Fun Trivia » Animals » Cats » Cat Breeds

There is some confusion between sources as to whether the breed was registered in 1965 or 1966. Ann Baker took the step of trademarking the name of 'Ragdoll' and attempted to set up a franchising system, leading to conflict with people who bought breeding stock from her. She is a controversial figure in the history of the breed due to this and other actions. Difficulty: Easy.

 

1950s, 2000s, 1970s

Although typically hairless, some Sphynx are covered in a gossamer-like down. This gives the skin a feeling of warm suede. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

It is related to the serval, Most males are sterile, It was first discovered at Giza in Egypt

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. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Tabby, Ragdoll , Manx

The Persian cat originated in Iran. It is called the long hair or Persian long hair in Britain. The Persian cat is typically a quiet cat which can adapt well to living in an apartment. They are affectionate to their owners and exhibit friendliness towards strangers. They are quite predictable and clean. However, they are fussy about their food. Difficulty: Easy.

 

its short hair, oval face and long muzzle, its long hair, spotted face and short tail, its short hair, long face and yellow eyes

Although to most people's eyes this is a white cat with distinctive patterning on its head and tail, the breed is technically considered a colored cat with large patches of white. Because the breed has an unusual fascination with water, they have earned the nickname 'Swimming Cat'; they also have a fairly unique habit of holding their long tails straight up in the air when they run. According to standard, males weigh 9-20lbs (4.08-9.07kgs), with females weighing 7-12lbs (3.17-5.44kgs). Difficulty: Hard.

 

European Burmese, Burmilla, Exotic

They come from the Isle of Man. Taiwan has nothing to do with these cats. Cambodia isn't an island, and Siciuputianx is not a real place. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Taiwan , Cambodia, Siciuputianx Island

The Birman has soft, silky semi-long fur that can be anywhere between milky white and golden ivory, with colored 'points' on the ears and face. Its paws will always be pure white. The build is semi-cobby, i.e. quite stocky, due to its large bones. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Fine-boned, svelte and shorthair, Medium boned, cobby and longhair, Medium boned, semi-cobby and shorthair

The Asian leopard cat is a jungle cat that inhabits a wide range in Southeast Asia. It is similar in size to a domestic cat, although there are size variations in different areas of Asia. Its size and desirable coloring made it a good choice for breeding with a domestic cat. The Bengal name actually comes from the taxonomic name for the Asian leopard cat, Prionailurus bengalensis.

The coat patterns of a Bengal resemble that of an ocelot or a clouded leopard, but the latter is a bit large for breeding with a domestic cat, and attempts to create an ocelot/domestic hybrid have resulted in sterile offspring. A domestic cat probably wouldn't fare too well with a Bengal tiger.
Difficulty: Hard.

 

Bengal tiger, Ocelot, Clouded leopard

Before this, the first ever cat show, they were occasionally seen in zoos! Facts in this quiz come from my own knowledge of Siamese (I have been the personal servant of three..) and the book 'Siamese Cats' by Mary Dunnill. Neither the Millennium Dome nor the NEC were built in 1871 and Siamese Cats would not be very safe at Crufts, which is a dog show! Difficulty: Hard.

 

Crufts, The Millennium Dome Moggy Show, The Birmingham NEC Gathering of the Cat Fancy

In the UK, the Exotic came by after crosses were made between Persians and British Shorthairs. In the US, it was the Persian and the American Shorthair. Initially it was not intended to create a new breed at all, but to add new blood and improve coats of the shorthairs by adding Persian blood. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Persian & Burmese, British Shorthair & Maine Coon, Persian & Abyssinian

The ragdoll is one of the friendliest breeds of cat. They get along well with people and are very trusting. They are happiest when they are with people. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Birman, Persian, Bengal

Exotics are described as "people cat", and can even get along with dogs. *gasp* They have a thick undercoat, making them shed a lot. Both Persians and Exotics have small noses, big heads, and have big bones. Persians have evolved over the last century to have longer hair (guard hairs almost four inches long) and have evolved flatter faces. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Manx, British Shorthair, Persian Shorthair

Shulamith's kitten was the foundation cat for the American Curl. The unusual formation of the ears are now found in the breed. Some kittens born to purebred American Curls can have normal ears, but most have the curling mutation. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Sphynx, Scottish Fold, Cornish Rex

Originated in the US in the 1960's by breeders of the American Shorthair. Difficulty: Hard.

 

British Shorthair, American Shorthair, European Shorthair

It is also known as the longhair, Persian longhair and Shirazi cat, depending upon where in the world you live. Difficulty: Average.

 

Himalayan, Somali, Maine Coon

Josephine was a white cat of uncertain breed - like many elements of the Ragdoll's early history, there is conflicting information about her. She was potentially a semi-feral animal who may have been owned by one of Ann Baker's neighbours. In one story, Josephine was hit by a a car, but after this accident, Baker claimed her personality changed with her increased placidity and calmness leading to Baker deciding to breed for those traits. Another Ragdoll site claims that Baker alleges that Josephine underwent genetic enhancement after this accident, possibly influenced by the Government. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Marie Antoinette, Eugenie, Marie-Louise

The outer guard hairs are usually straight and slightly pointed. They provide a primary layer of protection for the middle layer, known as the awn hairs. The third layer, known as the silky fine down hairs, provides warmth.


Difficulty: Average.

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. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Ocicat, Savannah , Bengal

Korats were first shown in Britain in 1889, but since they were being shown as variations of the Siamese - to which standard they didn't conform very well - the breed had all but vanished outside Thailand by 1901. Korats are a natural breed, and is considered one of the oldest stable cat breeds. In Thailand, they are often regarded as good-luck cats. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Siamese, Burmese, Turkish Van

The Egyptian Mau probably originated from Egypt - ancient wall paintings of the breed exist there. Their longer than usual hind legs enable them to run at speeds of almost 60 km/h. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Ocicat, Savannah, Bengal

Manx cats have perfectly normal noses, ears and teeth but are tailless, or have very short stumps of tails. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Nose , Ears, Teeth

The Bengal cat usually is quite large. Males can weigh up to 9 kg (20 pounds). They sport spots all over the body, including the paws. The most popular Bengals have spots in two colours, for example (on a cream background) dark brown spots surrounded by lighter brown. Some Bengals also have a shimmering effect in their fur. Bengals need a lot of attention. They're very active and follow you around. They don't mind getting wet, some are even reported to follow their human companions into the shower. The most expensive cat ever bought was a Bengal cat, which was bought for 41,435 USD in 1998.

The other cat breeds mentioned in this question have fur in one single colour: grey for the Russian blue, brown for the Havana cat, and dark brown for the York chocolate cat. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Russian blue, Havana brown cat, York chocolate cat

A relatively clumsy cat, the Maine Coon is very loveable and sweet. They are very curious and playful. They must be groomed frequently because of their long, thick fur, but they make wonderful greeters when you come home from work or errands. Difficulty: Hard.

 

American Shorthair, Turkish Angora, Abyssinian

A LaPerm cat is named after its fur that resembles a perm hairdo. The breed originated in the USA in the 1980s. Difficulty: Average.

 

Long legs, Big head, None of these

Red mackerel is the only acceptable color of the four. The others will disqualify you from showing your cat. Difficulty: Hard.

 

lilac, chocolate, Siamese point

Also more commonly known as colourpoint. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Andes Factor, Amazon Factor, Nile Factor

The Maine Coon Cat originated in Maine and is supposed to be able to withstand the severest, harshest winter weather. The traditional coat coloring is a brown tabby pattern with a long, shaggy coat and tail, resembling a raccoon. The Maine Coon also come in white, black and white, gray, and gray and white colors. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Norwegian Forest Cat, American Shorthair, American Curl Shorthair

Tipped colors were once called Chinchilla Shorthairs. Difficulty: Average.

 

Exotic Shorthair, American Shorthair, European Shorthair

Sometimes called Colorpoint Longhair in Britain. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Persian, La Perm, American Curl

Some sources state that 'Daddy Warbucks' was the brother of Blackie, one of the cats that Ann Baker used as part of her breeding program, while others claim that 'Daddy Warbucks' was the offspring of Josephine and Blackie. Regardless, he is considered influential in the development of the breed. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Raggedy Ann Superman, Raggedy Ann Sandy, Raggedy Ann Rooster

It was in 1966 that the first Canadian sphynx breeding programme started, although too narrow a gene pool and inconsistent breed standards contributed to this attempt failing. Cats from the second Canadian breeding programme combined with two from Minnesota, USA, provide the foundation for the present breed line. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Africa, South-East Asia, Middle East

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. Difficulty: Hard.

The exotic shorthair has many similarities to the Persian in temperament as well as conformation. However, unlike the Persian its hair is short and dense. Exotic shorthair cats are gentle and calm. They are livelier than Persians and do not like solitude. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Siberian cat, Bengal cat, Cornish Rex

The Tonkinese is a cross between the Siamese and Burmese breeds. The first one was bred in Canada in the 1960s by Margaret Conroy, who originally called it a "Golden Siamese". Difficulty: Hard.

 

Javanese, Japanese Bobtail, Balinese

Other cats hardly ever hop unless they have lost a limb, but of course Manx cats don't always hop. When they hop they move similarly to a hare or rabbit. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Sliding, Flying , Gliding

It is the Aegean cat. It originates from the Cycladic Islands in the Aegean Sea, where they occur naturally. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Ojos Azules, Nebelung, Ragdoll

The Birman cat rested her paws on the chest of her deceased owner, a monk, and his soul passed through her, changing her fur from white to shimmering gold, leaving the pure white paws untouched. A more scientific theory says the paws originated from certain genes in the cat's ancestral DNA pool. Difficulty: Hard.

 

She licked the color off her paws, Her paws touched holy water, A mischievous spirit painted them white

Several others had attempted breeding various types of wildcats to domestic cats, and although some of these breedings were successful, the resulting offspring were sterile. Jean Mill proved that fertile offspring were possible when her Asian leopard cat was breed to a domestic tom. She began developing the Bengal breed in Yuma, Arizona (I had to sneak Arizona into this quiz!) and successfully produced a second-generation litter before having to abandon her endeavor due to the death of her husband. She resumed her breeding efforts in the late 1970s and finally created the Bengal cat as we now know it by breeding an Asian leopard cat with an Indian Mau in the 1980s.

Not all cat organizations support wildcat/domestic hybrids, but Jean Mill's purpose for developing the breed was noble. At the time, it was fashionable to keep wildcats as pets (Jean bought her Asian leopard cat at a pet store). Although the kittens would be similar in temperament to domestic kittens, once they reached puberty, their wildcat traits would emerge, and these cats were frequently abandoned. Jean believed that creating a domestic cat with the wildcat appearance would solve this problem. Difficulty: Hard.

 

New York, England, Canada

Not very imaginative! Sadly, poor Siam fell ill and died less than a year later, despite the White House physician himself looking after her. Pennyrallt Picasso was a British Grand Champion who was the Grandfather of my first Siamese, Cymbeline Marcello ('Cello at home, or even 'Cello-Wello if I was feeling soppy). Marcello was a very nervous kitten, and vanished on his first day. After tearing the house apart, I found that he had crawled up the back of some desk drawers and ensconced himself in the top drawer! I lined the drawer with carpet and gave him his blanket and for the first few weeks of his life, when friends came round to see the new kitten, I said 'Ah yes, I've got him filed under K for Kitten' and opened the drawer! Difficulty: Hard.

 

Cat, Pennyrallt Picasso, Meezy

Ann Baker was a breeder who lived in Riverside, California. The first Ragdoll was born in the 1960's. She was named Josephine, and was bred to have certain qualities that Ann Baker liked. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Suzanne Townsend, Clara Strobel, Alma Nelson