Cats are clever, curious and a little mysterious. They sleep for most of the day, land on their feet and cannot even taste sugar. These riddles cover everyday cat life, real cat science and some jokes that are purr-fect for sharing.
Every riddle has its own answer, so you will meet kittens, catnip, ancient Egypt, the Sphynx and a group of kittens called a kindle.
Easy Cat Riddles for Kids
- I purr when I am happy, I have whiskers and I love to chase mice. What am I? 👉 A cat
- I am a baby cat. What am I called? 👉 A kitten
- I am a soft ball of twisted wool, and cats love to bat me across the floor. What am I? 👉 A ball of yarn
- I am the box of sand that indoor cats use as a toilet. What am I? 👉 A litter box
- I am a plant in the mint family, and one sniff makes many cats roll around with joy. What am I? 👉 Catnip
- I am the long, stiff hairs on a cat’s face that help it feel its way in the dark. What am I? 👉 Whiskers
- Cats scratch me to keep their claws in shape, so they leave the sofa alone. What am I? 👉 A scratching post
- I am the soft rumbling sound a cat makes when it is relaxed. What am I? 👉 A purr
- I am the furry clump a cat sometimes coughs up after licking itself clean. What am I? 👉 A hairball
- I am rough like sandpaper, and a cat uses me to wash its fur. What am I? 👉 Its tongue
Cat Fact Riddles
These riddles are based on real cat facts. The note after each answer explains it.
- Cats sleep about this many hours a day: 4, 8 or 12 to 16? 👉 12 to 16 hours
- I am the ancient civilization that honored cats and worshipped the cat goddess Bastet. What am I? 👉 Ancient Egypt
- I am the body skill that lets a falling cat twist and land on its feet. What am I? 👉 The righting reflex
- I am the name for a male cat. What am I? 👉 A tom
- I am the name for a mother cat. What am I? 👉 A queen
- I am the biggest wild cat in the world. What am I? 👉 The tiger
- I am a cat breed famous for having almost no fur. What am I? 👉 The Sphynx
- Cats cannot taste me, even in cake or candy. What flavor am I? 👉 Sweetness (cats lack the taste receptors for sugar)
- I am the mirror-like layer at the back of a cat’s eye that makes it glow in the dark. What am I? 👉 The tapetum lucidum
- I am the name for a group of kittens born together. What am I? 👉 A kindle
- Almost all calico and tortoiseshell cats are this. Male or female? 👉 Female (the orange and black colors are linked to the X chromosome)
Funny Cat Riddles
- What do you call a huge pile of cats? 👉 A meow-ntain
- What is a cat’s favorite color? 👉 Purr-ple
- Why do cats never play cards in the jungle? 👉 There are too many cheetahs
- What do cats eat for breakfast? 👉 Mice Krispies
- What do you call a cat that loves to bowl? 👉 An alley cat
Cat Brain Teasers
- A room has four corners. A cat sits in each corner, and each cat sees three other cats. How many cats are in the room? 👉 4
- If 5 cats catch 5 mice in 5 minutes, how many cats are needed to catch 100 mice in 100 minutes? 👉 5
- English folklore says cats have nine lives. How many lives do they have in Spanish folklore? 👉 Seven (in Turkish and Arabic sayings they have six)
- I start with “cat” and I am a terrible disaster. What am I? 👉 A catastrophe
- I start with “cat” and I am a huge, roaring waterfall. What am I? 👉 A cataract
- I start with “cat” and I am a book full of things you can buy. What am I? 👉 A catalog
Want more riddles? Browse our blog for more collections, and if you spot a mistake in any answer, let us know on our Contact page.