Aug 28 2008
Winged Cat (aka a Tairen Soul) Spotted in China
CL Wilson, author of the NY Times bestselling high fantasy romance series, Tairen Soul, writes about winged shape shifting cats. Her latest book, King of Sword and Sky, is due out September 30. According to a news report, a winged cat has been found in China. Apparently, the wings developed as a defense mechanism because the cat was so desirable to the opposite sex (also a true feature of Tairen Souls):
One cat owner, identified only as Feng, claimed her pet’s wings were the result of stress from too many females desiring to mate with him, the Mail reported.
I hope the Tairen Souls come and claim their poor lost offspring. After all the whole series is about the fact that the winged cat like creatures are dying off. (BTW, I like this series).
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Aug 28, 2008 @ 11:26:56
One of the issues with Feng’s assertion is that the cat in the picture is most likely a girl (since genetically only girls can be calicos). If it’s indeed a male, it’s either a chimera or an XXY.
Interesting picture!
Aug 28, 2008 @ 11:47:52
There’s a sex kitteh joke in there somewhere.
Aug 28, 2008 @ 11:55:03
GrowlyCub beat me to it. Back in an earlier life I worked for two biology professors who were writing a genetics textbook. One of the few things I remember is that the calico fur pattern is caused by a process called Lyonization, after Mary Lyons (I assume this is not the same M. Lyons as the M&B romance novelist). If a male cat is a calico — and while rare, they do exist — it is sterile.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyonization
Aug 28, 2008 @ 12:11:31
Wow, that’s some impressive ignorance of basic science on the part of Ms. Feng! (Either that, or a reporter who got punk’d.)
Aug 28, 2008 @ 13:28:22
In any case the cause of ‘winged’ cats is cutaneous asthenia due to a genetic defect producing easily deformed skin and matted fur–generally indicated a neglected animal :(
Aug 28, 2008 @ 13:30:41
Stop with using science to explain away this clearly magical occurrence. Such non believers. Tsk. Tsk.
Aug 28, 2008 @ 13:33:58
[slaps own hand]
Aug 28, 2008 @ 13:59:03
Hey, I just pointed out that he’s indeed a special kitty if it’s a him, grin. :) I didn’t de-magic him, he he.
Btw, XXY usually are sterile, but chimeras (fusion of two embryos into one cat with 2 different sets of genetic material scattered all over the body) can be fertile. There was a lovely dilute calico (cream, blue and white) male Maine Coon a few years back, named Floyd, who made babies.
Okay, I admit it, now I did de-magic the winged kitty via science, he he.
Aug 28, 2008 @ 14:02:16
Interestingly at least on past flapcat, in the UK, was a calico tom.
Aug 29, 2008 @ 08:07:41
So THAT’s what the Mage has been doing with the tairen kitlings!! ;)
Aug 30, 2008 @ 16:48:36
One more memory dragged from the swamp that is my brain: Lyonization is the reason female identical twins are less identical than male identical twins. Since the switching off of one of the two X chromosomes occurs randomly, one sister may have switched off the one from her father while in a comparable cell her sister may have switched off the one from her mother. At least this is how I remember it, but someone with more scientific knowledge than I have will probably have a better, less simplistic explanation.
Aug 31, 2008 @ 15:11:13
Jane, I just ordered LORD OF THE FADING LANDS and LADY OF LIGHT AND SHADOW because of this little piece. I got curious about what the heck a Tairen Soul was…
So I:
- visited the author’s home page (I thought “pass, looks too complicated to get into”)
- read the ‘Oldsmobile’ piece by you (I thought “hmm…”)
- read Janine’s review of LotFL (I tried to remember if Janine was the one who had trouble with THE SPYMASTER’S LADY. Yep, remembered right. Incidentally, just read TSL today and had no trouble with it. AT ALL! :-)
- read your review of LoLaS. (I thought “hmm” and checked to see if the place I order from had the books listed. It did. I put them in my shopping cart.)
- reread the ‘Oldsmobile’ piece and read the responses and reviews attached (I thought “probably…”)
- had a brainstorm and checked out if SBTB had reviewed it. SB Sarah had. (I thought “DAMN!” and ordered the books)
Six hours ago I’d never heard of these books. Now I’ve bought two. And it’s ALL YOUR FAULT JANE! You’re dangerous! (To my bank account, at least.)
:-)
I’ll let you know what I think of them. Someday.
Feb 28, 2009 @ 22:10:02
LOL… LOTFL is a very addicting book. I dont think i could ever stop reading them. I pray perhaps they may go in the movie genre. i would love to see all of it come to life on the big screen.. I dont even think lord of the rings could stand up to this most intrigueing wonderful series!
ps.. i am dieing to read what the next novel will bring… i have many assumptions and possibilities it is driving me to read and re-read :)
bye
Mar 01, 2009 @ 10:58:23
i love this series its great. i started reading them for free from pirate bay 2 days ago and finished both of em. im trying to find the third one for a torrent/download. can anyone help????????
Mar 01, 2009 @ 13:03:02
no. sry i can’t help but the book is only like 8.00$ @ borders.. well worth all 8 believe me