Ceirath Cats are a strange species, a mix between a cat and a deer. These deer-sized creatures live in plains and young forests, where they travel and hunt in groups. Their name a mix of the Welsh words ceirw, deer, and gath, cat, it seems like the naming of the species got mixed up, becoming the deer cat Cats!
Terminology:
- male = buck
- female = doe
- baby = cub
- group of Ceirath Cats = clan
* Ceirath Cat antlers are technically horns, as they do not fall off like antlers do, but the terms are interchangeable due to the antler-like appearance in males.
Physical:
- usually 2-3 feet tall at the shoulder, males larger than females. About the size of a regular deer.
- front half looks like a cat, with big cat characteristics like powerful legs, sharp retractable claws, and big rounded ears.
- hind half looks like a deer, with cloven hooves and deer-like anatomy.
- eyes dilate like a cat's, slitted in bright light and round in the dark.
- short, smooth fur, with fluffiness on the underside of both types of tails.
- coat color ranges from deer-like patterns on brown or tan, to bright domestic cat colors on any pattern/marking cats can come in.
- usually live to be 40-45 years old, sometimes older, considered elderly at 30.
Males:
- larger than females, and stronger.
- have deer-like antlers, used for fighting other males for dominance and protecting the clan.
- more likely to have bright cat coloration than females, so they can impress them.
- males lead the clan, sometimes with one other dominant male. Subordinate males may live in the clan with some breeding rights.
Females:
- smaller than males, but faster.
- very uncommon for females to have small, curved horns. These females are usually bigger and more masculine in appearance.
- more likely to have brown or tan (camouflage-like) coloration, so they can hide from predators.
- rare for a female to lead a clan.
- more common for females to have long tails than males, so they can keep cubs warm, entertain them, etc.
Cubs:
- about the size of a chihuahua when born.
- have white spots like a fawn's, adult coloring is beneath, but muted so the cub is better camouflaged.
- cub fur molts at about 1 year old and adult coloring shows, horns grow in, and it enters adolescent stage (slightly smaller than adults).
- once a cub reaches adolescence, its tail will either grow longer and become a cat-like tail, or stay the same and be a short, deer-like tail.
- full grown at 2 years old.
Coat Specifics:
- most common coloring is deer-like patterns on brown or tan.
- deer patterns can come in domestic cat coloring, or vise versa.
- uncommon for both deer and cat patterns to be present on one Ceirath Cat, very uncommon for this to be in a cat coloring.
- rarest coloring is cat coloring on front half and deer coloring on hind half, or vise versa.
Habitat and Diet:
- originated in the Great Plains of N. America, and are spreading. Some have been imported to Europe and Asia.
- live in plains and secondary forests
- omnivorous, but prefer a meat-rich diet.
- clans typically consist of one or two dominant males, females and their cubs (usually by a dominant male), and subordinate males.
Prizes:
1st. Artist(fulltime) and three customs
2nd.Artist(fulltime) and two customs
3rd. Artist(fulltime) and one customs
4th. Artist(guest for a year)
5th.Artist(guest for six months)
end date is undecided
