Kitties Felis Catus

APPEARANCE

Kitties have a rather small size range, generally staying close in size to what is possible for cats on Earth.  They come in a number of different appearances, some of which seem to be influenced by seasons or even by strange magics, as well as natural varieties inherited from their Earth ancestors.  To see the currently available different types of Kitty, please visit the Encyclopedia.

HABITAT

Kitties are not native to Aerius.  They are descended from cats who humans brought to Aerius as their pets, and the cats bred as pets for Dextroluma during that time.  The cats on Aerius changed over generations, becoming distinct, and Dextroluma chose the term ‘kitties’ as the name to distinguish them from their ancestors and Earthly cousins.  Most kitties live alongside their owners as pets or service animals, though there are a few feral colonies scattered across the planet.  Wildlife rescuers do their best to trap and rehabilitate these kitties in order to mitigate negative effects on the environment.

BEHAVIORS

Kitties generally take quite after Earth cats.  Their vocalizations are quite similar, as are their mannerisms.  There's not really any major differences beyond that - there have been a few experiments by breeders trying to breed a more diurnally-inclined kitty, but all have been failures.  Much like Earth cats, kitties do what they want, when they want to do so.

DIET

Kitties typically eat a diet comprised mostly of meat and kibbles that are fortified with necessary nutrients that they find difficult to get on Aerius.  They also typically eat Aerius mushrooms, which are believed to have helped them to so rapidly diverge from their ancestors.

ROLES

Kitties have no natural role in the environment in Aerius.  They are generally pets to the species who live on Aerius.  Due to their (generally) high intelligence and the way they attune to the desires of their owners, they are often trained as service animals or to do tricks and pet sports, although it can be harder to find a kitty willing to be trained to do tricks than one might wish.

REPRODUCTION

As Kitties descend from Earth cats, their reproduction is the same.

LIFESPAN

Due to the effects of magic, Kitties owned by another species will live for as long as their owner does. A feral Kitty has a similar average lifespan to an Earth cat.

CORRUPTION

As Kitties are not native to Aerius, they are unable to contract necrosis.  This has made them an especially popular pet in the Blighted Wilds, as pet owners do not have to feel like they are endangering a pet by having them there with them.