Ten Rules of Creating Kitties

[Fia]

Because every site has different sets of rules for their characters. We don't want to stifle your creativity, but we do have to have some boundaries. Follow these ten rules so our staff doesn't have to pop up in your bio and say "That's not allowed!" Yes, they apply to everyone. Any questions, feel free to contact me.

- We are currently not accepting MoonClan cats.
[^This is the only rule subject to change as character numbers shift.^]

- No more than three cats on this site can have the same prefix in their names (e.g. Shadowstorm, Shadowstep, and Shadowfur), and for the sake of minimizing confusion, we'd prefer they be in different Clans. Check the Taken Names and Reserved Names lists.

Update: Disregard this rule. The administration doesn't have the time or energy to care anymore, unless we get a wave of a dozen or so cats with the same prefix.

- We’re not going to have a ginger cat named Iceclaw, a white cat named Leafpelt, a black cat named Firestorm, etc. All a queen knows about her newborn kits is what colors they are and how big they are. They can’t be named for their eye colors – kits are born with their eyes sealed shut, and after opening, those eyes don’t change from blue until moons after they’re born. Exceptions may be made for former loners or kittypets who joined Clans.

- The cat can’t have ever received any dreams from StarClan, unless it’s a medicine cat/medicine cat apprentice or Clan leader. Simply put, most cats don't have special powers or destinies. You can request that StarClan speak to our cat in the course of roleplaying, but we'd need a good reason to allow this. Also, your cat may not, under any circumstances, be possessed by an evil spirit. Voices in his head? Fine. But they must be figments of his imagination, not actual spirits; we try ti minimize the supernatural around here.

- No big events (fires, wars, invasions, etc.) in the cat’s history. Border squabbles are okay, they happen sometimes; animal/lone rogue attacks are okay, too, but nothing that would affect more than your own cats. And you may certainly not invent distant Clans and such; we have our own setting and your cat’s history must be within it.

-Your cat is not going to automatically be respected/feared/liked/disliked by its Clanmates. You can mention its popularity/scariness/whatever in its bio if you want, but understand that you are going to have to find its place in the Clan as you roleplay it, even though the cat’s been in that Clan its whole life. (Applies to loners and rogues as well, though obviously that's a bit different.)

- Please don’t make cats that tie into an existing character’s life without asking the owner of the existing cat. I realize that, for example, Soundstar is an awesome cat; but not everybody can be his best friend. To develop character-friendships, we have a Character Development board. Please take full advantage of it.

- Don’t make your characters ‘perfect’. Just don't. Perfect characters are boring and annoying. Everybody makes mistakes, everybody has faults, and everybody has quirks. A ‘fault’ does not have to be a major personality flaw – perhaps it’s something the cat can’t do very well, like, maybe, tracking. Maybe he’s on the slow side. Maybe she’s small and not very strong. Maybe it’s a big ugly scar, or a bunch of little ones. Or maybe it is a personality flaw – a quick temper, pride, rashness, laziness, a mischievous streak, a cheeky attitude toward superiors. You can have an awesome cat – just as long as he/she isn’t too perfect. Maybe she’s just a little naïve or gullible? Maybe his cheerfulness gets a bit exasperating? Enemies are fun! Perfection is bad.

- It’s fine if your cat is highly intelligent and/or a brilliant fighter, but please, remember that an apprentice is always going to have trouble fighting against a warrior and even an older kit would have trouble going up against a seasoned apprentice. Be reasonable about the character’s abilities and limitations, please.

- Please do try and match your cat’s color with its Clan; it’s a genetic thing. Bright colors for SunClan, pale pelts for DayClan, dark coats for NightClan, gray/brown/ginger fur for MoonClan. Not a rule, but appreciated. Also, please don't invent "unusual" markings unless you have a picture to back them up, simply because it's hard for the rest of us to picture them.

Ignoring these rules = staff going:

So thanks for reading like good, responsible members! ~ SW Staff