| Class: | Vegimal; traditional American Tall Tale |
| Hab: | Any arid region |
| Fre: | Uncommon |
| Num: | 1-6 or as kept |
| Lair: | 80% |
| Size: | Puss: 10-30 lbs., 1'-2' tall Cougar: 100-300 lbs, 4' |
| Move: | Swift as normal cat |
| Def: | Extremely agile, leathery skin, armored by porcupine quills |
| Att: | Puss: body quills, 1-4 spiny club-tails, forearm daggers or short swords Cougar: quills, 1-4 spiny club-tails, forearms = great swords |
| Int: | Bright beast, some even sapient - if fickle |
| Spec: | Semi-domesticable - as regular cats |
| Posns: | Cactus liquor + collected trinkets |
These clever little vegimals have as wide a range of sizes and behaviors as regular cats. Some are perfectly friendly, if a bit mischievous. Other sadistically delight in brushing up against people in mock-friendliness, "accidentally" scratching them with their thorns. Some are just plain vicious killer kitten cacti.
Traditional American tall tales of the West describe cactus cats having spine-pelts, rather like a porcupine but sleeker, and forked or branched tails (equal spine-studded clubs). More interesting are the enlarged spines of the forelimbs, either like a row of daggers or like a short sword blade along each forearm. These may be used in combat against prey or those who would molest the cats, but, more curiously, are used to attack cacti.
Cactus cats attack cacti in order to get at the sap. They store this sap in any waterproof container they can find. When this ferments, the cats lap up the cactus whisky-milk. Becoming intoxicated, they dash about at jet speed, utterly bonkers, caterwauling at the top of their lungs, out-wailing any normal felines. Worse yet, they rub their forearm blades, one against the other, creating a horrendous screeching, like an infernal violin.
Cactus cats make fine familiars for desert witches and companions for desert druids - at least when the cats are sober.
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