How to cross the river?
Once upon a time there was a man who had three pets; a Dog, a Mouse and a Cat. They went travelling, as people so often do, and in time they came upon a river.
There was a boat, but it was very small, and would not hold them all at the same time, in fact once the man was inside the boat there was only room for one animal at a time.
‘This river will be difficult to cross’ said Cat, ‘I am hungry, and I will surely take this chance to eat Mouse while you cross the river with Dog.’
Cat fiddled with her whiskers while speaking and looked at Mouse, who seemed nervous. ‘I am also hungry,’ said Dog while wagging his tail, ‘and I shall eat Cat while you cross with Mouse, I expect.’
It was Cat’s turn to look nervous. ‘Eek!’ Said Mouse, ‘Am I the only one who brought a packed lunch?’ The man looked at his animal friends and thought aloud – I have to take my Dog, Cat and Mouse over the river on this little boat, but I can only take one animal across at a time.
If I take Dog then Cat will eat Mouse, but if I take Mouse then Dog eats Cat. How will we all get across, without anyone getting eaten? Mouse, who had opened his lunchbox (Mouse was clever!) and started eating looked up and said ‘We’re in no hurry, don’t forget that.’
How does the man get the three animals across the river?
The man thought for a while, before he realised the best way, so everyone was happy and no one got eaten. First, he needed to take Cat over, then he must go back and take the mouse over, and then take Cat back with him before swapping Cat’s place for Dog. This then leaves Dog and Mouse together (Dog won’t eat Mouse) while he goes to get Cat back. It takes several journeys, but no one gets eaten and everyone is happy!
Who Catnapped the Kitten?
Once upon a different time, there was a great big, circular house that was bigger and rounder than any house you have ever seen. It was so big that the happy family who lived there needed a maid to clean everything and a chef to make them tasty food.
The family themselves were a mum, a dad, a brother and a sister; all as happy as could be with their little pet kitten called Ms. Whiskers. One day, after growing dizzy from walking in circles round the house, the mum and dad went out to the countryside and left everyone else at home.
When they got back late that afternoon, they found that the little kitten had been catnapped! A ransom note said the kitten would only be returned if a delicious cake was left out that night for the catnapper.
‘We must find out who has catnapped the kitten,’ cried dad. ‘And keep the delicious cake for ourselves,’ said mum. And with that they started to question everyone who had been in the house while they were gone and the kitten disappeared.
The brother said he was reading a book to his sister, and when mum and dad asked if this was true the sister said yes, and told them about the story he read to her.
The maid said she knew nothing about it, she had been busy all day; dusting every corner of the big house.
The chef said he never left the kitchen, being too busy to do anything else other than make stews and cakes for everyone’s dinner.
Neither the brother or sister had been in the kitchen, or seen the maid, as they had spent the day together reading.
‘I think I know who was responsible for the kitten’s catnapping,’ said mum, and dad agreed.
But who do you think did it?
Mum and dad looked at the chef, the maid, and their children. ‘You were reading,’ said mum to the children, “and you were alone in the kitchen,’ said dad to chef. They turned to look at the maid, ‘but you were dusting? All the corners of the house?’ Said mum and dad together.
The maid nodded, but as she did they both gestured around them at the big, circular house. ‘This house has no corners to dust, it is a big, round, circular house! You are the catnapper!’
And with that, the kitten ran out from under the maid’s petticoat, and into the arms of the family where they all lived happily ever after, apart from the maid who was sent to bed early for being naughty.
The funniest kid friendly jokes ever!
Rosey Petals and her Little Cats
Rosey Petals was a big girl who loved all her little cats. She had several in fact, and they were all different colors.
All but two of them were white as fresh sheets.
All but two of them were as black as a night sky.
All but two of them were completely brown, with little speckles around their nose.
How many cats does Rosey Petals actually have?
She has one white cat, one black cat, and a brown cat with a speckled nose.
Cats Crossing
A very long time ago there was a girl, a horse and a cat. They went on a long journey together, eventually coming to a bridge. The girl rode her horse over the bridge, Yet walked.
How is this possible?
The cat’s name is Yet!
Two Cats and their Lineage
There are two cats that are sitting curled up together on a windowsill, one is a big cat and the other is a little kitten. The little kitten is the son of the big cat, but the big cat is not the father of the little kitten.
How is this possible?
The big cat is the mother of the kitten.
What? Three Cats?
There was a cat that had three kittens, and those three kittens were called Larry, Moe, and Curly. The three kittens all loved their mother, whose name was What.
What, therefore, is the mother’s name?
WHAT!!!
The Classic St. Ives Cat Riddle
While I was walking the road to St. Ives a man came toward me with all seven of his wives! Upon each wife’s back were seven sacks, and in each sack were seven cats, each cat had seven kittens, (all adorned with tiny mittens).
How many in total, be it man, wives, sacks, cats and kittens, were on the way to St. Ives?
Just one, the person telling the riddle was walking to St. Ives and those he met were walking toward him and therefore AWAY from the town.
Cat’s Catnip Crossing!
It was the winter, and the clever cat and his scaredy cat friend were walking by the river when the clever cat sniffed some catnip that was growing on the other side.
‘We should go and get that catnip,’ said the clever cat.
‘But how will we cross the river without getting wet; there isn’t any boat I can see, nor a bridge or raft of any kind?!?’ cried the scaredy cat. The clever cat laughed, and crossed the river to get them the catnip while staying completely dry.
But how?
The river was frozen because it was the winter, and the cat could walk on the ice without it breaking (cats are much smaller than people! Don’t walk on icy rivers or ponds yourself!) and therefore stay completely dry.
Which Side of the Cat?
One day, a clever (but peculiar) scientist decided to prove that one side of a cat has more fur than the other, due to believing that when cats lie on the floor they need more insulation on that side to protect them from the cold and keep them comfy. She did lots of tests, and proved her theory right; cats do have more fur on one side than the other.
But which side of a cat do you think he proved has the most fur?
Cats have the most fur on their outside!
Cats Cornered, Cats Squared
Imagine a big, square room with small cats in it. A square has four corners, and each corner of this room has a small cat sat curled up comfortably. In front of each of these cats there are three other sleepy cats sat looking at them.
How many cats are sat in the room in total?
No, not sixteen! There are four cats, if they’re all sat in the corner of the square room then they each have three cats in front of them; the other cats that are sat curled up comfortably in each corner!
Silly, Funny Cat Riddles for Kids
- How many cats can you fit into a big, empty box?
Only one! A box stops being empty once it has a cat inside! - What do you get when you take three sevenths of chicken, two thirds of cat and half of goat?
CHI-CA-GO! - What would dog lovers call it if a cat were to win first prize at a dog show?
A cat-has-trophy! - What is a cat’s favorite color?
Purrrrrrrr-ple! - What is a cat’s favorite song?
Three Blind Mice! - What stops a leopard from winning at hide and seek?
Because they’re always spotted! - Which cats like going bowling the most?
Alley cats! - Which big cats always trick their way through exams?
Cheetahs! - You need a license for a dog, but not for a cat. Why is this?
Cats can’t drive! - Which animals make for the best pets, and why?
Cats, they are always purrrr-fect! - Which breakfast cereal do cats like the most?
Mice Crispies! - Why did the lion not eat the clowns at the circus?
Because they tasted funny! - What’s a good nickname for anyone who puts their right hand in a lion’s mouth
Lefty! - What did the Leopard like wearing striped shirts?
So it wouldn’t be spotted! - How hard is it hard to spot a leopard?
It’s not hard at all! They come that way!
Farah Zeb is a mother of five, including two children with special needs. She shares practical parenting tips and resources to help other families navigate daily challenges and create supportive, nurturing environments.
