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A cat (Felis catus) was a small predatory mammal from Earth. Individuals of this type were often kept as pets among Humans. When cats were happy, they purred. Examples of cats kept as pets included Spot, owned by Data, (TNG: "Data's Day", "In Theory", "Schisms") Neelix, owned by Reginald Barclay, (VOY: "Pathfinder") and Chester, owned by Liam Bilby and, later, Miles O'Brien. (DS9: "Honor Among Thieves", "Time's Orphan")
In 2267, the alien Sylvia demonstrated the power to assume the form of a cat. She accomplished this feat with the aid of a device called the transmuter, which was the one element of her wardrobe that did not change shape. (TOS: "Catspaw")
In 2268, the Enterprise, on a mission in the 20th century, encountered Gary Seven, an agent of a benevolent alien power that interfered to prevent civilizations from destroying themselves. He was accompanied by a cat named Isis, who was more than she initially appeared to be. Exactly what she was remains a mystery. She was evidently capable of understanding Gary Seven, and of communicating with him in at least a rudimentary fashion, and she accompanied him wherever he went. (TOS: "Assignment: Earth")
In 2269, a landing party from the Enterprise, while visiting the Shore Leave Planet, encountered a mechanical manifestation of an abnormally massive cat. (TAS: "Once Upon a Planet")
Later that year, after the Enterprise experienced an impulse wave from the Cepheus system, Captain James T. Kirk asked Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott about the performance of the engines. "Purring like happy kittens, Captain" was Scott's response. (TAS: "The Terratin Incident")
It is possible that Natasha Yar had a cat. She at least felt obligated to protect one while being chased by a rape gang, when she lived on the failed colony Turkana IV, which appeared in illusory form when the Traveler inadvertently sent the USS Enterprise-D to the "edge of universe." (TNG: "Where No One Has Gone Before")
In 2366, Young Jeremy used to play "Captain Patches" with a cat, pretending Patches was a captain flying through space. (TNG: "The Bonding")
"Cat" was one of numerous words Miles O'Brien used due to his infection of the aphasia virus. (DS9: "Babel")
In the anti-time future seen by Jean-Luc Picard, Data had amassed a diverse collection of cats while a professor at Cambridge University. (TNG: "All Good Things...")
In the alternate reality, nearly a year after stardate 2259.55, after the USS Enterprise was rechristened, Captain James T. Kirk asked Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott about the performance of the new warp core. "Purrin' like a kitten, captain" was Scott's response. (Star Trek Into Darkness)
Related or similar species
- Berserker cat
- Betazoid cat
- Capellan power-cat
- Circassian cat
- Earth cats
- Grishnar cat
- Hara cat
- Kryonian tiger
- Le-matya
- Tika cat
- Razorcat
Fictional cats
Related or similar intelligent species
- Caitians
- Kzinti
- Vedala
- Two presumably Caitian Starfleet officers who attended James T. Kirk's court martial (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)
- Feline dancer on Nimbus III (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier)
- Feline alien prisoner on Rura Penthe (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)