Origins of the Starveling Cats

So…

If we judge from the current association with Mr.Eaten, one could easily say that a Starveling Cat is a cat that fell into a well and was dipped (drowned?) in the magic of Mr.Eaten, thus becoming a teeth-gnashing, claw-lashing, bad-tempered servant of the slightly-abominable entity.

But what about the rhyme -
&quotThe Starveling Kitty! The Starveling Kitties! Ruled over the rooftoops of Five Stolen Cities!&quot

Is the rhyme lying / not to take seriously? Or is it truthful?

More interestingly:
Is a Starveling Cat what happens when a cat reaches Nightmares 8?

(Whereas a Tiger is what happens when a cat maximizes their stat to the cap of 200 and completes the Parabola quest line…
I wonder if it was ever possible to play as a cat. Because I know it was possible to be a Clay Man at some point…)

Starveling Cats are cats who decided to Seek.

However… they can’t row. Meaning they can never finish the quest.

They also cannot legally own a boat. Heh… suckers.

Tystefy, I disagree that cats could not complete the Quest. Cats can’t row, but in Fallen London they can talk. They can persuade human Seekers to let them on their boats. Worst come to worst, they could stow away on boats sailed by human Seekers.
edited by cathyr19355 on 8/25/2019

I would assume starveling cats are cats that are Unaccountably Peckish and have gone mad from sufficient Seeker knowledge.

I almost brought mine North, but I sent it to a friend just before I went…

And now I’m tempted to start seeking anew, with the purpose of bringing 77 starveling cats North.

[quote=Tystefy]Starveling Cats are cats who decided to Seek.

However… they can’t row. Meaning they can never finish the quest.

They also cannot legally own a boat. Heh… suckers.[/quote]They were an important part for most ships because they helped the rodent problem. Imagine having an extra hungry cat on your ship. :)

Heck, I think it’s still mandatory for every ship in the UK to have a cat on board; not really sure where I read such a thing!

The original method is retired, but there’s a … side easter egg, let’s call it? … that includes some of the experience