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The (Not Yet) Complete Guide to Kittenhawks and Cathawks
16 years ago
Alright. I'm getting tired of people asking what a kittenhawk is, so I'm just going to post it here for all to see. It's small now, but hopefully it will grow in time.
First off, "kittenhawk" is the juvenile term for a member of the species, like "kitten", "puppy", or "fledgling". The adult form is a term that's currently under debate, as while "cathawk" is the officially accepted term, the term "hawkcat" is gaining more and more support. For the purposes of this document, we will use the terms “kittenhawk” and “cathawk”.
Kittenhawks and cathawks are, in the simplest terms, part cat and part bird. In this sense, kittenhawks and cathawks are not so different from gryphons, sharing many similarities with them. Gryphons have the head and wings of an eagle, and their front legs are talons, like an eagle. They also have a coat of feathers running up their entire front half. Their backside is that of a lion, having tawny fur and a lion's tail.
Cathawks, meanwhile, share more traits with the common household cat. They have the head of a housecat, and their main bodies are based on the body of a housecat. They have the wings of a bird, usually a member of the hawk family, though other types have been observed. Their front legs are talons, just like those of a bird of prey, or the front legs of a gryphon, only adapted for walking on four legs. That is to say, the back claw typical of talons is generally placed further up on the back of their legs, so that it does not get in the way when they are running. Their back legs are those of a common housecat as well. Their tails are, for the most part, like the tail of the common housecat, but their tails differ in that they have a tuft of feathers on the tip. This is a distinguishing feature of the cathawk, and one that few other species have.
Their fur pattern can seem complex, but it's really quite simple. Their heads are the head of a housecat, so that part of their body is covered in fur. Their feathers begin around the neckline. In very young kittenhawks, these feathers are quite fluffy, especially around the next where they form a ruff of sorts. This ruff helps to protect baby kittenhawks from being bitten in the neck by predators at a young age, and generally subsides into normal feathers within the first few months.
The feathers continue out over the kittenhawk's wings, but stop before going down its front legs, where it gives way to the scales typical of talons at around the knee. These feathers also continue down the belly, to its rear end. Fur travels down its back, and continues down the kittenhawk's back legs, and down its tail. At the very tip of the tail, there is another tuft of feathers. This tuft of feathers is also unusually thick on infants, and usually subsides into relatively normal feathers after a few months. But these feathers still stay somewhat fluffy into adulthood, creating an effect not unlike that of a paintbrush.
This is just the beginning. There is far more to come. If you would like to contribute to this documentary, please consider drawing an image of a kittenhawk or cathawk to add to the database. Thank you for your cooperation.
First off, "kittenhawk" is the juvenile term for a member of the species, like "kitten", "puppy", or "fledgling". The adult form is a term that's currently under debate, as while "cathawk" is the officially accepted term, the term "hawkcat" is gaining more and more support. For the purposes of this document, we will use the terms “kittenhawk” and “cathawk”.
Kittenhawks and cathawks are, in the simplest terms, part cat and part bird. In this sense, kittenhawks and cathawks are not so different from gryphons, sharing many similarities with them. Gryphons have the head and wings of an eagle, and their front legs are talons, like an eagle. They also have a coat of feathers running up their entire front half. Their backside is that of a lion, having tawny fur and a lion's tail.
Cathawks, meanwhile, share more traits with the common household cat. They have the head of a housecat, and their main bodies are based on the body of a housecat. They have the wings of a bird, usually a member of the hawk family, though other types have been observed. Their front legs are talons, just like those of a bird of prey, or the front legs of a gryphon, only adapted for walking on four legs. That is to say, the back claw typical of talons is generally placed further up on the back of their legs, so that it does not get in the way when they are running. Their back legs are those of a common housecat as well. Their tails are, for the most part, like the tail of the common housecat, but their tails differ in that they have a tuft of feathers on the tip. This is a distinguishing feature of the cathawk, and one that few other species have.
Their fur pattern can seem complex, but it's really quite simple. Their heads are the head of a housecat, so that part of their body is covered in fur. Their feathers begin around the neckline. In very young kittenhawks, these feathers are quite fluffy, especially around the next where they form a ruff of sorts. This ruff helps to protect baby kittenhawks from being bitten in the neck by predators at a young age, and generally subsides into normal feathers within the first few months.
The feathers continue out over the kittenhawk's wings, but stop before going down its front legs, where it gives way to the scales typical of talons at around the knee. These feathers also continue down the belly, to its rear end. Fur travels down its back, and continues down the kittenhawk's back legs, and down its tail. At the very tip of the tail, there is another tuft of feathers. This tuft of feathers is also unusually thick on infants, and usually subsides into relatively normal feathers after a few months. But these feathers still stay somewhat fluffy into adulthood, creating an effect not unlike that of a paintbrush.
This is just the beginning. There is far more to come. If you would like to contribute to this documentary, please consider drawing an image of a kittenhawk or cathawk to add to the database. Thank you for your cooperation.
