Feline Theriotypes

The cat family in nature

Cats are hunters of the pause and the rush. Nearly all of them stalk or wait in ambush, close the distance in silence, and finish with a short burst of speed. They eat meat and almost nothing else. Their claws retract to stay sharp, their forward-facing eyes judge distance well, and a reflective layer behind the eye lets them see in very dim light. Whiskers tell them what is close in the dark. Most are active at dusk and through the night, and rest for long stretches of the day.

• Domestic cats descend from wildcats of the Near East and North Africa, which began living alongside people as farming spread, probably drawn by the mice around stored grain. Where food is plentiful, cats often live in loose colonies, and related females may help guard and even nurse one another's kittens.
• Small wild cats include the lynx, with its ear tufts, short tail and broad furred feet for snow; the bobcat, its North American cousin; the caracal of Africa and the drier parts of Asia, which can leap to snatch birds from the air; and the long-legged serval of African grasslands, which listens for rodents in tall grass and pounces from above.
• The lion is the one truly social cat. A pride is built around related females and their cubs, joined by a small coalition of males. Lions live on open grassland and savanna, and they spend most of the day at rest.
• The tiger, the largest cat, lives alone across the forests, grasslands and mangrove swamps of Asia, and is a strong and willing swimmer.
• The leopard has the widest range of the great cats, across Africa and much of Asia. It is secretive and adaptable, and often hauls its prey up into trees.
• The jaguar, the great cat of the Americas, keeps close to rivers and swamps, swims well, and has a bite strong enough to pierce a turtle's shell.
• The snow leopard lives among the high mountains of Central Asia. It has thick fur, wide paws, and a long heavy tail that helps its balance and wraps around it for warmth. Unlike the lion, tiger, leopard and jaguar, it cannot roar.
• The cheetah is built for one thing: a sprint faster than any other land animal can run. It hunts by day, its claws only partly retract, and it chirps and purrs instead of roaring. Females live alone with their cubs; males often stay together in small groups, frequently brothers.

Why cats are so often named

After the canines, cats are among the most frequently named theriotypes, both the great cats and the domestic cat. Part of the reason is familiarity: a great many people grow up with a cat in the house, and the big cats are among the best known of all wild animals. Part may be that the cat's way of being, watchful, self-possessed and expressive in small movements, is easy to recognize from the inside. As with every family, frequency says nothing about validity.

What feline therians commonly describe

These are patterns that feline therians often mention. None is a requirement, and none is proof.

• Phantom features. Ears that swivel toward a sound and flatten at a loud one. Whiskers. A tail that lashes, curls or twitches with mood. Claws, sometimes felt as an urge to flex the fingers or knead a soft surface. Tufted ears for some lynx therians; a heavier, more powerful frame for many great cat therians.
• Attention. A fixing on small movements at the edge of sight, with the rest of the world falling quiet. A habit of watching before joining in.
• Instinct and rest. Stalking and pouncing in play. A strong liking for warm, sunny spots and long naps. Fastidiousness about cleanliness. A pull toward high places for many leopard and domestic cat therians, and toward water for many tiger and jaguar therians.
• Landscapes and hours. Dusk and night for most. Snowy forest for many lynx therians, open grassland for lions and servals, high rocky slopes for snow leopards. Cheetah therians often describe being at home in bright daylight.
• Social life. Many feline therians describe a contented solitude and a few deep bonds. Lion therians are the clear exception, often describing a strong need for a close group and for shared rest.

Telling close relatives apart

The cats share a common body plan, so the useful differences lie in social life, landscape and way of hunting.

Cats and canines are confused more often than one might expect, especially early on. A preference for solitude, a habit of looking up, and a short sharp burst of energy in place of long steady travel point toward a cat. The essay Before You Name It was written by a lynx therian who first took herself for a wolf.

Myths that mislead

The aloof cat

The commonest myth about cats is that they are cold. Domestic cats form real bonds with the people they live with, and show it in quiet ways: a slow blink, a tail held upright in greeting, a head rubbed against a hand, kneading on a lap. In colonies they groom and rest together. A cat that hunts alone is not unfeeling; it is simply built for a hunt that works best alone. Feline therians who have believed that they ought to be distant may find the real animal warmer than its reputation.

King of beasts

The lion of heraldry rules alone. The real lion lives in a family, and much of the pride's hunting is done by the lionesses. A lion therian need not be regal, only, perhaps, glad of company and of a long rest in the shade.

Panthers, witches and weretigers

A "black panther" is not a separate animal but a dark leopard or jaguar, whose spots still show in the right light. The cat as a witch's companion belongs to European folklore, told on the page about hares, cats and witches. Tiger people, leopard kings and jaguar shamans belong to the legends gathered under the great cats. These stories are worth knowing, and none of them describes a feline therian.

The glamorous cat

Snow leopards, tigers and black jaguars are widely admired, and admiration is not the same as recognition. That is a reason for anyone to look carefully. It is not a reason to doubt someone who has looked carefully and found a snow leopard.

Respect for the real animals

Many wild cats are in difficulty. Tigers, snow leopards, cheetahs and others have lost much of their range to farming, roads and hunting, and conflict with livestock keepers takes a steady toll. Feline therians often find their way into caring about this, and it is a fitting loyalty.

Never approach a wild cat of any size. Be wary, too, of attractions that offer the chance to handle cubs or pose with captive big cats; such places seldom serve the animals well. With domestic cats, let them come to you, and learn their signals rather than imitating them.

Finding your way slowly

Liking cats, preferring the night or once dreaming of a jungle does not decide anything alone. The page on theriotypes describes the slow method: notice and record your own experience, learn the real animals well, and compare honestly over time. Some find that they identify with the cats as a whole, and the word cladotherian exists for them. Others find two distinct animals and call themselves polytherian. The page on canine theriotypes may help anyone weighing a cat against a dog or wolf.