Cat

Cat is a creature type used for felines. In Magic, the term refers to both regular cats, as well as other feline creatures (some endowed with sapience), such as lions and tigers. The first creature to bear the type was Cat Warriors in Legends (though the Savannah Lions from Alpha was later issued errata to become a Cat). The first card with the subtype Cat without a second subtype was Canyon Wildcat from ''Tempest.

Cats come in all colors, but are primarily found in green and white.

Cat Warriors
Cat warriors are feline humanoids found throughout Dominaria, primarily on the continent of Jamuraa. There are various different strains of cat warriors, some resembling tigers, others leopards or jaguars, and yet others cougars. The cat warriors have kept a relatively low profile throughout Dominaria's history, but they date back at least as far as the era of the Thran Empire.

There are various tribes of cat warriors. The Chitr’in were visited by Gerrard Capashen and Mirri once. The Efravans, Hooraree, Khyyiani, and Sulaki live in the Sukurvian Desert. After the Phyrexian Invasion of Dominaria caused the destruction of the cat warriors' Jamuraan homelands, their race was scattered across Dominaria.

The panther warriors, nacatl, and leonin, and perhaps nishoba as well, might be considered to belong to the same race as other cat warriors, but their cultures are distinct enough to set them apart.

Dominarian catfolk as a whole appear to have become extinct, with the exception of the panther warriors of Free Urborg.

Panther Warriors
The panther warriors are exiles of the cat warrior nations, many of whom had taken up residence in Urborg. They sometimes serve dark forces but are usually neutral in their world view. During the Mirage Wars, they were led by Purraj, an ally of Kaervek, who came with him to Jamuraa from Urborg and possibly perished there.

Long after the demise of Lord Windgrace, his followers still defended Urborg by sabotaging the Cabal's artifacts. Organized in Free Urborg, they were led by Marivel.

Leonin
Leonin are a form of anthropomorphic lion found on multiple planes. They have a strong connection to white mana.

Mirrodin Leonin
The Leonin of Mirrodin dwelled in the Razor Fields, their capital being Taj-Nar, the Ancient Den. Their culture is highly honor-based and religious, worshipping the white sun. Clerics of the suns have to survive a year in the Razor Fields before they are regarded as full abunas (clerics ) that are allowed to lead other Leonin in religious ceremonies, particularly the Sunroar. As with all creatures from Mirrodin, they have partially metallic features. The Leonin shared a bond with the pterons, flying reptiles, and specialized skyhunters used them as mounts.

After Memnarch was defeated and Karn, Mirrodin's creator, sent those leonin abducted from other planes back to where they had come from, a schism ran through the remaining ones. One group supported a new kha named Kemba, calling themselves the kha-tal. The other, formerly the Obu-tal, called for a revolution against the old societal structures, believing that they did not apply to the changed world.

Like all inhabitants of Mirrodin, the leonin were drawn to that world from another plane. Though never explicitly stated, it is possible that they came from Alara; both the nacatl and the leonin call their leader the kha, and after Alara reformed, some Nacatl began calling themselves Leonin.

Nacatl
The nacatl are a race of leonin from the shard of Naya (originally part of Alara). The males look very similar to the leonin of Mirrodin (sans metal plating) and have light fur, while the females lack manes. Naya's leonin display a bit more physiological variety than Mirrodin's leonin; Nacatl have coats like tigers, jaguars, ocelots, etc., whereas Mirrodin leonin tend to stick with a more strict lion look.

The cat-people used to dominate Naya, but a rebellious faction led by Marisi believed they had grown weak, and that they should return to their true cat-nature. Their empire crumbled and the nacatl were reduced to isolated tribes. By the time of the Conflux, the nacatl were split into at least two cultural groups: the peaceful Cloud Nacatl, who inhabited the mountain ruins of their ancestors, and the violent Wild Nacatl or Claws of Marisi, who lived in the lowland jungles; the two groups had nothing but contempt for each other. Scratchforms is the writing system employed by the nacatl. Among Wild Nacatl scratchforms are predominantly used by shamans. The most important text set in scratchforms was the Coil.

The savage nacatl are a subgroup of which very little is known, save that they disdain the use of weapons and armor. Savage nacatl are larger and more muscular than other cat-people, with no manes, gray fur, and black tiger-like stripes. Their relation to other nacatl is unknown.

After the Conflux, when Alara was made whole once more, some nacatl migrated to the civilized lands of Bant and began integrating into the city-dwelling culture. The Bant cat-people, who adapted to the chivalrous code of knights and soldiers, simply called themselves leonin. The Nayan pride of the Sunstrikers is loyal to Ajani. It's their sworn duty to keep his lands safe.

Nacatl means 'Meat' in Nahuatl, which is a Mesoamerican language notably used by the Aztecs.

Theros Leonin
Unlike the proud leonin of other planes, Theros' leonin are disgraced outcasts due to their previous support of the Archon Agnomakhos, who tyrannized Meletis and surrounding lands. These leonin make a conscious effort to separate themselves from humanity and the other races, down to not worshipping the main gods of Theros, though some do still occasionally honor Heliod and Nylea. Most live in the golden plain of Oreskos. Each year, on the day of the first full moon after the autumn equinox, matriarchs from all the leonin prides gather at Tethmos to select a monarch, who acts as a representative of the prides in the wider world.

Nishoba
Ogre-sized cat-people blending the features of snow leopards and smilodons, nishobas lived as marauders in cold regions. Nishobas are known to have lived in Terisiare and Otaria, but may have become extinct after the end of the Phyrexian Invasion of Dominaria.

Rakshasa
Endemic to Tarkir, these anthropomorphic cats are also demons. Tiger-like in appearance, they are associated with the Sultai Brood, the members of the brood having made demonic contracts with them to gain power. The wield potent dark magic that makes them feared. A single Rakshasa can lay waste to swaths of land or reduce an army to dust. They summon horrors and abominations that swallow cities and devour legions.

In the past, Tasigur, khan of the Sultai, offended the rakshasa, who withdrew their support from him. Having been left vulnerable to the renewed dragon attacks, Tasigur made a pact with Silumgar, leading him to a meeting with the other khans. Afterward, the rakshasa renewed their pacts, but this time with Silumgar. The dragonlord fears that the rakshasa will eventually turn against him, but knows that their magic is too useful for him.

Regular cats
Examples of regular cats are:
 * Black Cat
 * Fleetfoot Panther
 * Lynx
 * Mist Leopard</c>
 * Mtenda Lion</c>
 * Penumbra Bobcat</c>
 * Pouncing Jaguar</c>
 * Raging Cougar</c>
 * Sabertooth Alley Cat</c>
 * Sabretooth Tiger</c>
 * Sanctuary Cat</c>
 * Scarred Puma</c>
 * Trained Caracal</c>
 * Trained Cheetah</c>
 * Uktabi Wildcats</c>
 * Zodiac Tiger</c>

Domestic Cats
Domestic cats had been rarely featured in Magic, until recently. When they are, they are often sacred creatures associated with white mana.

Amonkhet
Cats are sacred to the god of solidarity, Oketra, though they lack it. At least some are embalmed after death.

Innistrad
Sanctuary Cat</c>s patrol churches in order to root devils out.

Ravnica
A variety of domestic cat breeds such as Generous Stray</c> and Charmed Stray</c> are found on the streets of Ravnica.

Eldraine
Black cats in Eldraine appear near the <c>Cauldron Of Eternity</c> as a <c>Cauldron Familiar</c>, and take advantage of its resurrection powers.

Arynx
Horned Cat Beasts from Tarkir and Ravnica. Once it has the scent, it hunts down its prey to the end.

Felidars
The Zendikar continent of Sejiri is home to felidars, ferocious horned cat beasts. Some human knights are able to Kabira Vindicator</c>. Felidars that make it through their first year of life can easily live to see a hundred years more. Certain felidars are believed to have become isolated with the skyclaves, where over time they became the monstrous Skyclave Shadowcat</c> that now inhabit them.

Felidars are also found on Kaladesh, where they are kept as <c title="guard beasts">Felidar Guardian</c>, and on Ikoria. Felidars are also found on Ravnica, where they are primarily associated with the Azorius Guild where they form strong bonds with a single individual, sometimes a criminal, allowing them to see through their eyes and find them anywhere on the plane. Some Ravnican Felidar are winged.

Firecats
Firecats are elemental cats native to the Pardic Mountains of Otaria. As their name suggests, their bodies are permanently ablaze. Their extinguished furs were often used as clothing by the Pardic barbarians.

Ikoria Cats
In Ikoria, cats are one of the dominant clades and in particular oversee Savai. They are elegant but sadistic predators that toy with their prey. Like all life on Ikoria, they are mutants, and several have wings, which Vivien Reid remarks as not being seen as unusual there.

Nightcats
A variety of cat native to Indatha as opposed to Savai. They glow.

Jhovalls
Jhovalls are enormous cats native to Mercadia. They are fierce in combat and are large and strong enough to be used as mounts for fully-armored warriors, although training to ride the beasts takes many years of practice. <c>Jhovall rider</c>s, therefore, make up the elite corps of both the Mercadian and Cho-Arrim armies.

Leotau
Leotau are semi-intelligent mounts employed by the Inner Three nations of Bant, distantly related to the leonin of Naya. They are unique in that they are hooved animals; they have the heads and bodies of lions, but possess the legs of horse or bull. There are three varieties found in the savannahs of Bant: the orisil, the mherva, and the grohm.

Undead variants of these species are present in Grixis.

Maaka
Giant, six-eyed cats on Ravnica, loyal to the Gruul.

Serpopards
Based on an actual mythological creature, serpopards are snake cats endemic to Amonkhet. They serve the god Rhonas.

Urborg Panthers
Urborg Panthers are cat-like nightstalkers.

Yalomar Cats
Yalomar cats were powerful felines native to the region of Khone on Corondor. One cat was used in training the Numbered Ones in the Valley of Sacrifice. When the Numbered Ones managed to destroy it with magic, the resulting blast blinded the Khonian midwives and killed all but one of the Numbered Ones, leaving only Gydolien Mor alive.

Zheng
The <c title="Zheng">Ferocious Zheng</c> are cat beasts from the Plane of Mountains and Seas. They are known for their glowing horn and stone-rattling roar and are the fiercest predators in the forest.

Alara

 * Nacatl
 * Ajani Goldmane
 * Jazal Goldmane
 * Marisi
 * Nazahn

Dominaria

 * Cat Warriors
 * Jedit Ojanen
 * Kyyrao Grenmw
 * Mirri


 * Nekoru
 * Wasitora


 * Panther Warriors
 * Windgrace
 * Purraj


 * Others
 * <c>Jareth, Leonine Titan</c>
 * Laena

Ikoria

 * Lurrus
 * <c>Silvar, Devourer of the Free</c>
 * Kaheera
 * Snapdax
 * Nethroi
 * Vadrok

Mirrodin/New Phyrexia

 * Leonin
 * Kemba
 * Raksha
 * Ranya
 * Ushanti

Theros

 * <c>Brimaz, King of Oreskos</c>

Tovalda

 * House cats
 * Janah, Kaya's cat.

Unknown

 * Arahbo
 * Balan
 * Falthis
 * Prava
 * Rin and Seri a Dog Cat pair
 * Sparky

Creature Update
Creature types changed into Cat include:
 * Cheetah (<c>King Cheetah</c>)
 * Lion (<c>Savannah Lions</c>)
 * Tiger (<c>Sabretooth Tiger</c>)
 * Wildcat (<c>Uktabi Wildcats</c>)

Trivia

 * <c>Animal Sanctuary</c> is a land that can put +1/+1 counters on cats.
 * Core Set 2021 and Jumpstart featured Cat Tribal.