Common in largely forested areas, houtkats are short weasel-like animals that come in a variety of colors and shapes. They are expert climbers, and like hanging around in trees, literally! Their tails are prehensile, and are mainly used to hang on to branches.
Houtkats use their sharp claws to hunt small animals such as birds and rats; depending on region, some may prefer fishing, and have specially developed webbed feet to help them swim. Houtkats are not strictly carnivores, and they will eat pretty much anything, including fruits and berries... Or trash, but they almost always prefer meat.
The antlers are mainly used for protection. If a predator is nearby, a houtkat will curl into a ball with their antlers sticking out, the antlers are formed to lay straight back for this reason.

Males have larger antlers because they're more visible due to their manes, females do not have as profound antlers as they're more easily hidden.
Manes are present mostly in males as a way to attract mates, the larger and fluffier than manes, the more likely they are to find mates. Females typically do not have manes, as they're the ones that usually choose.
Large fangs are present in both males and females, this helps with hunting larger prey If needed.

Random- Their tails are prehensile, and mostly hairless besides the tuft of fur at the tip. Houtkats have longish snouts similar to a borzoi. They have large canine teeth that are visible even when their mouth is closed. Houtkats have medium to long whiskers that are integral to their balance. Claws are similar to cats, in which they are retractable.

Size (for feral form)- Houtkats come in two varieties, miniature and standard. Miniature height is 13–18cm with 35cm length, and standard height is 20–22 cm with 17-19 inches length in length. (Length does not include tail and head, height is measured from shoulders to ground). Houtkats have short stubby legs.

Fur- Houtkats typically have soft fur covering most of their body; fur is usually one and a half inches in length. Fur thins out around the underbelly/stomach resulting in little to no fur in that area. They also have long fur on the side of their faces, and some may also have long fur on their legs.

Manes- Males commonly grow large fluffy manes, while females typically do not. A female with a mane is possible, and generally indicates higher levels of testosterone than normal. It is also possible for a male to not grow a mane, this generally indicates lower levels of testosterone than normal. Genetics also factor into mane size and presence.

Antlers- Antlers are present in both males and females of the species, however they are far larger and more apparent in the males, while females usually have short stumps. As with manes, antler size is dependent on testosterone levels and genetics.


Ears- Their ears are long, and come in three varieties. Straight, bent, and floppy. An individual may have more than one type of ear style, such as one ear floppy and one straight.