piratekitten has declared February world-building month.

Every day in February, I will answer one question about any one of my settings.

The question post is here, please feel free to add more questions!

The sixth question comes from moonwolf and is for Tir na Cali.

Why Cats?

Cats are cool. 🙂

Cats aren’t the only moddies the Agency worked on (and the Agency aren’t the only ones who created moddies); almost every animal-type has been experimented with.

In terms of “skin jobs” (appearance-based modification with no underlying behavioral or physiological changes), in the proper underground markets in Tír na Cali, one can buy a moddie with almost any appearance. Cats sell very well, as do rabbits and other fuzzy things; snakes and lizards are more of a niche market. That’s simple aesthetics; when people are purchasing someone for their “cute” and “attractive” features, they tend to want someone that will look, well, cute.

In terms of full mods, the Agency has discovered that cats are the most versatile of the moddies. The more wild animals tended to lead to behavioral problems, and dogs either went feral in packs or followed their handler around. Cats maintained a level of independence while still being friendly with their handlers or owners.

The most successful moddies in terms of the burgeoning space program were the monkeys. However, while they performed all of their tasks very efficiently, they were too independent-minded, or, rather, they had a similar problem to the dogs but while in space and in control of a ship.

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