Khajiit ( Skyrim ) The Khajiit are a playable race present in . Khajiit are one of the beast races which inhabit the continent of Tamriel , primarily their home province of Elsweyr . The Khajiit are Cathay and are recognizable by their feline appearance and their sly accent . Along with the Argonians , they are referred to as the beast - races of Skyrim . Because of this , Khajiit have a negative public image . Abilities and professions . Known for their natural agility and stealth , many Khajiit disdain weapons in favor of their claws . When involved in combat , they often flatten their ears , narrow their eyes , and show their teeth ( similar to a real - life cat ) . Due to their stealth skills , beguiling wit , and latent agility , they make adept thieves and assassin s . Many Khajiit are also warriors , although this is mainly true of the Cathay - raht , a breed taller and more powerful than the Cathay that are rarely found outside Elsweyr . The Cathay found in Skyrim are much more agile and in addition to their natural agility and proficiency in stealth , they have the added benefit of night vision . These skills , combined with the general tendency of humans and mer to look down on Khajiit and " beasts " , leads many Khajiit outside of their home province to become professional assassins , thieves or bandits in other lands . Other Khajiit in the province of Skyrim find their cunning nature suitable for mercantilism and trade . Still more are involved in the illegal smuggling of Skooma , a narcotic . Public image and history . Khajiit are typically viewed as second - class citizens due to their bestial appearance . Many more of viewed as cheats , liars , thieves , and drug - addicts — which is accurate in some cases . Because of this , citizens have difficulty trusting Khajiits . Racial slurs for Khajiits have emerged from this negative stereotype , being called " cat , " " rug , " or " carpet . " Khajiit are the subject of racial discrimination all across Skyrim , as they are thought to be more criminally inclined than other races . According to Ahkari , a female Khajiit trader who sells in almost every hold in Skyrim , " . . . it is the Nords . They do not like outsiders in their land , and so we are forbidden to enter the cities . When they look upon us , they see only pickpockets and Skooma dealers . " Thus , Khajiit caravans are forced to conduct business and encamp entirely outside of city walls . They were oppressed and enslaved by rich families and primary industries in Morrowind , until very recently when King Helseth outlawed slavery . They also have a strong racial dislike for Argonians ( a feeling requited by their eastern neighbors ) . This causes tension in the southern Cyrodiil ic cities of Leyawiin and Bravil , where Elsweyr and Black Marsh are both fairly close , and which have strong populations of both races . The Confederation of Elsweyr was the third kingdom taken by the Third Aldmeri Dominion , with its secession in 4E 99 , after the moons disappeared for three years . This change of leadership , however , did not rectify the racism that the mer and men have for the Khajiit , and many are still considered nothing more than second class citizens and petty brutes . Biology . The most notable characteristic of the Khajiit is their feline appearance . Being based upon real - life cats , they resemble them , and the range of facial feature combinations enable them to have numerous and varied faces . Some resemble New World mountain cats , such as , , and , while others display features tantamount to those of Old World cat species , including tigers and leopards , and more yet resemble domestic cats . Their faces are often speckled with spots or dashed with stripes , although they are relatively faint , especially in comparison to the bold markings of real - world cats . Their range of accessories includes hair , similar to human and meri hair in many compliments , along with some unique to Khajiit , such as lynx - like fur extensions of the ear tips . They also customize themselves with earrings and facial hair , most being similar to standard beards or mustaches and including tiger - like sideburns , optionally with beads tied in . Differences from other games . Unlike the Khajiit of Cyrodiil , Skyrim ' s Khajiit resemble mountain cats with thicker fur such as cougars or lynxes ; whereas Khajiit in and earlier games resembled jungle cats like jaguars and leopards . It is not certain if the character designers intended to do this , or if it is simply due to a change in graphics , though according to canon there are as many types of Khajiit as there are cats on Earth . Like Oblivion and unlike , Khajiit in Skyrim may wear headgear and footwear . Lunar influences . The appearance and physiology of a Khajiit is based on the lunar calendar of Masser and Secunda . The Khajiit seen in Skyrim are Cathay and only encompass some of the possible forms they can assume at birth , ranging from a general house cat , to giant feral beasts or even small Bosmer . Popular usage and unique gameplay . Classes and builds . Khajiits excel in stealth roles , making them extraordinary assassins , thieves , and archer s . Their excellent Sneak level coupled with certain Archery and Sneak perks make them very deadly archers , especially when sneak attacking . They also have skill in hand - to - hand combat ; their natural claws give them 15 extra damage while unarmed . This ability makes them ideal for brawling as they out - damage their foes . This trait , if paired with the Fists of Steel perk , makes a Khajiit formidable without weapons . Before this perk is unlocked , though , the Gloves of the Pugilist can be used to augment hand - to - hand combat . Additionally , the lycanthrope Khajiit makes better use of hand - to - hand than other races . Guilds . Although guilds extend membership to all races , the Thieves Guild and the Dark Brotherhood often employ Khajiit for their skills and abilities . Night vision . Although the intrinsic Night Eye ability may be considered useless apart from certain situations during which visibility is unfavorable , it comes in handy when sneaking in dimly lit areas . Night Eye works under water and while on horseback , but must be triggered before mounting the horse and cannot be restarted or turned off without dismounting . Role - playing advantages . Since Khajiit are rare in Skyrim , role - playing as a Khajiit minority might be interesting to players interested in this type of game - play . Some Khajiit are prohibited from cities because of this . On the other hand , a Khajiit Dragonborn is never prohibited from entering cities , but still receives racial slurs by the Hold Guard s and others . Notable Khajiit . The following is a list of some of the more notable Khajiit that can be found in Skyrim .