Cat

From the RuneScape Wiki, the wiki for all things RuneScape

Different cats available, including (from right) Purple cat, clockwork cat and Hellcat.

Cats are a species of animal in RuneScape. They are intelligent, and have their own sophisticated language that players can only interpret with a catspeak amulet.

Players can keep cats as pets. In fact, cats were the first proper (follower) pets that players could have. They were available well before Summoning was introduced; any player who had completed the quest Gertrude's Cat could own a pet cat.

The Sphinx is in charge of all the cats, and the desert pantheon also has a dog-headed friend of cats. There are both good and evil cats, who may possess magical ability.

Cats enjoy fish and walking. Some cats were once human, such as the minions of the Devourer. These minions betrayed their master, who then transformed them into cats as punishment.

[edit] Obtaining a pet cat

Gertrude offers a choice of six cats to players.

Upon completion of Gertrude's Cat, players can purchase a kitten from Gertrude for 100gp. They can raise the kitten into a cat by feeding it raw fish or cooked fish (they will not eat doogle sardines). Cats may also be turned into Hellcats after killing 7 Hellrats down in Evil Dave's basement. Players can get a Hellkitten by letting a kitten catch one Hellrat.

Players who have completed Creature of Fenkenstrain and gotten to a certain stage in Garden of Tranquillity can wear the Ring of charos when asking Gertrude for a kitten. This will give them the option of selecting its colour.

[edit] Cat training medal

Main article: Cat training medal

There are many level 1 rats found all over RuneScape. Players can right-click on the cat and click interact, then "Chase vermin". The cat will chase a nearby rat and hopefully catch it. Instead of a 15% chance of success with a kitten, a cat has a 50% chance of success.

After catching 100 rats, players can talk to Gertrude to receive a cat training medal. Many players believe that wearing the medal makes their cat or kitten grow more quickly, but this is not true.

To find out when their cat has caught 100 Rats, players need to have a catspeak amulet and ask how he/she is. If the cat says that he or she wants to go adventuring instead of chasing rats, that cat has caught 100 rats. Players also automatically inform the cat how many rats they have caught when it cat catches 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100 rats, and the cat will roll over and say "meow".

Players who do not have a catspeak amulet may wish to keep a written tally of the rats their cat catches for this purpose. All cats, including kittens, cats, overgrown cats, hellcats, wily cats, and lazy cats can obtain the cat training medal.

[edit] Catspeak amulet

Main article: Catspeak amulet

The catspeak amulet is a reward given to players upon completion of Icthlarin's Little Helper. It allows players to speak to their cat, other players' cats, and Bob the Jagex Cat.

The amulet gets a compass-like upgrade in A Tail of Two Cats, which allows players to track Bob the Jagex Cat's whereabouts.

[edit] Overgrown cats

Main article: Overgrown cat

Overgrown Cat before the Cat Update

A lazy hellcat!

After 4 hours your cat will grow into an overgrown cat. These cats no longer need players' attention, but will no longer hunt rats. When players talk to them using the catspeak amulet, they appear to be irritable.

Players can buy another kitten from Gertrude whilst having an overgrown cat, but they can only have one cat out at a time. Overgrown cats of the same colour will stack in the bank.

Players can go to West Ardougne at the north-west corner and sell their cat to any civilian. They will say they need a cat, but can only pay with death runes. Players can swap their overgrown cat for 100 death runes (200 with Ardougne Cloak 1 or higher), or they can keep it and have the pride of having a fully-grown cat.

[edit] Renaming cats

Felkrash, of the Port Sarim rat pit fame, who can train an overgrown cat into a wily cat, is also able to name and rename wily and lazy cats (up to six letters long). Players must have completed the Rat Catchers quest to name their cat.

[edit] Things to remember

[edit] Taking care of a cat

Kittens will run away if they reach 100% hunger.
The summoning interface shows your cat's hunger and growth percentage.
The hunger level always rises each time a kitten meows, and so does the pet size percentage sometimes. This is a good time for players to check its hunger level.
Cats and kittens will not grow or become hungry whilst in the inventory or the bank. This makes it a good idea for players to pick up their pet if they are not carrying any food for it to eat.
Players will always lose their cat if they die while the cat or kitten is out.
Players can also lose their kitten if they do not stroke it enough; the cat should be stroked whenever the player says "I think it wants attention" or "I think it feels lonely." Note that these messages will not appear in combat, so it is possible to lose your kitten without warning if you are fighting for a long period against aggressive monsters that do not allow you a break.
If a player loses his/her kitten, Gertrude will still allow them to buy a new one.
If a player already owns a kitten or cat, he/she can not buy another from Gertrude until it has grown into an overgrown cat. Once a cat reaches that stage of maturity (including transformation into a wily cat or lazy cat), the owner can then buy another kitten for 100 coins and if wearing the Ring of charos (a) the player can also select the new kittens colour. Since an overgrown cat doesn't need be fed or attended to, she will let you buy a new kitten when your cat has become overgrown. You may also buy a new kitten if the rest of your cats are stored in a menagerie .
Cats stored in the pet house can be taken out, just as if they had been stored in the bank. (NB: only one kitten or one cat can be stored in the bank, inventory or following you at the same time.) A kitten can not be stored in a pet house.

[edit] Travelling with a cat

A cat playing with a Mouse toy

A player stroking his pet cat.

Cats can climb ladders, fly on gnome gliders, and teleport with their owners.
It does not matter if a cat becomes caught behind a fence, tree, etc.; the cat will catch up if it leaves the minimap.
Some modes of transportation require that players do not have a follower. The magic carpets, balloons and canoes in particular require that the cat be in the player's inventory.
If the cat disappears, and it has definitely not run away or been dismissed, it is a glitch, and will reappear if you log out and back in.

[edit] What players can do with their cat

Players can bring an adult cat to West Ardougne and trade it for 100 death runes to any NPC named Civilian. You will receive 200 death runes instead if you have any version of the Ardougne cloak (no need to have it equipped).
If players bring their kitten or cat to Bob the Jagex Cat while wearing their amulet, they will have a strange conversation.
Wily cats can chase the kalphite larvae found in and around the lair as well as butterflies found all over the world. (This does include the butterflies used for the hunter skill, but you get no Hunter Exp.)
Kittens and cats can drink buckets of milk and play with mouse toys and balls of wool.
Players who have completed Rat Catchers can take their cats to the Rat Pits in Ardougne, Varrock, Keldagrim, and Port Sarim, although certain types of cats must be taken to certain pits. Once there, they can bet on their cat as it attempts to catch rats faster than other players' cats.
Players who have freed Evil Dave in Recipe for Disaster can hunt hellrats for spices to add to the stew.

[edit] Purple Cat

Main article: Purple cat

After doing the Purple cat miniquest you can talk to Wendy to turn your cat purple. You complete this miniquest by speaking to Wendy about them. She will mention that she made Trogs purple. When asked if she could turn other cats purple,she said that she could, except that she has run out of magic unguent. Going to Betty's Shop in Port Sarim and entering the basement you will see Lottie, Her assistant. She will tell you to solve a puzzle involving placing animals in their proper habitats. Once done, you may open the chest containing the unguent. Take this to Wendy and use it on her to complete the miniquest. She will now turn one of your cats purple. If that cat is lost, she will make another purple. Once turned purple, a cat cannot return to its original colour, so make sure you wish to change its colour before doing so. WARNING: it will turn hellcats into normal cats.

[edit] Hellcats

Hellcats can be obtained after a cat kills 7 hellrats in Dave's Basement. If you give a hellcat milk it will become normal again. Hellkittens grow much faster than their normal counterparts. This has confirmed multiple times by Jagex.

[edit] Minigames that have banned pet cats

Castle Wars
Barbarian Assault
Pest Control
Vinesweeper
Clan Wars (Only in clan battles, not when playing free for all)
Bounty Hunter
Soul Wars
You can't use a Broomstick to fly to the Sorceress's Garden while a cat is following you.

[edit] Notable cats in RuneScape

Evil Bob

[edit] Other cats in RuneScape

Cat statuettes:

[edit] Cats in ScapeRune

Players may find a Balloon Animal version of a cat in the Prison Pete random event.

Players may find the following cats in the alternate dimension of ScapeRune:

[edit] Quests involving cats

Gertrude's Cat,
Icthlarin's Little Helper,
A Tail of Two Cats,
Ratcatchers,
Recipe For Disaster,
Smoking Kills, and
Swept Away which is required to unlock the purple cat miniquest.

[edit] Trivia

The cat glitch.

There is a graphical glitch that causes a cat's body to stretch when placed in a Cat basket, which is a Kitchen hotspot in a Player-owned house.
When you turn a wily cat purple and ask it how old it is, its face will be completely distorted.
If you try to cast High Level Alchemy on your cat, it says "You can't do that to a defenceless cat!"
If you walk near a stray dog with a cat they will make aggressive moves at each other.
Cats were the second creature Guthix brought into Gielinor after sheep.

[edit] See also

Wikipedia has an article about:

Cat