Mekhiri Dune Cat

Beloved Pets and Helpful Guides

Treat your dune cat well and they'll keep you safe from sandy pits. After all, a cat is smart enough to recognize who's in charge of the food around here.

— Abjilla Wadeke, Rahigi guide

The Mekhiri dune cat is a small mammal native to the warm sand of Ioratai. The humans who inhabit those arid lands commonly keep the cats as pets and helpful companions. Due to their excellent agility and speed, Rahigi travelers use these furry companions to find dangerous pits that could be present under the sand. Besides that, they can also bring small rodents, bird, and snakes to their owners, which they affectionately want to share with their human companions.

Helpful Companions

Ever since the desertification of the Rahigina, the nimble desert cats have been surviving in the harsh condition with skillful ease. They have adapted to the environment and endured in the sand-covered lands while much of the old wildlife had perished. Until a few centuries ago, these cats were completely independent, but as conditions have worsened, many of them have found safety in service of the Rahigi.

Pit Seekers

One of the many natural talents of the dune cat is their ability to seek out dangerous sand-covered pits. Since they are incredibly nimble, a cat can run across one of these pits, causing the sand to fall and revealing the dangerous hole.
This ability of theirs makes them excellent companions to all those who traverse through the dangerous desert. Almost every Rahigi tribe has a dozen or more dune cats who they take good care of and rely on for safe passage.

Generous Hunters

The dune cats are remarkably generous to their human friends. During their nocturnal hunts, a cat will usually kill several rodents or snakes, but instead of eating them on their own, they bring them to their human companion who will share the meal with them.
While not necessarily something that could satiate the appetite of a full-grown man or woman, such meals have saved several lives when food has become difficult to come across. This trait of theirs has endeared them greatly to the Rahigi.

by Payman sazesh

Average Weight

1.5–3.4 kg

Average Length

39 - 52 cm

Geographic Distribution

• Ioratai