Yum Yum does not appear to have any extraordinary abilities, so she does not play as active a role in solving the mysteries, but is still a major character in the series. She is also Siamese, and had a troubled past. Her history is fully explained in "The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern", but it can be summed up rather briefly. Qwilleran got Yum Yum as a kitten from the Taits, rich folk who did not treat Yum Yum properly and did not even truly decide on her name. Mr. Tait, a jade collector, named her Yu after a variety of jade, while Mrs. Tait, whose family originates from Aarhus, Denmark calls her Freya, after the Norse goddess of love.