die if decapitated. It's a relatively new breed, whose experimental origins date back to 1993, and which is a crossbreed of the Desert Lynx and Jungle Curl breeds.

This medium to large breed was designed to have the striking appearance of a wild cat whilst being sociable and playful.

Answer: Abyssinian

The missing vowels: [A]byss[i]n[i][a]n. As the hint indicates, Abyssinia was the former name for Ethiopia. So, it is unsurprising that one account of the cat's origins traces the breed back to... Great Britain? Although its origins are uncertain, some accounts claim that a cat was brought back from an expedition to Abyssinia in the 1860s which was bred with similar looking cats in Britain to create the Abyssinian breed.

It has fine, pointed ears and a slender body with multiple bands of colour.

Answer: Serengeti

The missing vowels: S[e]r[e]ng[e]t[i]. Serengeti means 'endless plain' in the Maasai language and the cat is a Bengal and Oriental Shorthair cross. Karen Sausman developed the cat as a domestic breed resembling wild cats but without using the actual genes of wild cats (servals) due to the Bengal's genetic diversity.

They have large, rounded ears with a long neck and legs and can reportedly be quite active.