Answer 20 questions to test your knowledge of kitty hematology.

1. Which blood type is not found in cats?
a) A
b) B
c) AB
d) O

2. Nearly all domestic shorthair and domestic longhair cats are which blood type?
a) A
b) B
c) AB
d) O

3. Which breeds have the highest percentage of type B blood?
a) Siamese and Tonkinese
b) Devon Rex and British Shorthair
c) Abyssinian and Persian
d)  Maine Coon and Manx

4. All Siamese are blood type A.
a) True
b) False

5. Which is worse?
a) Giving type B blood to a cat with blood type A
b) Giving type A blood to a cat with blood type B

6. A unit of blood contains:
a) 25 milliliters
b) 50 milliliters
c) 75 milliliters
d) 100 milliliters

7. A common reason why a cat would need a blood transfusion would be:
a) chronic vomiting
b) profuse diarrhea
c) severe anemia
d) nasal discharge

8. In contrast to dogs, cats have naturally occurring antibodies against the opposite blood types.
a) True
b) False

9. The preferred site for obtaining blood from a donor cat is:
a) the carotid artery
b) the jugular vein
c) the aorta
d) the cephalic vein

10. Ideally, a healthy 10-pound blood donor cat should not donate blood more frequently than every:
a) 2 to 4 weeks
b) 4 to 6 weeks
c) 6 to 8 weeks
d) 8 to 10 weeks

11. If a catheter cannot be inserted into a vein of a cat needing a transfusion, blood can be administered through a needle that is inserted into the bone marrow as an alternative route.
a) True
b) False

12. Which of the following diseases cannot be transmitted from one cat to another by transfusion?
a) feline leukemia virus (FeLV)
b) feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)
c) heartworm disease

13. The percentage of cats in the United States with type B blood varies by geographic area.
a) True
b) False

14. Kittens born with type A blood to a mother with type B blood are at risk of getting sick when they nurse. This condition is known as:
a) newborn nursing syndrome
b) type-A-type-B syndrome
c) hemolytic nursing syndrome
d) fading kitten syndrome

15. The lifespan of a feline red blood cell is approximately:
a) 70 days
b) 90 days
c) 110 days
d) 130 days

16. Which of the following is not a known cause of anemia?
a) hemolysis
b) hemorrhage
c) bone marrow disorder
d) food allergy

17. Another name for a red blood cell is a:
a) leukocyte
b) erythrocyte
c) thrombocyte
d) neutrophil

18. Thrombocytes, which play an important role in blood clotting, are also knows as:
a) platelets
b) lymphocytes
c) mast cells
d) leukocytes

19. Cats with allergic disorders are more likely to have an increased number of which types of blood cell?
a) neutrophils
b) lymphocytes
c) platelets
d) eosinophils

20. Transfusions are often required in cats with severe anemia. A sign that a cat is anemic is:
a) pale gums
b) weakness
c) decreased appetite
d) all of the above

SCORING

Score one point for every correct answer:

1. d    6. b    11. a    16. d
2. a    7. c    12. c    17. b
3. b    8. a    13. a    18. a
4. a    9. b    14. d    19. d
5. b    10. c  15. a    20. d

1 – 5 points:  Hmmm … perhaps it’s time to start hitting the books.
6 – 10 points:  Respectable. At least you know that blood is red.
11 – 15 points:  Impressive. This subject must be in your blood.
16 – 20 points: Looks like you have a budding career in veterinary hematology!