Quiz

The Cat Science Quiz: Purrs, Patterns and Boxes

Why cats knead, how calicos get their patches, and why boxes are irresistible. Test your cat IQ.

Question 1 of 8 Score 0
  1. What do vets call a nursing kitten's pushing paws?

    The pressure stimulates milk letdown.

  2. What did a 2023 University of Vienna study find about purring?

    Connective tissue pads in the vocal folds seem to make it possible.

  3. What's hidden in a cat's "food purr"?

    Karen McComb found it makes the purr sound more urgent.

  4. Why are almost all calico cats female?

    Rare male calicos usually carry an extra X (XXY).

  5. About how often are male calicos born?

    Nearly all are sterile.

  6. What did the first cloned cat, CC, reveal?

    The donor cell had already silenced the X carrying the orange gene.

  7. What happens when you tape a square outline on the floor?

    Even the suggestion of a boundary seems to make cats feel secure.

  8. What does purring tell you about a cat?

    Cats also purr when frightened or injured.

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