Siamese cats are widely regarded as sleek and attractive creatures today, but they once had crossed eyes and kinked tails! Bred in what is today Thailand, the reason these cats had such a strange appearance became the subject of several legends. In one, they said a Siamese cat was given the job of guarding an important golden goblet belonging to a king. This was a loyal cat of course, and she clutched the cup so hard with her tail that it permanently bent, and stared at it so hard that her eyes became permanently cross eyed.