We Are . . . Charming Cats, Actually

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. Siamese cats were first seen in England in 1871. Where? The Birmingham NEC Gathering of the Cat Fancy Crufts Crystal Palace Cat Show The Millennium Dome Moggy Show

2. Some friends of mine in childhood owned a Siamese called Sheba - they also introduced me to some wonderfully funny books about Siamese with titles like 'Cats in the Belfry', 'Double Trouble', 'Cats in May' and 'The Coming of Saska'. Which British writer was the author of these books? Doreen Tovey Lilian Jackson Braun Derek Tangye B. Kliban

3. In 1879, probably the first Siamese cat in America arrived as a present for President Rutherford B. Hayes' wife from the American Consul in Bangkok. What did they call the cat? Cat Siam Pennyrallt Picasso Meezy

4. Siamese have 'points' - that is, the head, ears, paws and tails are a different colour from the rest of the body. What is not a valid Siamese colour under British Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) rules? Tabbypoint Chocolatepoint Pinkpoint Lilacpoint

5. Siamese standards now call for a long tapering tail, free of any 'kink'. The characteristic kink was actually a congenital deformity. I think it's a shame it's been bred out, as there is a charming legend attached to it. What was this legend? The king of Siam was displeased with the first Siamese cat and broke its tail to make it obedient The first Siamese cat was descended from the monkeys and they used the kink to swing from tree to tree The Siamese princesses and court ladies used to go down to the water to bathe. They would remove their rings and put them on the cat's tail, then bend it over to stop the rings falling off The first Siamese cat was bitten by a dragon and all Siamese cats have this kink to show the bravery of the cat in the battle

6. Is it a good idea to have your Siamese pet cat neutered? Yes No

7. Siamese cats aren't very happy as lap cats. Energetic, curious and intelligent, what will they do? Walk on a lead (or leash) Retrieve thrown objects for hours Neither of these - they're cats, not dogs! Both of these

8. Another thing that has been bred out of the Siamese cat recently is the squint. There is also a legend about the squint, and that is that the Siamese guarded the Buddhist treasures and stared at them so hard that their eyes crossed. So what colour are these eyes? Answer: (One word.)

9. Siamese points are also seen in other animals. What sort of Siamese animals would you not see? Siamese mice Siamese rabbits Siamese rats Siamese horses

10. I hope this quiz has disabused you of any notion that the two evil Siamese in 'Lady and the Tramp' (Si and Am) are typical Siamese. Of course, the true part of that film was that Siamese love milk so much that they would steal a baby's milk. That was true, wasn't it? Yes No