Are you an animal mastermind?

Q1: Which breed of dog used to help fishermen retrieve nets and pull carts loaded with fish in 16th century Newfoundland?

a) Irish Water Spaniel b) Otterhound c) Labrador Retriever

Q2: What breed of cat is not actually a breed at all?

a) Ragdoll b) Calico c) Norwegian Forest

Q3: How many toes do guinea pigs have?

a) 10 b) 12 c) 14

Q4: What are a group of rabbits affectionately called?

a) A huddle b) A fluffle c) A bundle

Q5: How do pet mice scan their surroundings, even in the dark?

a) By using their sense of smell b) By using x-ray vision c) By using their whiskers

Q6: Which small rodents can count to at least four, are fast learners, have excellent memories and show empathy to their friends?

a) Beavers b) Rats c) Squirrels

Q7: Which small pet has hairless, fleshy footpads, enabling them to be extremely agile and maintain their grip on rocky surfaces?

a) Chihuahuas b) Sphynx cats c) Chinchillas

Q8: How do hamsters get to know you?

a) By the way you look b) By the way you smell c) By the way you sound

Q9: How do ferrets communicate?

a) By body postures b) By vocalising c) By scent signals

Q10: When your rabbit nudges you, are they telling you to...

a) “Pay me some attention!” b) “Move out of the way!” c) “I don’t like that, back off!”

THE ANSWERS

Q1 A: c) Active, eager to please and easy to train – with the waggiest of tails and smiliest of doggy faces – it’s no wonder that Labrador Retrievers remain one of the most popular pedigree dogs. The breed has come a long way from its hard-working Canadian roots – in 16th century Newfoundland, the ancestors of the Labrador Retrievers we know and love today used to help fishermen retrieve nets and lost lines and pull carts loaded with fish. 

Q2 A: b) The Calico cat isn’t actually a breed. It’s a domestic cat of any breed with a tri-colour coat, most commonly orange, black, and white. Its name refers to the colour pattern of its fur, taken from colourful printed Calico fabric. Now here’s the science bit... Calicos are almost exclusively female, due to genetics. Because the genetic determination of coat colours is linked to the X chromosome, Calicos are nearly always female with one colour linked to the maternal X chromosome and a second colour linked to the paternal X chromosome. In most cases, males are only one colour, as they have only one X chromosome. Male Calicos can occur when a male cat has two X chromosomes, but they’re generally sterile, which is why you can’t breed a Calico cat – they happen just by chance!

Q3 A: c) Guinea pigs have 14 toes in total, with four toes on each front foot and three on each back foot. This odd number helps them balance and is also useful for burrowing and tunnelling.

Q4 A: b) The term ‘fluffle’ allegedly originated in Canada, but it’s such a fitting name for our fluffy, fun-loving bunny chums that it’s no surprise that ‘fluffle’ has become a popular alternative to the more scientific descriptions such as herd or colony. 

Q5 A: c) Pet mice are epic explorers who use their whiskers, or ‘vibrissae’, to scan their surroundings and find their way in the dark. When their sensitive whiskers touch things, this sends signals back to the mouse's brain. The mouse uses these signals to create a virtual map of their surroundings. Clever huh!

Q6 A: b) Along with chimpanzees, bottlenose dolphins, elephants, dogs, pigs, pigeons and octopuses, rats are considered by experts to be one of the smartest species on the planet. Pet rats have shown their smarts in lots of scenarios and can count, learn quickly, have excellent memories and show amazing levels of understanding towards others of their own species. If one rat receives help from another, he or she will remember and return the favour in the future!

Q7 A: c) Chinchillas originate from the rocky slopes of the Andes Mountains of South America and are perfectly adapted for life at high altitude. Their luscious coats are designed to help them survive in chilly temperatures, they have large ears and sensitive hearing to listen out for predators, long, strong hind legs to leap away from trouble, and their hairless, fleshy footpads enable them to be extremely agile and maintain their grip on rocky surfaces.

Q8 A: b) Although hamsters will learn to be excited at the sound of your voice (particularly if you speak softly and have some tasty food on offer!), these small, nocturnal rodents have poor vision, so your hamster will get to know you by scent. To help your hamster to get acquainted with you, let them come towards you and sniff your hand (it may take a few days before they feel confident enough to do this). Continue this until your hamster crawls into your hand and, once he or she seems comfortable, you can pet them gently.

Q9 A: a), b) and c). These mischievous mustelids use a range of methods to communicate. Ferrets employ various body postures and bark-like vocalisations and chirps to indicate how they’re feeling. They also use scent to communicate with each other and they can tell if another ferret is male or female, strange or familiar, just by sniffing a mark left by the other ferret’s bottom!

Q10 A: a), b) and c). For rabbits, this nudging behaviour has multi-usages, and it’s important that you take notice!

How did you score?

8-10 – GOLD CUP – You’re officially an animal mastermind champion

5-7 – SILVER SALVER – You’re a very worthy runner-up

4 or less – WOODEN SPOON – Could it be time to brush up on your pet knowledge?

LOVE PETS? TRUST BURGESS – WE’RE EXPERTS IN OUR FIELD!

Burgess Pet Care is one of the UK's leading pet food manufacturers for the country’s most popular pets – dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas and degus, hamsters, gerbils and mice, rats and ferrets.

At Burgess Pet Care, all our high-quality recipes have been formulated by vets and nutritionists. This ensures they contain the right balance of vitamins and minerals to supplement your pet’s diet to help keep them happy and healthy. With a long tradition of supporting British famers, we actively source all our ingredients as close to our mill as possible.

12 fascinating facts you may not know about Burgess Pet Care! >>

CARE MORE Find lots of useful advice on caring for all your pets from Burgess, the pet experts. Training, nutrition, grooming and general care. It's all here >>

Is your dog a Burgess dog? Your cat a Burgess cat? Your small pets Burgess small pets? Join the Burgess Pet Club for exclusive offers and rewards.

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