Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I learn more about KittyCatS?
Official KittyCats Manual
https://kittycats.ws/manual/index.php?title=KittyCatS_Manual
Defines the terms and symbols you see in-world and in the Pedigree; but does not cover breeding, itself.
Are there classes on breeding?
Yes. Class schedules can be found in the
KittyCatS Community.
Can I get one-on-one help learning to breed better?
Yes. There is a mentoring program. Information about that is in the
KittyCatS Community as well. Of course, for short, occasional help, you can always ask on the in-world group chat.
Interacting with my Cats
I sent my cat to the Cattery. How do I get it back?
To retrieve a cat from the Cattery, you need a Dock.
The Dock is free and available at the
KittyCatS Main Store.
Rez the Dock where you have rights. Be sure you have the correct group tag on since, to move your cat back in-world, the dock will need to be able to rez on your behalf. You'll probably get a scary-looking warning about Linden dollars. Allow the Dock; otherwise you will not be able to send L$ to the Cattery for food and other supplies for the Cattery.
To move a cat in-world, click on your Dock. Select "Cat->SL" (Cat to Second Life) and follow the link to a web page. Select the cat(s) or box(es) you want to send in-world.
If something goes wrong, and the cat does not appear in a few seconds, don't panic. If the Dock could not move the cat in-world, refresh the web page and the cat should re-appear in your Cattery. Check the Dock is in the correct Group, and that there are prims available. If you still have problems,
contact KittyCatS support for assistance.
Oh, and if you accidentally send your cat the Menagerie, and it's only been a couple of days, you can get a free Menagerie Magic Bottle to get your cat back. It's also free, and also at the
KittyCatS Main Store; and works identically to your Dock, except it pulls cats back from the Menagerie instead of the Cattery.
I was cuddling my cat and it's lost! What happened?
This is an old, worn-out bug in the Second Life environment. It happens with objects which were rezed in-world by another object and then attached to your avatar using scripted action.
To avoid it, always use Drop from the pie menu, NEVER use Detach. If Drop is not offered, check you're standing on land where you can rez and check you have the correct group tag on to allow you to do so.
To avoid it completely, even if you crash while wearing a cat: take the cat into inventory and Attach it from there. This will let you chose a different attachment point or stack several cats on the same attachment point (yes, even your HUD attachment points!) .. BUT .. you won't see the pretty animation. Remember, also, that the cat won't gain any advantage for Love or Happiness from being attached to alternate points. Toys and Teacups need to be on the Left or Right Shoulder, Normal-sized cats want to be on the Chest or Left Forearm.
No matter what, it will still happen sometimes that you'll lose a cat. Read the next topic ...
My cat is lost! How do I get it back?
Don't Panic!
First off, remember, if the cat is off on walk-about, it'll return to its home when it sleeps. So it may not be permanently lost and you'll find it if you wait. If the cat has been gone a while you may get a message saying something like "Mew, I'm 30% hungry, please feed me and pay attention to me" followed by an slurl. Use it to teleport to your cat. If you find your cats frequently wander off your parcel/sim you can reduce their range or turn their walk off.
First, check your inventory, especially your Lost and Found and Objects folder. It can help to log out of Second Life, wait a minute or two, then log back in before doing this.
If you have a HUD, and the cat is listed, teleport the cat to you, or send it home. You can obtain a HUD at the
KittyCatS Main Store. The HUD is limited to only around 275 cats. If you have more, it can help to use the Area Search feature in Firestorm, or you can try one of those area-search objects.
If you were Cuddling the cat and it's now lost, try logging out of Second Life, waiting a bit, then logging in and checking your inventory. If it's not in your inventory and wasn't simply invisible to you because of lag, it's been eaten by that bug mentioned in the topic just above.
If none of this works,
contact KittyCatS support for assistance.
My cats produced a box while I was Cuddling them. Where is it?
When you're Cuddling, and a box appears, the box appears at your (not the cat's) position. This should be just about the center of your hips. Take a few steps back and take a look where you were standing.
This can be a real pain if you're moving around while Cuddling; especially if you're out shopping and teleporting around a lot. If you could rez (most shops allow it), the box will be floating around at the point you were standing at the instant it appeared.
If you can't rez, the cats should try to make the box again in a little while.
If the box never appears, or you were teleporting around so much you have no idea which sim to look at .. much less WHERE on the sim to look .. try using the Teleport History and Area Search features of Firestorm .. if that doesn't help
contact KittyCatS support for assistance.
Your best bet, when Cuddling to get that last 1%, is to stay home and wait for the box.
What do those little symbols mean?
Read the manual.
My cats won't make a box. What's wrong?
First,
read the manual.
To breed both cats need:
- 100% Love
- at least 75% Happiness
- at least 25% Energy
- less than 25% Hungry
- both partners awake
- both in the Cattery, or both in-world
- if in-world, set home properly and ensure the home positions are within the set range
- if in-world, in the correct land group which allows them to rez a box
- if in-world, there must be at least one prim available on the parcel
If you're out of prims, free some up and wait a while. The cats should try again in a bit.
If you're still stumped,
contact KittyCatS support for assistance.
My cat won't eat! What should I do?
My cat won't drink milk! What should I do?
The most likely causes are:
- Food/milk in the wrong group
- Cats in the wrong group
- Food/milk out of range
Try this:
- Pick food and milk.
- Check your group tag!
- Pick up and rez any cats in the wrong group, or move and re-Home those too far away
- Rez the food and milk
- Wait. Give it 30 minutes or so and if you see the hunger go down you should be fine
Also, if you use one, check the setting on your automatic feeder. If it is set to group, be sure all the cats are set to the same group.
If that doesn't help,
contact KittyCatS support for assistance.
How can I transfer food?
You can not transfer supplies such as food, milk or vitamins, to another avatar.
Other breedables have had problems with fraudulent supplies. To prevent this, KittyCatS! supplies can only be obtained from KittyCatS! and can not be transferred to another avatar.
This may seem a bit draconian. Remember, though, that most cats are transferable, food and milk can be set to group access, and you can manually change the group for your cats and supplies. While this can present some issues, if you're careful, you can safely work around the restrictions and use your supplies to help someone else out. Will it always work? No. But it works well enough for most cases.
I'm going on vacation, can I have a friend feed my cats?
If you own your own land, yes. Set the land group to a private group. Invite your friend to that group. Put out your cats, making sure they're set to the land group. When your friend needs to set out food or milk, have then be sure it's set to the land group, and set the food to GROUP access (the default is MY CATS).
If your cats are at a marketplace region, where a number of people rent, and place out their cats in the land group, you can still use this approach. But be sure to NOT use the land group! (Otherwise your friend will be feeding EVERYONE's cats on the ENTIRE SIM!!!) After setting out your cats, change them to your private land group and have your friend change her food to that group and BEFORE setting to GROUP access. NOTE: If your cats attempt to produce a box, they will fail because they are not in the land group. If you're only concerned about a few days (less than a week), this isn't much of a problem: the cats will keep trying and, when you return and set them back to the land group, finally produce the box.
You should seriously consider putting your cats in the Cattery while you're gone, and loading up on food and/or K$. That way, all you need is basic web access to check boxes, partner cats and purchase food or milk.
If you're only going to be gone a few weeks, it might be more cost-effective to simply let your cats get hungry, and wait the week for them to get healthy once you return.
If you're going to be gone for a long time (several weeks), certainly if you're going to be gone over 120 days, you should consider simply sending all your live cats to the Menagerie before you leave, and starting fresh from boxes when you return.
Breeding
Is X more dominant or recessive to Y?
What is the standing of trait X?
These questions come in a number of forms. No matter how the question is put, they're all asking the same thing: what is the dominance relationship between two traits.
Charts available on the Forum show what is currently known on this subject. Your first stop should always be to check
these charts.
These charts are maintained by a small group of workers. They make every effort to keep the documents accurate and up-to-date. If you feel you found an error, contact them by sending personal message to
KittyCatsProofs Resident.
Discussions about new discoveries for these charts appear on the Forum, generally in a discussion thread for the specific trait.
There is a Forum thread devoted to indexing each. If you think you've discovered a new trait, check this thread first to see if there is already a discussion about it and add your observations to that thread. If there is no thread, start a new one. Once it's been verified to actually be a discovery someone (usually one of the maintainers of these charts and lists) will add it.
I just got a pair of starters, should I breed them together?
What should I breed with [this trait]?
Again, these questions come in a variety of forms. If you're asking them you probably want to take a class, find a mentor, or need to study the charts.
What is "back breeding?"
Back breeding is one of the most common patterns. It simply means breeding sons to mothers, or daughters to fathers. This can be very effective when you want to find out what hidden genetics each parent carries. It is not as effective as using more-recessive stock but often it is your only choice.
Help! I keep getting one gender and I want the other!
I know my cat hides [this trait] but all I ever see is its dominant trait!
At its heart, KittyCatS genetics are like a coin toss. [In fact, they ARE a coin toss!]
The results you see for each box are independent and random. While the ODDS of a given outcome are always 50/50, the results you observe will rarely [read: never] be exactly 50/50.
Runs of various lengths should be expected. Occasional long runs will occur.
The odds of getting 32 females in a row are 1 in about 4.25 BILLION. But just because it just happened to you does not change the fact that the odds of your next box being male are 1 in 2.
One of the goals of the breeding process is to select stock, and design and use patterns, which reduce, if not eliminate, the basic 50/50 randomness. Yes, you can design patterns which lead to success and don't care if the next box is male or female, or shows a specific trait.
How do I get a Fancie Cat?
To obtain a Fancie Cat directly from KittyCatS:
- Pick up free jewel boxes at the KittyCatS main store.
- Collect 10 Diamonds, 20 Rubies, or 30 Emeralds. Jewels appear randomly when you breed a new kitten box.
- Store your jewels in the jewel box.
- When you have enough jewels of one type, turn them in to purchase a Fancie Cat.
Jewels and Fancie Cats can also be bought or sold the secondary markets. There a
forum section for buying, selling, and trading jewels.
Everything you need to know about this process is in
the Manual.
Can I breed for Gender?
No.
Can I breed for Size?
No.
Can I breed for Twins?
No.
Can I breed for Gems?
No.
Although, Fancy Cats (Special Collection cats only available by trading Gems for them) will produce a new Gem with each box they produce.
Marketing
Where can I get the Pedigree View script?
Often, you won't need the Pedigree View script. If the cat is in-world, go to its Pedigree page. Make sure there is a check in the checkbox labeled "Enable In World Pedigree Link". Checking this option enables features similar to the Pedigree View script without the need for extra prims.
There are still times you'll want to use the Pedigree View script, or have no option but to use it.
There is a freebie on the Marketplace. It includes a note card explaining how to use the script.
When was [this trait] discovered?
When was [this trait] retired?
Who discovered [this trait]?
The team behind
KittyCatsProofs Resident also maintains a chart showing when traits were discovered, who found them, and when they were retired. Where possible, this includes links to the relavent Forum discussions.
You can contact the team by sending a private message. But, in general, they update this chart based upon the Forum discussions and you should make your comments on the thread for the specific trait.
What auctions are scheduled?
Check the Forum discussions for auction announcements.
While there used to be auction calendars, they seem to have fallen into disarray and disuse. If you know of a reliable calendar not devoted to a tiny number of auctions I'd be happy to add it. Traditionally. though, such calendars have caused more problems than they solved, so I may take some convincing.
What are the "starter" traits?
The visible traits for all starters. All starters are guaranteed to show one of these visible traits. In addition, for most traits, starters are guaranteed to hide a non-starter trait.
This includes the genetic (as opposed to costume) traits for Special Collection starters.
Fur: NEVER the hidden trait on any starter.
- Genesis Coco IV
- Genesis Diamond IV
- Genesis Domino IV
- Genesis Flame IV
- Genesis Smokey IV
This list changes about once a year.
Many still do not count the older Genesis furs. They are now Retired Traits, not Starter Traits, and should be counted as such.
So,when the Genesis V series appears, it becomes the new Starter Traits, and the IV series shown here becomes Retired Traits.
Eye Color: NEVER the hidden trait on any starter.
- Genesis Earth
- Genesis Meadow
- Genesis Odyssey
- Genesis Sunshine
- Genesis Water
Eye Shape: CAN also be the hidden trait in a starter.
Pupil: CAN also be the hidden trait in a starter.
Shade: CAN also be the hidden trait in a starter.
Ears: NEVER the hidden trait on any starter.
Tail: NEVER the hidden trait on any starter.
Whisker Color: NEVER the hidden trait on any starter.
Whisker Shape: NEVER the hidden trait on any starter.
In addition, the costumes seen on special collection (limited edition) cats should not be counted. This includes special collection offspring which some special collection parents give out.
In general, special collectable cats are marketed as collectibles and not based (solely) upon their traits.
Lucky Irish Clover is a special case. This was randomly given during an event in 2011 and, while applied as a costume (meaning you saw it in-world and some places on the web site) it actually indicated the hidden recessive was present.
What traits "count"?
Any trait you can breed for which is not a starter trait.
That means, don't count things like Genesis traits, Gender or Size.
What are Limited Edition traits?
Some traits are only available for a short while, typically from a special collection (limited edition) starter.
In general, Limited Edition traits are also Retired Traits.
What are Retired traits?
Retired traits are no longer available in any normal, or special collection, starters. The appearance and survival of these traits depends solely upon someone, somewhere, having the trait and breeding for it.
Once they're gone, they're gone forever.
Tips and Tricks
Can I check my Cattery without a Dock?
Sometimes you just want to look at what's in your Cattery as if you'd used a Dock but don't want to send any cats in-world.
This can be handy since the page you see when you use your Dock is the only KittyCatS! web page which reliably lists all the cats you have in your Cattery. You can access this page, without having to log into Second Life and use your Dock, using the following link:
https://kittycats.ws/online/get_cat.php
You will need to be already logged in to the KittyCatS! web site.
If you accidentally click on a cat, don't worry. Since you did not use a Dock, it can not be sent back in-world. Simply wait a moment, then refresh the page and the cat will re-appear.
Can I check my (short-term) Menagerie without a Magic Bottle?
Just as you can look at what is currently in your Cattery, you can see what you recently sent to the Menagerie; and could retrieve if you had used a Bottle, using the following link:
https://kittycats.ws/online/get_cat.php?m=1
You will need to be already logged in to the KittyCatS! web site.
If you accidentally click on a cat, don't worry. Since you did not use a Bottle, it can not be retrieved from the Menagerie. Simply wait a moment, then refresh the page and the cat will re-appear.
Can I check my (long-term) Menagerie without a Miracle Menagerie Bottle?
Just as you can look at what is currently in your Cattery, you can see what you long ago sent to the Menagerie; and could retrieve if you had used a Bottle, using the following link:
https://kittycats.ws/online/get_cat.php?m=2
You will need to be already logged in to the KittyCatS! web site.
If you accidentally click on a cat, don't worry. Since you did not use a Bottle, it can not be retrieved from the Menagerie. Simply wait a moment, then refresh the page and the cat will re-appear and does not count against your limit of 3.
Note that once you hit your limit of 3, you'll still see an error message.
To assist those looking for answers to frequently asked questions, I'll try to update this posting, occasionally. I ask that the discussions which follow this post pertain to the FAQs: either suggesting new ones, helping clarify existing ones, or simply whacking me upside the head for the stupid mistakes I'll surely make.
If you're interested in a good white paper which expresses my feelings on what makes a good FAQ, and why this one is needed instead of the official not-so-FAQ, read Infrequently Asked Questions of FAQs by R. Stephen Gracey
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions 
It's like going back to square 1 every time you throw the dice for a board game. But it also makes it fun 
and never heard of RTFM
