Forest Cat

The forest cat is an animal known all throughout Leanor. It is quite common and lives in nearly every forest in Leanor, but it keeps away from areas with a human population as much as it possibly can, so it is rarely seen. The most likely place to see a forest cat near human civilization is in fields surrounding farms during dusk or dawn, when the cats are out to hunt mice an other small rodents, but even then it is near impossible to get close to one.

Forest cats usually have a grey or brown coat and yellow or green eyes. Compared to other wild cats, forest cats are rather small, about the size of a fox. They often have a long, bushy tail and a distinktive stripe pattern as well as short snouts and pointy ears. Their senses, particularly their hearing and sense of smell, are excellent. They also possess an extraordinary proprioception, allowing them to move and climb very well. In case of a fall, it even helps them to twist in mid-air in order to land on their feet, a sense that is vital for a tree-dwelling species.

Forest cats are rather small, but their size can be decieving, as they still have very sharp claws and teeth.Forest cats are formidable hunters. They mainly eat small rodents, like mice or squirrels, birds, or fish and sometimes even lizards and insects, which they hunt at dusk or dawn. During daytime, forest cats mostly spend their time sleeping in trees. They climb into trees to protect themselves against larger predators such as bears or wolves.

Unfortunately, forest cats have been hunted by humans for their fur, but since they can be quite evasive, their population is stable. Attempts of domestication have been made, but the forest cat does not like being caged or kept inside. As a result, any attempt of domestication has either failed or resulted in more of a grudging partnership between human and cat.