Vetstreet's Ultimate Cat Breed Challenge - Vetstreet

We love to play (and snuggle, when they allow it) with cats of all kinds, but even the biggest cat lovers among us might not know that much about cat breeds.

Are you able to name the smallest domestic cat breed, and do you know which one is believed to have arrived on the Mayflower?

See if you can answer the seven kitty questions in the slideshow below.

Question: Which of these cat breeds is the smallest?
Singapura
Exotic Shorthair
Ragdoll

Click to the next slide to get the answer.

Answer: At four to seven pounds, the Singapura is known for being the smallest of the domestic cats, although he does have big ears and a muscular body.

Question: What’s the name of this hairless breed?
Abyssinian
Sphynx
Birman

Answer: The Sphynx’s skin is actually covered with a fine down, kind of like peach fuzz or suede.

Question: The Siamese appears in several movies, including The Incredible Journey and Lady and the Tramp.
True
False

Answer: True. Remember the song that goes, “We are Siamese if you please. We are Siamese if you don’t please,” from Lady and the Tramp? The curious, smart and vocal breed also appears in The Aristocats.

Question: Which of these breeds is believed to have come to America on the Mayflower?
The British Shorthair, left
The American Shorthair, right

Answer: The American Shorthair’s ancestors arrived on the Mayflower — or perhaps even earlier. She’s believed to be the pedigreed version of the well-known domestic shorthair.

Question: Singer Taylor Swift has two cats named after TV characters, Meredith (for a Grey’s Anatomy character) and Olivia (for a Law & Order: SVU character). Which breed are they?
Persian
Maine Coon
Scottish Fold

Answer: The star’s cats, who are celebrities in their own right on Swift’s Instagram, are Scottish Folds. The breed is known for its ears, which bend forward.

Question: The Egyptian Mau is the slowest runner of domestic cat breeds.
True
False

Answer: False. With back legs that are longer than her front legs, the Egyptian Mau moves so fast she’s sometimes referred to as the Greyhound of cats, clocking speeds of 30 mph.