Cats

[Hickory]

Here's a thread highlighting the mysteries of the magical world: cats.

Let's examine some examples of possible special powers.

In Harry Potter, Harry wonders twice if cats can see through invisibility cloaks. While they might not be able to, in POA Crookshanks is shown to be extremely smart in comparison to other cats. He is able to determine that both Scabbers/Wormtail/Peter Pettigrew and Snuffles/Sirius Black are in fact Animagi and he is able to "understand" words as Sirius told him to find Pettigrew and Crookshanks also knew Scabbers was in Ron's bag partially by hearing him say "Scabbers is in my bag."

While HP never clearly outlines the magical abilities of cats, another bestseller does.

From the first book in the Bartimeus Trilogy, the djinn outlines that cats can see on not one, but two of the seven planes. Why? We may never know. But they obviously have better sight then us.

Now I'm gonna gloss over the very realistic Redwall cats and enter another world.

Warriors series by Erin Hunter.

Well, a series about cats is gonna hold some juicy info. For a start, the Clan leaders (excluding Bloodclan) have nine lives, granted to them by Starclan. This power also includes healing after major injuries. Starclan also speaks to prophesied cats in the same way Martin does, though they are never imbued with the personality of the dead cat. While no proper magic is done here, it takes ahold on the traditional cat folflore and turns it into reality.

So, waht do you think? Are cats magical? If so, post your evidence!

[Skyblade]

I'm don't think they're magical, but they seem like good animals.

[Luftwaffles]

In Sabrina: The Teenage Witch, Salem the cat is actually a former wizard who was punished for being evil and now it's forced to live as a cat until he's done with the sentence. They say that they chosen that form, because cats cannot grab objects, but they seem magical to me.

[Rusvul]

CAT
Tiny Animal

Stats

Hit Dice: 1/2 d8 (2 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 14 (+2 size, +2 Dex), touch 14, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/–12
Attack: Claw +4 melee (1d2–4)
Full Attack: 2 claws +4 melee (1d2–4) and bite –1 melee (1d3–4)
Space/Reach: 2-1/2 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks:—
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities: Str 3, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 7
Skills: Balance +10, Climb +6, Hide +14*, Jump +10, Listen +3,
Move Silently +6, Spot +3
Feats:Weapon Finesse
Environment: Temperate plains
Organization: Domesticated or solitary
Challenge Rating: 1/4
Advancement:—
Level Adjustment:—

[close]

Compare this to another, clearly magical, creature: The Owlbear.

Large Magical Beast

Stats

Hit Dice: 5d10+25 (52 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (–1 size, +1 Dex, +5 natural), touch 10,
flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+14
Attack: Claw +9 melee (1d6+5)
Full Attack: 2 claws +9 melee
(1d6+5) and bite +4 melee
(1d8+2)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab
Special Qualities: Scent
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +5, Will +2
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 12, Con
21, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: Listen +8, Spot +8
Feats: Alertness, Track
Environment: Temperate
forests
Organization: Solitary, pair,
or pack (3–8)
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 6–8 HD
(Large); 9–15 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment:—

[close]

   As you can clearly see, Cats are type Animal. A type exists for those creatures (such as the owlbear) who are inherently magical- Cats would be Magical Beasts if they had magical abilities. Furthermore, upon reading the Special Qualities list for cats, they have only Low-Light Vision and Scent- Both useful sensory adjustments, but both are Extraordinary abilities rather than Supernatural abilities. Thus, they are nonmagical.

I rest my case.