Cat

The domestic cat (Felis catus or Felis silvestris catus) is a small, typically furry and carnivorous mammal. 
Although mentioned as early as Fallout,Dane: "{114}{}{They're watching us even now! Mr. Nightkin! Felix and Timothy! Cats! Dogs! Nightkin!}"(Dane's dialogue) cats made their first live appearance in Fallout 4, frequently seen in the Commonwealth, as common pets kept by both wastelander and Vault dwellers alike.
==Background==
Prized by humans before the Great War for their companionshipBetsy Spinelli's holotape and ability to hunt vermin, such as rodents, snakes, scorpions, and other household pests, cats were common across the United States. Their popularity was such that artist Santiago Avida's painting of a kitten playing with a toy rocket became his best selling piece, seen in houses all over the United States.Santiago Avida: "Truth be told, this is my best selling piece. I did the series under a pseudonym of course. This series has made me more money than any of my serious works, and I did the whole thing as a lark! What does that tell you about the value of art to the common man, hm?" They also took part in science, from thought experimentsDoctor Klein: "DO GET CURIOUS OR YOU WILL END UP LIKE THE CAT OF SCHRÖDINGER."(Klein's dialogue) to Mr. Pebbles, a Persian house cat claimed by the United States to be the first living organism in space.A Vault Dweller: "What about Jangles the Moon Monkey?"Katherine Swan: "It's not implausible. After all, the first organism in space was not a man, but a Persian house cat named Mr. Pebbles. We call ourselves brave explorers, and yet we've often had our pets do the dirty work that we are too cowardly to do."(Katherine Swan's dialogue) Their excellent night vision is alluded to in the name of the drug Cateye, which temporarily gives the user a similar ability to see in the dark.Cateye effects 
Cats survived the Great War with little apparent change, though the collapse of society led to the emergence of a large number of feral cats. Humans continued to domesticate cats across the continent, from AppalachiaCassie Halloway: "Ugh, another cat hair. Somebody's gotta dust in here."(Cassie Halloway's dialogue) to New California (eg. Broken Hills,Broken Hills citizen: "{261}{}{My cat's breath smells like cat food.}"(Male and Female Broken Hills citizens' dialogue) Shady Sands,Doofus: "{177}{}{Yeah, I WatCH cars, yeah, CARS...CARS..yeah, cars...!}{178}{}{LA LA LA LA CARS, hey gimme a Car and I'LL WATCH IT..}{179}{}{WATCH watch watch WATCH watch WATch WHHAATCH watch}{180}{}{Wrote a song about it wana here it here it goes}{181}{}{Cars CARRS CARS Cars KARS KKKARS Cars CATS}{182}{}{Kats?! Yeah, I can watch cats too. Anyone have a CAT!!}{183}{}{I LIKE CATS THE WORD SOUNDS LIKE CAR AND THATS WHAT I WATCH!}{184}{}{You like cars I WATCH'EM like a hawk with litty beady eyes.}{185}{}{Never get out ub my site I be watchen em somtimes people talk but I just keep watchn}{186}{}{Yeah, I am fine. YEAH, IM FINE, yeah.}"(Doofus' dialogue)and elsewhere.Sandy: "{103}{}{Meow... meow... I am a cat. And I have special powers that only cats have. What are you?}"(Sandy's dialogue)) The process still required patience, with impatient people (eg. the super mutant Maul) choosing dogs over cats solely due to this.Maul: "Maul is dog person. Cat person require more patience than Maul willing to give."(Maul's dialogue) 
As prized companions, some spoiled their cats, and occasionally they were preyed upon to hurt their owner.A Vault Dweller: "How does Edwin feel about the Blood Eagles?"Beckett: "Oh, they have a bit of a history. Edwin used to walk around with this giant fat cat perched on his shoulder. He loved that cat. I bet you can guess what the Blood Eagles did, right? That's right. They stole his cat, skinned it and cooked it for dinner. Then they sent the bloody pelt back to Edwin in a sack. Classy, right?"(Beckett's dialogue) Cats were also killed for their meat, particularly in areas where other sources of protein were unavailable. This could lead to localized extinctions: The Den in New California was affected by a famine in the early 23rd century, leading to people hunting feral cats and killing domesticated ones for sustenance. As a result, they were wiped out in an area.The Chosen One: "{120}{}{Why the glum flace?}"Stacy: "{134}{}{Oh, nothing really. Just sometimes I get thinking about my mom and cat. I miss them so very much.}"The Chosen One: "{135}{}{Cat?}"Stacy: "{137}{}{Yeah, Cuddles. She was such a sweet cat. I really don't feel like talking about it... Well, unless you'd like to buy me a drink. That might help.}"The Chosen One: "{139}{}{Of course I will. I'd love to hear about it.}"Stacy: "{146}{}{I hear there used to be ones that were as big as you and me. They used to eat animals as big as a brahmin. Now that's scary stuff.}"The Chosen One: "{148}{}{Yeah, it is.}"Stacy: "{149}{}{The kind I'm talking about is a small cute animal, bigger than a rat but smaller than a dog. Some are fluffy, like my Cuddles, but others have short hair.}"The Chosen One: "{150}{}{Really?}"Stacy: "{151}{}{They like to be pet like a dog does, but cats make this wonderful relaxing sound when you pet them.}"The Chosen One: "{152}{}{Strange.}"Stacy: "{153}{}{Cuddles always used to help me go to sleep at night. I think of her every night when I try to go to sleep.}"The Chosen One: "{155}{}{Go on.}"Stacy: "{156}{}{I had her when I was a kid, but she disappeared. I didn't know then what happened to her, I was too young.}"The Chosen One: "{157}{}{Why?}"Stacy: "{158}{}{Well, food was awfully scarce back then and people had to eat. It's quite sad really...}"The Chosen One: "{159}{}{What?}"Stacy: "{160}{}{People would hunt them because they were such easy prey. None of them are around anymore because of it.}"The Chosen One: "{162}{}{I can understand that.}"Stacy: "{163}{}{Those were the wild ones, but I'm sure that's what happened to mine. Now I know why Mom always kept a close eye on her.}"(Stacy's dialogue) Their absence in some regions led some, like Robert House, to assume they were extinct.The Courier: "I had to wipe out their leadership."Mr. House: "There's more than one way to skin a cat, as the saying goes. , that is - cats being extinct. I don't promote political assassination as a first option, but it has a long and storied history. I'll consider the Boomers neutralized."(Robert House's dialogue) 
Many cat-related expressions also persist,Thanks, babySofia Daguerre: ""(Sofia Daguerre's dialogue)The Courier: "I'd like to, but I can't take you with me right now."Veronica Santangelo: "Aw, you really know how to make a girl feel like a stray cat. But okay. My offer stands, if we run into each other again."(Veronica Santangelo's dialogue)Vegeir: "{102}{}{A tall, stately man. His movements remind you of a cat stalking its prey.}"(Vegeir's dialogue)Moira Brown: "Well, you're alive... That's the good news. But there was a little side effect. A teeny, tiny, um, mutation. But it seems to be benign, at least. Here, take a few radiation Chems, as my little way of saying, "I'm sorry I twisted your DNA like a kitten with a ball of yarn.""(Moira Brown's dialogue)Shark Club comedian: "{8000}{}{Super mutants?}"Heckler: "{8001}{}{Does this asshole ever stop telling these stupid jokes?}"Shark Club comedian: "{8002}{}{What's so SUPER about them?}"Shark Club comedian: "{8003}{}{When was the last time you saw a super mutant...}"Shark Club comedian: "{8004}{}{Get a cat out of a tree?}"Shark Club comedian: "{8005}{}{Never! Know why?}"Heckler: "{8006}{}{*Yawn*}"Shark Club comedian: "{8007}{}{Uhhh... because super mutants don't rescue cats...}"Shark Club comedian: "{8008}{}{They kill mercilessly!}"Heckler: "{8009}{}{Wish someone would kill you mershssmbl...}"Shark Club comedian: "{8010}{}{So who calls them SUPER mutants?}"Shark Club comedian: "{8011}{}{Who are these people?}"Heckler: "{8012}{}{Probably the same idiots who hired you!}"(Shark Club comedian's dialogue)Earl Marion: "{145}{}{While the cat's away…}"(Earl Marion's dialogue) including ones referencing the tendency for dogs to chase cats.Festus: "{800}{}{I mean that the reactor's running now, but it sure could run better. I mean better by a long country mile, if we jist had a smidge more data. Now if you could get the optimization data, we'd be cooking with gas, uh, well, you know what I mean.}"The Chosen One: "{801}{}{Optimization data? Where would I get that?}"Festus: "{802}{}{Well, you could probably get the information from the Vault City central computer.}"The Chosen One: "{805}{}{That's only going to happen when a paper dog successfully chases an asbestos cat through hell. Goodbye, Festus.}"(Festus' dialogue)Lenny: "{250}{}{Y’you’ve been to Vault City? Then you t’tell me wh’what you think the chances of g'getting h’help from those bigots is. M’might as well watch a p’paper dog chase an asbestos c’cat through hell.}"(Lenny's dialogue) Finally, both Three DogThree Dog: "Not too long ago, I reported that a cat recently left Vault 101. His name is James. Good guy."(Three Dog's dialogue) and the Chairmen of New Vegas use the term "cat" to refer to people they perceive as cool.Tops promoter: "A velvety-voiced cool cat fresh out of New Reno, that's who! When Bruce sings, his smokey, dulcet tones will transport you to another world!"(Tops promoter's dialogue)
==Variants==
===(House) cat===
 
Commonly found in the Commonwealth, found as strays and owned by others. Some cats can be domesticated with a cat cage and will contribute to settlement happiness. Cats will tend to a cat bowl and stay near to it. They will normally flee when confronted with combat situations, found outside settlement boundaries for a short time before wandering back home.
In Fallout 76, they appear again. Like in Fallout 4, they are peaceful creatures, who are found both with and without human companions, can be found while exploring each Appalachian region.
===Companion cat ===
 
In Fallout Shelter, one can enlist the help of several breeds of cat for exploring the wasteland. That cats will assist dwellers by protecting them and helping them return to the vault with valuable items.
===Wasteland critter===
 
In Fallout: Wasteland Warfare, cats appear in the Print at Home - Wasteland Critters terrain set. Cats, unlike most other creatures in the game, possess no rules for use and function solely as terrain.
===Other===
* A resident of the Den named Stacy will share information about a cat she used to have as a child named Cuddles and remarks there are no more cats in the Den. Listening to her story is a quest one can complete while learning about her pet. 
* A man in Broken Hills mentions his pet cat and a Shark Club comedian makes a joke about a super mutant trying to get a cat out of a tree.
* A resident of Carbon named Ruby asks for help in finding her cat, Mr. Pussy. One can find the cat's remains in the Carbon crater and return them to Ruby. 
==Appearances==
Cats are mentioned in Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3 Fallout: New Vegas, and Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, appearing first in Fallout 4 and have since appeared in Fallout 76, Fallout Shelter, and Fallout: Wasteland Warfare.
==Behind the scenes==
* Cat extinction is referred to by Robert House in Fallout: New Vegas, apparently based on Stacy's story in Fallout 2, misinterpreted to mean that cats were extinct on a continental scale. It is the only remark of this kind and has been ignored for the purposes of Fallout 4 and Fallout 76, where cats do appear, at least on the East Coast. Additionally, a cut dialogue branch for Violet in Fallout: New Vegas references cats as being alive, well, and preyed upon by Violet for the purposes of gathering meat. The Courier: "Where do you get all this meat?"Violet: "Heh heh. Good meat, huh? Cat meat, rat meat, dog meat - maybe even *you* meat!"(Violet's dialogue)
* Mr. Pebbles, a Persian house cat, is claimed to have been the first organism sent into space. In the real world, the first organism intentionally sent into space was a fruit fly (or rather, fruit flies), aboard a V2 rocket launched from White Sands in 1947.What was the first animal in space?
* The canceled Van Buren game planned to include cats, including friendly domestic cats and enemies in the wasteland such as bobcats and panthers.Nursery design document 
* The description of the Ocicat from Fallout Shelter ("The closest you'll get to an ocelot. Revolver not included.") is a reference to the Metal Gear Solid character Revolver Ocelot.
==Gallery==
Luck.gif|Cat in the Luck image in Fallout, Fallout 2, and Fallout Tactics
Luck icon.png|Fallout 3 / Fallout: New Vegas
Fo4 Luck.png|Fallout 4
FO76 emote Luck.gif|Fallout 76
MrPussy.png|Mr. Pussy, a white cat
V11 slide 7.png|As depicted in the Vault 11 Happy Trails slideshow
FO4 Vault 81 cat drawing.jpg|Drawing of a cat in Vault 81
Cat with Toy Rocket FO4.jpg|Painting of a cat with a toy rocketship in the Mass Bay Medical Center
FO4 Church of the Cat.jpg|A cat in front of the altar to Mr. Tiddles in the South Boston Church
FO4 House Cat.png|A typical house cat in Fallout 4
FO4 Level up black cat.png|A black cat seen on the Fallout 4 perks chart
FO4 School Cat Diamond City.jpg|Toro in the Diamond City schoolhouse
Maisie.png|A cat named Maisie at the Abernathy farm
Fo4 Ashes.png|Ashes the naughty cat of Vault 81
Fallout 4 Hawthorne Residence.PNG|A boatload of cats at the Hawthorne residence
CatsFO76.jpg|Three cats follow a veterinarian Gutsy through the woods in Fallout 76
Emmett.png|Proctor Quinlan's cat Emmett in Fallout 4
FO76 Tutti Frutti.png|Tutti Frutti, a cat in Fallout 76
FO76 Cheswick II.png|Cheswick II seen in Wastelanders
Fo4-pebbles-artwork.png|Mr. Pebbles, the first cat in space
PackCat-NukaWorld.png
===Fallout Shelter pet cats===
Abyssinian.png|Abyssinian
American Shorthair.png|American Shorthair
Bombay.png|Bombay
British Shorthair.png|British Shorthair
Maine Coon.png|Maine Coon
Ocicat.png|Ocicat
Persian.png|Persian
Scottish Fold.png|Scottish Fold
Siamese.png|Siamese
Sphynx.png|Sphynx
==References==
Non-game
Non-canon
 
pl:Kot
pt:Gato
ru:Кошка
uk:Кішка
zh:Cat