As depicted in Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island
|Aggressivity||Varies (typically Extreme)|
|Place of origin||Varies|
|Behind the Scenes|
An Ailuranthrope; often known as a "Werecat", is a human being afflicted with a specific form of therianthropy, in which the person periodically transforms into a feline creature, which may be either bipedal or quadrupedal.
As with other types of therianthropy, the transformation is most commonly involuntary and nocturnal; associated with the rise of the full moon. However, there exist several types of ailuranthropes depicted in folklore and fiction. Some are associated with a specific feline species, e.g. "Were-tigers", "Were-panthers", "Were-jaguars", etc.; whereas others present more generic transformations.
Works featuring ailuranthropes
Although not nearly as ubiquitous as Lycanthropes, these creatures have been featured in numerous works of fiction.
- "The Eyes of the Panther" by Ambrose Bierce (1891)
- Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island
- Teen Wolf (Werejaguar, a.k.a. Nagual)
- Dungeons and Dragons
- Monster High
- As with "werewolf", it's worth noting that, from an etymological point of view, the word "werecat" should be reserved specifically for males, whereas "ailuranthrope" is gender-neutral.