Enari Forest Cat

Basic Information

Genetics and Reproduction

A female forest cat becomes fertile around the age of three years, usually has a gestation period of 10 months, and has a litter of 1-3 cubs.

Growth Rate & Stages

The cubs usually stay with their mother until they are three years old, but after the first year, they're expected to hunt its own food. The two years after this is spent learning the primitive language, as well as refining hunting tactics.
At three years, it's time to move out from the mother's territory, and get one for themselves. The young cats usually try to spread out, and find a territory some distance away, to avoid mixing genes too much.
A forest cat can live for many years, but most die of other cases than old age. A forest cat is lucky to live longer than 20 years out in the wild. The oldest forest cat ever seen reached 67 years, but she was more of an exception.

Ecology and Habitats

The cats are only found in the Enari forests. The huge, ancient trees gives shade that makes it easier to hunt during daytime, and enables the cats to attack from above by climbing up the trunks and perching on branches.
The forest cats usually have huge territories, spanning several kilometers, to be sure to have enough food. There are some overlaps, happening more often with males than females.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Such a large cat needs a lot of meat to survive, so they hunt whatever that walks past. Smart enough to know that humanoids might be more dangerous than they look, the cats either ignore them, or follow them for a while to analyze the best tactic for attack.
The whole prey is usually eaten at once, since such a big predator needs a lot of meat to keep the metabolism going. Some prey is large enough to give leftovers, though, and these are usually dragged up into a tree. If the cat has cubs, the tree is usually very close to the burrow.

Additional Information

Domestication

Although not domesticated per se, the cats can be convinced to join a hunter as a mount and a hunting companion. The hunter needs to show respect to the cats and the forest to be able to make such a deal. The cat might turn on its hunting partner in a heartbeat if it feels that the hunter has broken this respect severely enough.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The forests of Enarion.

Average Intelligence

These cats are bright, and could grasp the basics of humanoid language if they get exposed to it enough. Not having developed a way to speak themselves, they have developed a primitive language of body language and sounds, and can use more sophisticated hunting methods than other cats.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Strong sense of smell, very good hearing, and sharp eyes, these cats will generally notice most other creatures before the other creature notices the cat. The cats see slightly better during nighttime than in daylight, due to their eyes being evolved for night hunting. The dense forests in Enarion makes it possible for these creatures to hunt effectively during the long periods of daylight of the northern summer, although not as effective as in the darker times of year.

Lifespan

in the wild - 15 years. Together with a rider, some Enari forest cats have reached 60 years.

Average Height

1.3 m shoulder height

Average Weight

650 kg

Average Length

3.5 m without tail. The tail is often around 2 m

Average Physique

These cats are surprisingly sleek and elegant for their size.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Usually brown to black in color to camouflage itself between the tree trunks of the forest, both plain and spotted fur has been observed. Sometimes, other colors show up due to mutation, but the colors that gives the worst camouflage means a short life for the cat.