How Well Do You Really Know Your Cat? (A 10-Question Quiz)

After seven years and 550+ families served, I have learned that people who live with cats often know far more than they give themselves credit for, and occasionally a little less than they think. Cats communicate constantly. The trouble is that their signals are quiet, quick, and easy to misread if you are not looking for them.

So I put together a cat behavior quiz. Ten questions, three choices each. Some are easy, a couple are genuinely tricky, and every answer is grounded in what we actually know about feline behavior. Grab a pen (or just keep score in your head), see how you do, and then read the explanations. Even lifelong cat people usually pick up something new.

1. Your cat looks at you and slowly closes and opens its eyes. This “slow blink” usually means:

a) It is sleepy and about to nap

b) It trusts you and feels relaxed with you

c) It wants to be left alone

2. When your cat pushes its paws in and out against a soft blanket, this “kneading” comes from:

a) A stretching habit to loosen stiff muscles

b) A comforting behavior carried over from nursing as a kitten

c) An attempt to sharpen its claws

3. Your cat bumps the top of its head against your hand or leg. This head-butting, or “bunting,” is:

a) A friendly way of marking you with its scent

b) A sign of frustration

c) A request for food, every time

4. Your cat walks toward you with its tail held straight up. That tail position is:

a) A warning to back off

b) A friendly, confident greeting

c) A sign it is about to pounce

5. Your cat rolls over and shows you its belly. Most of the time this means:

a) It always wants a belly rub

b) It feels safe and trusts you

c) It is feeling sick

6. Cats purr. Purring most often signals contentment, but cats also purr to:

a) Cool themselves down

b) Self-soothe when stressed, frightened, or unwell

c) Warn other cats away

7. Your cat deliberately paws a pen off the edge of the table while watching you. This is usually a mix of:

a) Curiosity, hunting-style pawing, and learned attention-seeking

b) Pure spite

c) A sign of poor eyesight

8. Cats are naturally most active at which times of day?

a) The middle of the night

b) Midday, when the sun is highest

c) Dawn and dusk

9. Your normally social cat suddenly hides for most of the day. A common reason is:

a) It is bored

b) It may not be feeling well

c) It is angry at you

10. A cat’s whiskers help it to:

a) Judge whether it can fit through a narrow gap

b) Taste its food

c) Hear high-pitched sounds

1. b) A slow blink signals trust and relaxation. A 2020 University of Sussex study found cats are more likely to slow-blink back, and to approach, a person who slow-blinks at them first.

2. b) Kneading is a comforting behavior carried from kittenhood, when kittens knead to stimulate milk while nursing.

3. a) Bunting is scent-marking. Your cat has scent glands on its face and is depositing its scent on you in a friendly, affiliative gesture.

4. b) A tail held straight up is a confident, friendly greeting, usually an invitation to interact.

5. b) A belly display is typically a sign of trust and comfort, not necessarily an invitation to rub. Many cats will still grab your hand if you touch the belly.

6. b) Purring usually means contentment, but cats also purr to self-soothe when they are stressed, in pain, or unwell, which is why context matters.

7. a) Knocking things off surfaces blends curiosity, a natural hunting-style paw swat, and behavior your cat has learned earns a reaction from you.

8. c) Cats are crepuscular, meaning they are naturally most active at dawn and dusk, which lines up with when their prey moves.

9. b) Cats often hide when they feel unwell. A sudden change in a social cat’s habits is worth a call to your veterinarian.

10. a) Whiskers help a cat gauge whether it fits through a gap. They are also sensitive enough that narrow bowls can cause “whisker fatigue.”

Score Yourself

• 9–10 correct: Cat whisperer. You read your cat fluently.
• 6–8 correct: You know your cat well and pick up on most of its signals.
• 3–5 correct: Room to learn. A little observation will go a long way.
• 0–2 correct: Time to observe more. The good news is your cat is teaching a class every single day.

This is not just a fun exercise. Reading your cat’s signals well is the difference between noticing a problem early and missing it. A cat that suddenly hides, stops using the litter box, or purrs in an anxious, hunched posture may be telling you something is wrong, and the sooner you catch it, the sooner your veterinarian can help.

Understanding cat behavior also makes daily life calmer for both of you. When you recognize a slow blink, respect a belly that is on display but off-limits, and give a crepuscular cat a burst of play at dusk, you are working with your cat’s nature instead of against it.

It matters even more when you travel. Cats are creatures of routine and territory, which is exactly why we keep them home. Our cat sitting service brings care to your cat in the one place it feels safe, with in-home visits, GPS-tracked check-ins, and real-time photo updates every single visit. Cats stay home, never boarded. And because our team is bonded, insured, and background-checked, and I am reachable by phone or text, you always know who is in your home and how your cat is doing. That is a big part of why we hold a 4.9-star rating on Google from 80+ reviews and are recommended by local veterinarians. You can learn more about me and how Thumping Tails started, or browse everything we offer on our homepage.