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Why do some cats in game have 4 ears?
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Blood_again✭✭✭✭✭
✭Biologically it is possible.
The Internet knows at least two such cats. Midas from Turkey and the unnamed one from China.
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FelisCatus✭✭✭✭✭Blood_again wrote: »Biologically it is possible.
The Internet knows at least two such cats. Midas from Turkey and the unnamed one from China.
That's real?0 -
Syldras✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭FelisCatus wrote: »That's real?
It's a genetical mutation, just like some extra leg or extra fingers (in case of fingers, it's not even that rare).@Syldras | PC | EU
The forceful expression of will gives true honor to the Ancestors.
Sarayn Andrethi, Telvanni mage (Main)
Darvasa Andrethi, his "I'm NOT a Necromancer!" sister
Malacar Sunavarlais, Altmer Ayleid vampire
Soris Rethandus, a Sleeper not yet awake0 -
FelisCatus✭✭✭✭✭FelisCatus wrote: »That's real?
It's a genetical mutation, just like some extra leg or extra fingers (in case of fingers, it's not even that rare).
Are the ears functional?0 -
Syldras✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭FelisCatus wrote: »Are the ears functional?
From what I read, no. They're basically just extra lumps of skin.@Syldras | PC | EU
The forceful expression of will gives true honor to the Ancestors.
Sarayn Andrethi, Telvanni mage (Main)
Darvasa Andrethi, his "I'm NOT a Necromancer!" sister
Malacar Sunavarlais, Altmer Ayleid vampire
Soris Rethandus, a Sleeper not yet awake0 -
FlameDark✭✭✭✭✭FelisCatus wrote: »Are the ears functional?
From what I read, no. They're basically just extra lumps of skin.
There was one cat named Midas in Turkey, who had all 4 of their ears connect to the ear canals and are all functional because of that.PC/NA CP 1150 - PvE
◆Arondael - Level 50 Magicka Necromancer ◆ Valyndrae (MAIN) - Level 50 Magicka Sorcerer ◆ Mithaedrun - Level 50 Stamina Arcanist
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Syldras✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭There was one cat named Midas in Turkey, who had all 4 of their ears connect to the ear canals and are all functional because of that.
Yes, that skull was completely messed up. The cat's jaw was defective, too.@Syldras | PC | EU
The forceful expression of will gives true honor to the Ancestors.
Sarayn Andrethi, Telvanni mage (Main)
Darvasa Andrethi, his "I'm NOT a Necromancer!" sister
Malacar Sunavarlais, Altmer Ayleid vampire
Soris Rethandus, a Sleeper not yet awake0 -
Syldras✭✭✭✭✭
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Edit: I just read those ears were not all functional. The skull, in particular the jaw, was still messed up.
In any way, I'm very sceptical of online media (talking about those news sites) hyping and applauding what is basically a genetical defect causing a severe skull deformation, which, at best, just looks a bit weird, but in worse cases can cause animals real distress and health problems ("but it looks cute" won't help them).
Talking about those cats in ESO: It's a different universe, so I don't care. I still found it a strange choice to release so many 4-eared cats instead of different breeds of 2-eared ones.
Edited by Syldras on August 30, 2026 2:05AM@Syldras | PC | EU
The forceful expression of will gives true honor to the Ancestors.
Sarayn Andrethi, Telvanni mage (Main)
Darvasa Andrethi, his "I'm NOT a Necromancer!" sister
Malacar Sunavarlais, Altmer Ayleid vampire
Soris Rethandus, a Sleeper not yet awake8 -
FlameDark✭✭✭✭✭
Edit: I just read those ears were not all functional. The skull, in particular the jaw, was still messed up.
In any way, I'm very sceptical of online media (talking about those news sites) hyping and applauding what is basically a genetical defect causing a severe skull deformation, which, at best, just looks a bit weird, but in worse cases can cause animals real distress and health problems.
Talking about those cats in ESO: It's a different universe, so I don't care. I still found it a strange choice to release so many 4-eared cats instead of different breeds of 2-eared ones.
Im not entirely certain what you're reading. Midas did have a slightly smaller upper jaw then her lower jaw. But vets confirmed the cat is not suffering or has really any negative effects beyond having its tongue sticking out more then usual. It is perfectly healthy beyond a weird genetic quirk, and I honestly trust what the vets say over anyone else. What causes 4 ears is just a genetic mutation. In the same way a cat can be born with extra toes, but you wouldnt say that the cat was born with severe paw deformation. The Four ears with Midas are considered functional because they all connect to the ear canal, where most 4 ear cats do not and are purely just attached.PC/NA CP 1150 - PvE
◆Arondael - Level 50 Magicka Necromancer ◆ Valyndrae (MAIN) - Level 50 Magicka Sorcerer ◆ Mithaedrun - Level 50 Stamina Arcanist
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Syldras✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭What I'm saying is that there are different mutations that cause what looks like a "double ear". In a more common one, the extra ears are just lumps of skin, but there are also conditions which can cause the whole skull to be deformed. Sometimes it's just a minor deformation, but bigger deformations that then cause health problems are also possible. That sadly seems to be an aspect media doesn't really care about, they only care to present something "special" or "cute".
But anyway, this is a forum about ESO, and I've already made my statement about 4-eared cats in ESO.@Syldras | PC | EU
The forceful expression of will gives true honor to the Ancestors.
Sarayn Andrethi, Telvanni mage (Main)
Darvasa Andrethi, his "I'm NOT a Necromancer!" sister
Malacar Sunavarlais, Altmer Ayleid vampire
Soris Rethandus, a Sleeper not yet awake0 -
spartaxoxo✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭RL aside, it also adds to Nirn's animal kingdom while still being distinctly different to what we're used to. Unusual animals, even ones inspired by RL ones, helps sell the fantasy narrative.
See also Cambio Zammes. His color pattern isn't quite what you'd see on Earth. Although there is a species of jungle fowl, an ancestor to the rooster, that is also green. He's different enough to be distinctively Nirn but close enough you can see the inspiration.
ESO's horses also clearly inspired by rather than actual looking like them. Although, in that case, I don't think it's necessarily on purpose. Nevertheless, it all comes together to make Nirn feel different to Earth.Edited by spartaxoxo on August 30, 2026 5:46AM3 -
Arunei✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭Several of the cats with "four" ears are called Prong-Eared, which leads me to think that it's a cat breed in ESO instead of being a genetic mutation like it is irl.PC-NA | Been around since closed beta | Alt account: Arunei PC-NA
Avid RPer. Hit me up in-game @Ras_Lei if you're interested in getting together for some arr-pee shenanigans!
RP Characters:
Sarah Lacroix: Breton Vampire who really really REALLY likes likes learning Magick and also her Altmer husbando
Kaalhil Swiftstrike: Tiny shapeshifting monster hunter Bosmeri lady with enough sass to kill a dragon or ten
Gwendolyn Jenelle: Friendly healer with a coffee addiction and her own medical practice
Krisiel: Literally crazy Werewolf, no like legit insane. She nuts
Kiju Veran: Ex-Fighters Guild Suthay who likes to punch things and is also a spy and ALSO a Werewolf
Niralae Elsinal: Young Altmeri woman with way too much Magicka and Vampire husbando
Slondor: TESified Slenderman, except lazier and has more of a thing for deals than Clavicus Vile does
Marius Vastino: Sarah's Imperial apathetic sire who likes to monologue
Lirawyn Calatare: Traveling performer and bard who's 101% vanilla bean
Soliril Larethian: Blind alchemist who uses animals to see and brews plagues in his spare time6 -
pinkpom✭✭✭Small cats have 2 ears. Only large cats have 4 ears. Large cats are likely not cat. They are something that looks like a cat.
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Ei8htba11✭✭✭✭✭Why? cheap a** way to make a regular cat, an unusual cat.. low effort IMO, kinda like Star Trek when a lot of alien races were humans with different brow ridges3 -
katanagirl1✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭I honestly never noticed that cat had four ears. I feel so clueless, lol.
PS5 NA2 -
DoofusMax✭✭✭✭✭Why? cheap a** way to make a regular cat, an unusual cat.. low effort IMO, kinda like Star Trek when a lot of alien races were humans with different brow ridges
If you have to shove a human actor into those prosthetics, you're pretty much limited to what can be done with the human form (head on top, feet on the bottom, bilaterally symmetrical, etc.) and production budgets are not infinite. Extra pair of ears is enough to visually trigger "different" and a lot cheaper than animating two tails or adding extra limbs. Probably also why we haven't got a visual equivalent of Sleipnir (Odin's eight-legged horse) in there with any of the equine mounts.I'm fresh out of outrage, but I could muster up some amused annoyance if required.1 -
Syldras✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭low effort IMO, kinda like Star Trek when a lot of alien races were humans with different brow ridges
Star Trek TOS was produced in the 1960s and, in my opinion, did a lot with what was technically possible at that time (even if it looks funny from today's perspective).
A video game obviously doesn't have these restrictions.
I guess what I dislike most about those 4-eared cats in ESO is that they feel random. They show up nowhere else in the world, outside of the crown store. They are not rooted in lore. ESO had so far utilized a mix of real world animals both recent (dogs, horses) as well as extinct (terror birds), creatures from traditional myths and folklore (chimeras, indriki) and some they invented themselves (alit, dreugh). The 4-eared cats are none of that; they're not even those "chimeric" TES-specific creatures like the vvardvark (which is aardvark/pangolin/armadillo). They just have either random extra ears, or are based on those "viral" website/tabloid mutated cats (so basically close to what I call meme-y content: take internet phenomenon, randomly put it in game without context). Not very interesting for me.
Edited by Syldras on August 30, 2026 8:01PM@Syldras | PC | EU
The forceful expression of will gives true honor to the Ancestors.
Sarayn Andrethi, Telvanni mage (Main)
Darvasa Andrethi, his "I'm NOT a Necromancer!" sister
Malacar Sunavarlais, Altmer Ayleid vampire
Soris Rethandus, a Sleeper not yet awake4 -
Diebesgut✭✭✭✭✭Khajiit Sicherheitsdienst ~ Überprüfung von Schlössern aller Art ~ Khajiit Security ~ Inspection of any kind of locksKhajiit Gebrauchtwaren ~ Handel mit Waren aller Art ~ Khajiit Store ~ Trading of any kind of goodsPlaystation0 -
katanagirl1✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭low effort IMO, kinda like Star Trek when a lot of alien races were humans with different brow ridges
Star Trek TOS was produced in the 1960s and, in my opinion, did a lot with what was technically possible at that time (even if it looks funny from today's perspective).
A video game obviously doesn't have these restrictions.
I guess what I dislike most about those 4-eared cats in ESO is that they feel random. They show up nowhere else in the world, outside of the crown store. They are not rooted in lore. ESO had so far utilized a mix of real world animals both recent (dogs, horses) as well as extinct (terror birds), creatures from traditional myths and folklore (chimeras, indriki) and some they invented themselves (alit, dreugh). The 4-eared cats are none of that; they're not even those "chimeric" TES-specific creatures like the vvardvark (which is aardvark/pangolin/armadillo). They just have either random extra ears, or are based on those "viral" website/tabloid mutated cats (so basically close to what I call meme-y content: take internet phenomenon, randomly put it in game without context). Not very interesting for me.
The original Star Trek forever changed sci-fi and was remarkable for doing so on the shoestring budget it had. I still enjoy those old episodes.
From your own description the cats are just like all those apex mounts that aren’t seen anywhere in the game except the Crown store, but at least they don’t flash bang. Just kind of weird with extra appendages.
PS5 NA5 -
Chiaroscuro✭✭✭So you can scritch them more!
(serious answer: I didn't know about Midas, what a cutie-pie)0 -
starkerealm✭✭✭✭✭
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The worlds of foreheads era mostly came from TNG, DS9, and Voyager.
TOS rarely even had the money for prosthetics, so it was just, "slather someone in orange greasepaint, or everyone's wearing helmets to hide that the production didn't have the money to give everyone pointed ears.
In fact, the Klingons and Romulans specifically got forehead prosthetics in the 80s, where they'd lacked them in the 60s.
Anyway, pretty sure the 4 eared cats are specifically mentioned to be a magical species of near-cat on Tamriel, similar to a Tressym (only, you know, with extra ears, instead of wings.)0
