Curious Cats Quiz: Purrfect Facts & Fun

Test your feline smarts with playful trivia about cats—science, history, breeds, and surprises. Ready to pounce on the answers?

  1. What sense cats rely on most when hunting in low light?
    1. Vision
    2. Smell
    3. Taste
    4. Touch
  2. Which ancient civilization famously worshipped and protected cats?
    1. Chinese
    2. Romans
    3. Greeks
    4. Egyptians
  3. What is the primary reason cats knead with their paws?
    1. Comfort
    2. Hunger
    3. Hunting
    4. Cleaning
  4. Which gene mutation often causes white cats with blue eyes to be deaf?
    1. B
    2. O
    3. A
    4. W
  5. What is the average number of whiskers on one side of a cat’s face?
    1. 12
    2. 5
    3. 20
    4. 30
  6. Which behavior indicates a cat is trying to show trust toward a person?
    1. Ears back
    2. Tail puffing
    3. Hissing
    4. Belly-up
  7. What domesticated cat trait evolved primarily from self-domestication near farms?
    1. Regal size
    2. Loyalty
    3. Pack hunting
    4. Tameness

Answers and explanations

  1. Question: What sense cats rely on most when hunting in low light?
    Answer: Vision
    Explanation: Cats have a high number of rod cells and a reflective tapetum lucidum that enhance vision in dim light; hearing is vital too, but their night vision is the key advantage. People often pick smell, but cats’ night-adapted eyes give them the edge for detecting movement.
  2. Question: Which ancient civilization famously worshipped and protected cats?
    Answer: Egyptians
    Explanation: Ancient Egyptians revered cats and associated them with the goddess Bastet; other cultures respected cats too, but Egypt institutionalized their protection and religious status.
  3. Question: What is the primary reason cats knead with their paws?
    Answer: Comfort
    Explanation: Kneading originates in kitten nursing behavior and signals contentment or marking via scent glands; it isn’t aggressive — people sometimes confuse it with stretching or demand behavior.
  4. Question: Which gene mutation often causes white cats with blue eyes to be deaf?
    Answer: W
    Explanation: The dominant W (white) gene can interfere with inner ear development, leading to deafness in white blue-eyed cats; blue eyes alone don’t cause deafness, it’s the white gene association.
  5. Question: What is the average number of whiskers on one side of a cat’s face?
    Answer: 12
    Explanation: Cats typically have about 12 whiskers per side arranged in four rows, which aid spatial awareness; counts vary, so 12 is an average rather than exact for every cat.
  6. Question: Which behavior indicates a cat is trying to show trust toward a person?
    Answer: Belly-up
    Explanation: Exposing the belly is a vulnerable gesture showing trust or relaxation; it’s not always an invitation to touch, so beware of misreading it as permission to pet.
  7. Question: What domesticated cat trait evolved primarily from self-domestication near farms?
    Answer: Tameness
    Explanation: Cats self-domesticated by tolerating humans for rodent access, selecting for tameness rather than deliberate breeding; unlike dogs, humans didn’t initially select many specific traits.