Mother's Helping Hand/School/Non-Humans/Races/Catkin
General information
Catkin are a Matriarchal race. With males having little interest in females or raising the young.
Male Catkin are independent loaners by nature, preferring to spend their time persuing their own interests and hanging out with other males. The male spends almost no time around female's of their species except to mate. Catkin Males only feel family bonds while they are young and being raised by the pride. Shortly after they turn fourteen, these bonds begin to wane eventually causing the male to leave the pride and strike out on his own.
Female Catkin spend their lives raising their young. They organize into family groups,called prides, with one Alpha female in charge. If a female Catkin currently has no children age four or younger, her body will begin to experience monthly, weeklong heat cycles, these cycles begin at the age of fourteen and continue until age forty.
When a Catkin female goes into heat the pheromones that are released can attract and arouse any male of a sentient race, within one hundred yards or any Catkin Male within a mile. The pheromones have several effects on males. First it increases their overall arousal, instinctually alerts the male of a female that is ready to mate and enables the male to find her. Second; once the male has found the female. The males, competitive nature and aggressiveness is increased, towards any other responding male, as is their desire to mate with the female.
The pheromones are not a mind control effect and do not hinder the cognitive functions of the males effected. It is more along the lines of a strong perfume with a mild aphrodisiac. Males can choose to ignore the effects once they become aware of what is going on.
Females however are under a strong desire to breed during their heat and are unable to resist the advances of any responding male. The desire becomes stronger the longer the heat lasts, with the female becoming more sexualy aggressive as the week progresses. The heat ends one day after the female has been successfully bred or one week after it starts.
While living with the pride, a Catkin male is immune to the effects of his prides heat and the females of the pride find them sexualy repulsive.
Catkin females are completely aware of when their heat is about to begin and as a race practice self or communal isolation. This is done to limit their numbers, to help the girls have lives beyound breeding and raising young, and to allow Catkin females in a relationship to limit who has sexual access to them.
Most community housing areas have specially designed isolation Chambers with filtered air cleaning systems, where Catkin females can spend their heat in safety. These Chambers are usually guarded by both private security (female guards only) and electronic security measures, to keep out unscrupulous males. In some Comunities lethal force is authorized, as breaking into the facility is considered an act of rape.
There are medical methods that can prevent a Catkin female from going into heat, but they are considered extream and are only normally done for older female's or for life-threatening need as most cause sterilization.
Catkin female are unable to produce young outside of their heat, though they do enjoy sex a a recreational activity. During a heat, if successfully bred, a Catkin female will birth between two and six young, only birthing a male if the litter is four or more. It is possible for the young to have different fathers, if the mother engaged in sexualy activities with more than one male during her heat.
Catkin relationships with non-catkin are quite common. Many non-catkin find Catkin females sexually attractive and Catkin females greatly enjoy the romantic and sexual attention, outside of their heats. Catkin females can form romantic bonds with others, even fall in love. Male Catkin however are unable to form any attachments beyond friendship with anyone. As a whole male Catkin are extremely selfish and self-serving.
Regardless of any relationship status, all Catkin are naturally independent by nature, resisting any attempt to make them submissive to anyone other than an Alpha Female. Though Catkin females are not above acting submissive if it will get them what they want.
Racial Features
Catkin racial features are as varied as are the features of cats. Catkin can be of any feline species from domestic cats to the big game cats.
The two features common to all Catkin are their feline ears and tail, which usually have the coloration of their feline progenitor, as does their hair. Catkin have extreamely good and acute hearing, enabling them to hear a whisper in a crowded room.
The eyes of Catkin can be feline or humanoid and can be any color that a feline or humanoid can have. Regardless of the type of eyes a Catkin has, they have extreamely good night vision.
Some Catkin have feline whiskers and some don't. Male Catkin with whiskers do not grow a beard or mustache but may grow a mane. Catkin with whiskers have superhuman reflexes and balance.
On rare occasion Catkin are born without humanoid ears. These always come from young who both parents are Catkin. These rare Catkin are always female and always have Oracle like abilities. They are treated as sacred beings in Catkin culture and are never allowed to be around non-catkin. These Catkin also never experience heat and are kept pure though their entire lives. it is considered a highly profane act to have sexual relations with a Catkin Oracle.
Lifespan
Catkin live approximately the same lifespan as humans. The age of maturity for a Catkin is 16, their average life expectancy is 80 - 100 years.
Immunities and weakness
Catkin have not specific immunities or weaknesses.
Lamptons
Catkin are welcome at Lamptons as Students, Faculty or Staff with only minor accomodations.
Lamptons has two isolation habitats for Catkin Students, Faculty and Staff. These facilities are guarded by the Order of the Shield Garrison assigned to Lamptons and lethal force is authorized to keep out intruders.