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Ancestor: Sun Cat

Size: Longest species is 85cm from nose to back of hindquarters (120cm including tail), shortest species is 55cm (85cm including the tail)

Dietary Needs: Vertebrate prey, mainly mice, lizards, birds and rabbits. Many species employ a hunting method for hunting mice in grass similar to foxes and famously maned wolves of Earth. They use their large ears to detect the mouse with pin-point accuracy, then rear up and pounce over the grass in a diving motion. If they land accurately, they may squish the mouse to death with the force of the pounce and gravity, or kill it with the landing stabs of it's stapler-like claws. If not they will land close and the remaining pursuit will be much easier.

Life Cycle: The infanticidal nature of males has led to female-only groups. In the ancestral species these groups only formed during the kitten-raising season. However now they consist of related females and remain together all year. Only males are forced to scatter at the age of independence. Females can potentially stay with their mothers for life. If tensions over food availability erupt, related females will split up for a time until food is more available again and track each other down again. Kittens are born after the fall when it's wettest and the prey are also breeding. Some females remain in oestrus all year especially if they're healthy and environmental conditions have been favourable. Kittens can still survive when raised out of season. While there are kittens the females are wildly aggressive and will fight and chase off the male together. However if there are no kittens around socialisation and sometimes mating occurs between males and females when meeting.

Sometimes bands of males form, which cause trouble for the females and kittens. However they are limited by their own tolerance of each other. Food stress between males erupts in much smaller groups than within groups of females.

Other: Slinks have a very cautious, creeping method of movement. Not only are they avoiding the Catland Caltrop (a type of grass evolved from members of the genus Stipa that grows small, compact and spiky) but they also use the cover of darkness to hunt, which is more effective if they remain silent.

Very occasionally some species of these cats may encounter prey that no single individual can bring down, such as where some species cross ranges with Megors. On rare occasions groups of males or groups of females may opportunistically attempt to bring down an elder megor in a collaborative attempt, especially if it might already be injured or sick, or worn down by a long life and showing old age.

Teamwork is not structured and not the norm for these cats. However they're proven capable of it. They usually bite-and-run, taking turns at different opportune angles. The larger prey becomes frustrated, raising it's blood pressure and the bleeding of it's increasing number of wounds. Provided that they're on the well-hydrated end of hydrated, cats salivate a slightly sticky saliva when hunting, which overflows the mouth and doesn't dry very quickly due to the salty mucous component retaining it. It soaks the wounds of it's prey as the wounds are delivered, keeping blood from clotting as effectively. They prey can't keep up their strength and eventually succumbs to blood loss and shock. Comparatively, each cat individually didn't spend much energy.

This salivation doesn't work when the cat is anything but well hydrated. Water is too precious. They can still hunt, just not with that particular assistance.

Most species are good at retaining water and can get all of their water from food. Their long slender legs help them radiate heat after a chase, as do their large ears.

Most have a distinctive fuzzy brow that helps shade sunlight from their eyes.