Cats (trope)

:For the fandom, see Cats (musical).
Cats, small and large, have appeared regularly in fanworks. They have long held a special place in human culture, often symbolizing mystery, independence, and companionship.
Fanworks featuring cats can take on diverse forms. They can be original feline characters, existing cat characters from the source material, or creative reimaginings of existing human characters. Cats may be depicted in a variety of roles, ranging from beloved pets to mythical beings.
When canon human characters are portrayed as cats, it is Animal Transformation or AUs in which the characters are not transformed into but have always been cats.
Catboys & Catgirls are human with cat-like characteristics such as ears and tails. They may purr, hiss or meow, be territorial, and love fish, stroking, and naps in the sun.
==Trends and Examples in Specific Fandoms==
===Canonical Cats===
Some fandoms have canonical cats, such as Data's cat Spot, Jim Ellison's panther spirit guide and Argus Filch's Mrs Norris, which will then appear in some fanworks. 
*Sydney, the pet cat of one of the characters in Forever Knight, even had his own Forever Knight Faction, called FoSiLs. 
*Rodney McKay's (unnamed in canon?) cat left behind on Earth shows up regularly in Stargate Atlantis fanworks.
*Willow Rosenberg's cat Miss Kitty Fantastico appeared in several episodes, occasionally appears in fanfic, and has its own dedicated fan site. In fandom, fans of the Willow/Tara ship are known as the Kittens, taking their name from a message board named for Miss Kitty Fantastico.
*Diane Duane's Young Wizards series has a canon offshoot, the Feline Wizards series (currently running to three novels), featuring a group of cats who operate New York's worldgate (dimensional portal), and told from their viewpoint. They and other feline wizards are often seen in YW fanfic. 
*Nyanko-sensei from Natsume Yuujinchou is not actually a cat, but his visible-to-humans form is based on a lucky cat and he is frequently identified as cat (though sometimes as other animals, such a pig or a tanuki) by other characters. 
*Kiki's black cat Jiji is a major character of the Studio Ghibli film Kiki's Delivery Service; Jiji is a very popular subject of fanart for both the movie itself and Studio Ghibli in general. (Cats have a major presence in several other Ghibli movies, including the Catbus in My Neighbor Totoro, most of the cast in The Cat Returns, Moon/Muta in Whispers of the Heart, and Niya The Secret World of Arietty but aside from the Catbus these characters are less commonly featured in fanworks than Jiji.)
*Luna (Sailor Moon), a magical black cat, is the central mascot character in Sailor Moon. There is also the white cat Artemis, Luna's lover, and Diana the gray kitten, their future daughter. 
*Cats is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot.
*Remy LeBeau (X-Men) has three cats, given to him by Mystique and who frequently appear in canon - Oliver, Lucifer and Figaro. They are popular with fanartists.
*Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel) has a cat-like alien, called a flerken, in both comics canon and the MCU. Chewie/Goose looks like a traditional orange cat, except their mouth opens in a large maw complete with tentacles, and they consume objects (and people!) many times larger than them. In both comics and movies, the flerken plays a major role.
*Marvel Comics' Bucky Barnes and Natasha Romanoff also have cats - Bucky has a white cat called Alpine, and Natasha has a black cat called Liho. They, and Chewie (and subsequently many others), have appeared in an official comic (2021) and then webcomic series (2022) called Marvel Meow Infinity which has spawned various fanart.
*The Lonely Kitten is a feline character in Amanda the Adventurer.
*The cat from Stray (video game).
===Fannish Cats===
In some fanworks, characters acquire a cat or alternatively, they may have always had a cat. 
In rare cases, feline original characters can become popular in fanworks. Many Star Wars Sequel Trilogy fanworks include General Hux's fannish cat Millicent. 
Some other examples of fannish cats that gained popularity beyond one fanwork include Sushi from muffinlance's ATLA fics and Mika from the BNHA fic Yesterday Upon the Stair.
===Villains and Cats===
Fictional villains are often portrayed as owning cats (see e.g. Guy Boothby's Doctor Nikola (1895 onwards), Sapper's Carl Peterson (1920), the film version of Fleming's Ernst Stavro Blofeld and Inspector Gadget's Dr. Claw) but they seem to inspire relatively few fanworks.
Cat-themed villains are also a common trope; Catwoman from DC Comics is a prominent example.
===Pro-Wrestling===
The Professional Wrestling promotion Excellence Professional Wrestling is, in kayfabe, owned by a cat named Edgar, and many of their events have had cat puns in their titles (e.g., The Color Purrple.) It is not known who the actual owners are.
===Cat POV===
Video game Stray, released in 2022, is told entirely from the POV of the feline main character. It is a popular fandom with fanartists in particular.
Some fanfic is told from the point of view of cats, usually with the cat anthropomorphized to some degree internally, while it remains a cat from the viewpoint of the characters. For example, the ST:XI story The Enterprising Cat by Mockingbird Quester, in which a stray cat gets onto the Enterprise. 
===Other===
In the Naruto fandom, fanfics of Akatsuki members transformed into kittens used to be all the rage. The trope has since fallen out of use. These fanfics used to involve some kind of forbidden technique that made them transform into kittens. Then an OC who usually was female found the kittens and adopted them. The cats used to retain the personality of each character and in the end they became humans again.
A recurring joke in FMA canon is that Al routinely finds stray cats on their travels, which his older brother Ed prevents him from keeping. There are also multiple omakes making jokes about Al and cats, including strips in which Al turns into a cat, and one where Al runs a cat blog. Fandom has latched onto "cat lover" as one of Al's main character traits, and there are many works featuring Al adopting cats, particularly post-canon. FMA also features Mei Chang's pet panda Xiao Mei, who is frequently mistaken for a "weird cat" by the other characters. A similar fanon has been developed about Damien Wayne from the Batman comics, where he is often portrayed as preferring animals to people and brings stray cats - plus other types of animals - home to the Bat-Cave.
In Miraculous Ladybug, the character Adrien Agreste transforms into Chat Noir, his suit having cat ears and tail. In some fanworks he accidentally transforms into a cat, or is a shapeshifter. In some Adrienette fluff stories, they end up having a cat and a hamster.
In BNHA, there is a cat-themed superhero group, the Wild Wild Pussycats. They are not especially popular within the fandom; much more popular are headcanons and fics associating Aizawa Shouta with cats -- either adopting cats, looking after strays, visiting cat cafes and other fandom-y cat tropes. 
The 1991 Ditmar Award for the Australian National Science Fiction Convention (similar to the Hugos) had a category for "Best Fannish Cat" - that is, cats belonging to fans - as the result of interstate rivalry between Brisbane and Melbourne fans. Typo the cat won the award. The category returned again in 2010 as a homage to the original, this time as a Special Award, which was won by Peri-Peri. "Serious" sci-fi fans were not happy with this. 
==Fanfiction Featuring Cats==
*The Feline Specialist by Supertights. Alien from the point of view of Ripley's canonical cat Jones. Written for Yuletide 2013
*I succeeded in crawling into the breast of my big boss! by miss_pryss, a story about Maru the cat. (2009)
*Of kittens and teacups and love by Ren. XMFC story in which Erik is Charles' roommate, and Charles adopts more and more kittens. The story also inspired cat-related fanart. Although XMFC fandom has its fair share of cat fanworks, no cats appear in the film. (2011)
*Time in a Bottle by astolat, a Stargate Atlantis story that includes an original cat character named Fermi. Fermi is presented as a virtual copy of Rodney McKay's first cat and is presumably inspired by the fact that Rodney is canonically a cat person; he is briefly shown giving away an unnamed cat in the pilot episode. (2005)
*The Flynt Coal the Cat Series by Vertiga. Rooster Teeth Fake AH Crew series in which a mysterious kitten changes the very nature of the humans who care for it.
*Trying to Communicate by Copperbadge. There's an alien in the Hub, and it's trying to communicate. Torchwood encounters a LolCat (2008)
* by lazulisong -- Stiles gets a cat (or maybe, a cat adopt Stiles) (2012)
* by batsutousai, a post-canon fic about Alphonse Elric adopting too many cats (2016)
*Homecooked, At Last, a Fire Emblem: Three Houses fic. Dedue, Ashe, Caspar, and Linhardt share an apartment and have two cats; one of them curls up on Felix's lap, and later Ashe wakes up to find both of them on his bed. (2019)
===Cats as Romance-starters===
*These Precious Things by Mistiel, Supernatural. A Dean/Castiel story in which "Cas is in need of Dean's assistance and Dean is not happy. But a cat? Really?". (2011)
* is a frostiron cat AU by STARSdidathing in which cat!Natasha and cat!Clint act as matchmakers for Loki and Tony Stark (MCU, (2017))
*Prisoners of the cats by Kris_lazycat. A Fire Emblem: Three Houses fic where Felix and Annette end up cuddling in the garden together after she finds him "trapped" by cute cats sprawling all over him. (2020)
*Perception by SaraJaye, an Azumanga Daioh fic is a variant where Kaorin tends to Sakaki's wounds after a cat bites her. This leads to an awkward heart to heart between the pair.
For a non-romantic version: by domoz (2022) -- BNHA-- looking after a stray cat together bring's Shinsou Hitoshi to Aizawa's attention, and leads to a mentor/paternal relationship.
===Human Characters Transformed into Cats===
*The Professionals zine Cat Tales by Fanny Adams featured characters as cats. (pub. 1986)
*It Was a Dark and Stormy Night by Suzan Lovett, Starsky & Hutch story, featured Starsky & Hutch transformed into cats, inspired by the Cat Tales zine. Originally published in Code 7 v.4 (1987)
*Generation Cat (CBFFA Winner, 1998, Best GenX) by Dyce - a series of stories about Generation X being turned into cats. (1997)
*Sora no Shita no Mahoutsukai by SMILECAT, Harry Potter doujinshi where Fred and George turn Snape into a cat. (2001)
*Gods and Monsters by silverkit, Supernatural fic written from outside POV in which Sam and Dean are transformed into cats who temporarily seek shelter with some humans (but Sam still has visions and they're still on the case). (2007)
*Allotropy by SkoosiePants. Bandom/SGA fusion story in which alien technology transforms Alex DeLeon into a cat. (2008)
*Momentary Paws (or, DO NOT WANT) by velithya. Avengers story in which Tony Stark gets transformed into a kitten. (2008)
*Checkmate 'Verse by beadattitude. SGA McShep canon-setting story in which John Sheppard is transformed into a cat for a month. (2009-2011)
*The first eight don't count by storm petrel. The Losers fic in which Jensen's got a secret (spoiler: he turns into a cat!!) (2010)
*Humane Society by smilebackwards. XMFC story in which Erik is temporarily transformed into a kitten. "Once Erik finally allows himself to decide that Charles is pretty much the best thing since sliced bread, he spends the next week being incredibly bitter that he's Charles' cat and not his boyfriend." Example fanart based on the story. (2011)
*"Cat!Felix" is a popular fanart trope in Fire Emblem: Three Houses fandom, due to many fans likening his prickly behavior and secret soft core to those of a cat.
*the road to my heart (is paved by paw prints) by nemali. Miraculous Ladybug. Prince Adrien has announced that he'll only marry the one who can take the key from around his cat’s neck. Medieval AU with supernatural elements. (2022)
===Human Characters Portrayed as Being Cat-Like===
*Beauty and the Beast (TV) character, Vincent Wells, is often portrayed as having cat-like features
*The Sentinel has many fanworks that reference or portray Jim Ellison as/with his spirit animal, a black panther
==="Always Been a Cat" AUs===
*When John Met Rodney by bethynyc, an SGA Earth-based AU fic in which Rodney is a Scottish Fold and John a rescued alley cat. (2007)
==Gallery of Cat-Related Fanart==
In order of creation/publication:
File:Galdis1cat.jpg|inside Galactic Discourse #1, artist is John Holliday (Star Trek: TOS) (1977)
File:Firsttimesixback.jpg|back cover of First Time #6, artist is Caren Parnes (Star Trek TOS) (1986)
File:Consort2front.jpg|cover of Consort #2, artist is Southern Cross (Star Trek TOS) (1986)
File:Code7-4art5.jpg|from Code 7 #4, Starsky & Hutch as cats, artist is Jean C. (1987)
File:Loosenotes2.jpg|cover of Loose Notes #2, artist is Susan Landerman (filk)(1987)
File:Log75.jpg|cover of Enterprise Log Entries #75, artist is Marilena Maiocco (Star Trek TOS) (1987)
File:Powerplay3.jpg|cover of Powerplay #3, artist is Suzan Lovett (Blake's 7) (1988)
File:Castlesintheair1-13.jpg|from Castles in the Air #1, artist is Pam Tuck, the illo is titled "Kindred Spirits" (Beauty and the Beast (TV)) (1989)
File:Powerplay6back.jpg|back cover of Powerplay #6, artist is Suzan Lovett (Blake's 7) (1989)
File:Uncleaffairs.jpg|front cover of U.N.C.L.E. Affairs, artist unknown (MUNCLE) (1989)
File:Matter-Antimatter 7 Back.jpg|back cover of Matter/Antimatter #7, titled "Jungle Jim," artist is Marilyn Cole (Star Trek TOS) (1989)
File:Foreverandalways2-6.jpg|from Forever and Always #2, artist is Holly Riedel (Beauty and the Beast (TV)) (1990)
File:Lifewithout1-2.jpg|from A Life Without Limits #1, Holly Riedel portrays Catherine Chandler and Vincent Wells as lions (Beauty and the Beast (TV)) (1990)
File:Interstat148.jpg|cover of Interstat #148, artist is Nan Lewis (1990)
File:Avoncalling2inside2.jpg|artist is Phoenix, from Avon Calling #2 (Blake's 7) (1991)
File:Vincentsworld7-11.jpg|from Vincent's World #7, the artist is Rosemarie Hauer (Beauty and the Beast (TV)) (1992)
File:Playfellows2-1.jpg|from Playfellows #2, artist is Suzan Lovett (The Professionals) (1992)
File:Playfellows2-3.jpg|from Playfellows #2, artist is Suzan Lovett (The Professionals) (1992)
File:Harl8.jpg|from Harlequin Airs, features Sanjay the tiger, artist is Suzan Lovett (The Professionals ) (1993)
File:Firsttimethirtyfivefront.jpg|cover of First Time #35, artist is Caren Parnes (Star Trek TOS) (1993)
File:Rebeldesires.jpg|cover of Rebel Desires, artist is TACS (Blake's 7) (1995)
File:Wham3.jpg|cover of Wham, Bam, Thank You, Sam! #3, artist is Cheryl Meidinger-Carter (Quantum Leap) (1995)
File:Speaknoevilkfback.jpg|back cover of Speak No Evil, artist is Roxanne M. Peltier (Kung Fu: The Legend Continues) (1995)
File:Kal.jpg|cover of the zine, KaleidoScope #4, artist is Deeb (Star Trek: TOS) (1996)
File:Tsconcrete.jpg|cover of Concrete Jungle (Sentinel zine), artist is Heather Bruton (Sentinel) (1997)
File:PI2.jpg|cover of Primal Instincts #2, artist is Suzan Lovett (Sentinel) (1997)
File:Wehave.jpg|front cover of We Have Each Other, artist is Suzan Lovett (Man from U.N.C.L.E.) (1999)
File:Forevercat.jpg|cover of Forever Knight Cat Stories, artist is Chris Allard (Forever Knight) (1999)
File:Ofdreams14.jpg|cover of Of Dreams and Schemes #14, artist is Leslie Spurlock (multifandom) (1999)
File:Blended.jpg|cover of Blended Spirits #1, artist is Nancy Janda (Sentinel) (2002)
File:Burnaby.jpg|cover of The Burnaby Chronicles (Sentinel) (2004)
File:Timelesstwo.jpg|part of the fold-out of Timeless #1, artist is Suzan Lovett (Starsky and Hutch) (2005)
File:Munchkinmay-katniss-buttercup.jpg|Katniss Everdeen and Buttercup by munchkinmay (2012)
File:Goddammit al part 1 by snail-drop.png|Goddammit Al by snail-drop (FMA, 2014)
File:Morning stretch by phoenix-cry.jpg|Morning Stretch by Phoenix-Cry (X-Men) (2014)
File:Sailor's May by christadaelia.jpg|Queen Serenity with Luna and Artemis by christadaelia (Sailor Moon, 2015)
File:Anders by Nicholas Beecher.jpg|Anders with Ser Pounce-a-Lot by Nicholas Beecher (Dragon Age, 2017)
File:Frostiron lokitty.png|loki doesn’t know how insta filters work by adren (MCU, 2020)
File:Fanart for Queneya's Catbi fic by ravenchaser1024.jpg|fanart for Catbi by Queneya, art by ravenchaser1024 (BNHA, 2021)
File:It's just a Flerken!.jpg|alt=Spider-man is crouching, he is wearing a backpack with an orange flerken-cat in it. Goose is sprouting some of his tentacles.|It's Just a Flerken! by the-devouring-void, 2022 (Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man)
File:Gambit and Wolverine-the-Cat.jpg|alt=Gambit holds a cat dressed in Wolverine's X-Man uniform. The cat is pushing away with all four feet and looking away.|Gambit and Wolverine Kitty by Nikiseii, 2023 (X-Men)
File:Alpine & Bucky.jpg|Alpine and Bucky Barnes by reducedmtwsketch, 2023 (Marvel Comics)
==Resources==
*See the Cats tag at the Archive of Our Own
*See the Cats tag at SquidgeWorld Archive
*See Sydney (Forever Knight) for Forever Knight fan fiction featuring Natalie Lambert's cat
*See Miss Kitty Fantastico for the Next Big Bad for fanfic and art related to Miss Kitty Fantastico.
==References==