The Cat That Time Forgot

May 9, 2011 5:27 PM

Behold the Manul! Otherwise known as Pallas's cat, it was one of the first two modern cats to evolve. (Via The Ark In Space, an amazing compendium of creatures.)
posted by hermitosis (47 comments total)

I came for the cat pictures, and my god were there a lot of cat pictures.
posted by 2bucksplus at 5:31 PM on May 9, 2011 [4 favorites]

Other great examples from TAIS:

The spiders that decorate their own webs

Insects drinking from water droplets

Sanderlings
posted by hermitosis at 5:31 PM on May 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

Have you seen this cat?
Because it is awesome.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 5:33 PM on May 9, 2011 [5 favorites]

PALLAS CAT IS ANGRY!
posted by The Whelk at 5:38 PM on May 9, 2011

It looks like the Lorax.
posted by jrochest at 5:38 PM on May 9, 2011 [2 favorites]

I can has domesticationz?
posted by mccarty.tim at 5:39 PM on May 9, 2011 [2 favorites]

The round pupils were kind of freaky. Awesome looking creature. I hope people leave them alone so they don't become extinct.
posted by garnetgirl at 5:40 PM on May 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

I do not think this cat thinks in LOL CAT.

I think this cat thinks in screams and possibly Orc.
posted by The Whelk at 5:40 PM on May 9, 2011 [22 favorites]

They really look like the missing link between capuchins and cats. And raccoons. Capucooncats. Catuchincoons. Coonchinc- is that the door?
posted by likeso at 5:41 PM on May 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

Does anyone know where on the cat family tree this guy belongs? Just wondering about last common ancestors.
posted by General Tonic at 5:42 PM on May 9, 2011

Pallas cat don't give a shit.
posted by briank at 5:42 PM on May 9, 2011 [7 favorites]

want
posted by stargell at 5:43 PM on May 9, 2011

"If I want the cheeseburger, I will take it from you."
posted by benzenedream at 5:44 PM on May 9, 2011 [7 favorites]

Anyone notice those Sanderlings sound a lot like mousebots?
posted by Jibuzaemon at 5:46 PM on May 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

The body: Bear shaped
The head: Donald Trump-coiffed
The animal: Pallas Cat
posted by DU at 5:49 PM on May 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

Those spiders. Those spiders rocking a 70s vibe with their rickrack-decorated webs...
posted by likeso at 5:51 PM on May 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

How was this effect accomplished? It's arresting.
posted by lyam at 5:54 PM on May 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

Basically, the Gamork is real.
posted by hermitosis at 5:55 PM on May 9, 2011

Or "Gmork," rather.

PARDON ME, MR. GMORK!
posted by hermitosis at 5:56 PM on May 9, 2011

They're like early Louis Wain with slightly human eyes. Now, if someone could make a little statue of them, for above my chamber door.
posted by adipocere at 6:00 PM on May 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

> How was this effect accomplished?

In the old days, by zooming slightly in or out during the exposure (either exposing the negative or exposing the print).
posted by hank at 6:01 PM on May 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

In the old days, by zooming slightly in or out during the exposure (either exposing the negative or exposing the print).

You can do this with any camera.
Slow shutter speed + zoom lens, zooming.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 6:03 PM on May 9, 2011 [3 favorites]

Avada Kecheezeburger
posted by rahnefan at 6:18 PM on May 9, 2011

Well, that is one cool cat.
posted by Mister_A at 6:23 PM on May 9, 2011

Too many apps so I eated them.
posted by Ad hominem at 6:30 PM on May 9, 2011

They look like a cross between a cat and a marmoset. Those Pallas kitten videos are almost too cute to watch.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 6:30 PM on May 9, 2011

They have Pallas cats at the Prospect Park zoo. They're the best reason to live in Park Slope. I took a picture of one yowling.
posted by Sticherbeast at 6:36 PM on May 9, 2011 [2 favorites]

Name: Pallas Cat
Disposition: Grumpy
posted by BitterOldPunk at 6:38 PM on May 9, 2011

Manul: paws of fate

[cue Keyboard Cat playing Torgo's theme]
posted by zippy at 6:38 PM on May 9, 2011 [8 favorites]

You wouldn't think anything could be cuter than the kittens we've already got, but here you go.
posted by jamjam at 6:41 PM on May 9, 2011

If I were an illustrator, and I were tasked to create illustrations for a book about the King of All Cats, I would use a Manul as my model.
posted by Faint of Butt at 6:46 PM on May 9, 2011

Great picture, Stitcherbeast.

What did it sound like?
posted by jamjam at 6:48 PM on May 9, 2011

It spoke fluid American English in a somnolent, vaguely aristocratic baritone.
posted by Sticherbeast at 6:53 PM on May 9, 2011 [8 favorites]

Although the Manul is only the size of the domestic cat, reaching about 26 inches in length its appearance makes it appear somewhat larger.

Fire the copy editor. But thank you, interesting links!
posted by Meatbomb at 7:07 PM on May 9, 2011 [2 favorites]

I hope people leave them alone so they don't become extinct.

This is absolutely the wrong thinking, friend. I hope they become really famous and popular and valuable, so people have a strong incentive to keep them around. Stuff that we "leave alone" ends up going extinct when we accidentally their environment.
posted by Meatbomb at 7:10 PM on May 9, 2011 [2 favorites]

Wait. I just realized. These are our new overlords.
posted by likeso at 7:16 PM on May 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

ZOMG that kitten video added to this one has completely broken my cute meter.

They have Pallas cats at the Prospect Park zoo. They're the best reason to live in Park Slope.

My friend who lives in Park Slope is in BIG TROUBLE for not pointing this out when I've visited him!
posted by grapesaresour at 7:28 PM on May 9, 2011

>> How was this effect accomplished?
>In the old days, by zooming slightly in or out during the exposure (either exposing the
>negative or exposing the print).
Nowadays probablly Photoshop. See "radial blur." A lot easier than zooming during exposure, given how much shake you'd get.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 7:47 PM on May 9, 2011

50% workout montage, 50% Cirque de Soleil (via the lovely Cleolinda).
posted by maryr at 8:04 PM on May 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

What did it sound like?
posted by jamjam

It spoke fluid American English in a somnolent, vaguely aristocratic baritone.
posted by Sticherbeast

Don't give me any of your crap.

That cat is clearly singing Wagner.
posted by jamjam at 8:04 PM on May 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

That is so weird. They look just enough like regular cats to trip my brain's cat circuits, but then they're off - very uncanny valley, even though they're really beautiful creatures in their own right.

Also, what with the eyes, a couple of the photos look like housecats that have been "humanized" in some creepy way.
posted by you're a kitty! at 9:39 PM on May 9, 2011 [2 favorites]

The round pupils and the seemingly small face - the face looks smaller than a "normal" cat's due to their fluffiness and the face's flatness - adds to an illusion that the Pallas cat is somehow part-human. It's like you had a slider from "person" to "cat," and a Pallas cat is what happens when you nudge the slider just a little. It's creepy and awesome.
posted by Sticherbeast at 9:43 PM on May 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

Yeah, they have very flat, very humaniish faces. It's like an cartoon cat come to life. And about to eat you.
posted by The Whelk at 9:55 PM on May 9, 2011

Apparently the "Don't Fuck With Me, Bro" look evolved early.
posted by tommasz at 4:48 AM on May 10, 2011

These guys are at the Columbus Zoo, between the tigers and the Malayan sunbears.

They're always just sitting, claws extended, licking between their toe pads and wow, are they intimidating.
posted by ChuraChura at 5:58 AM on May 10, 2011

Pallas cats are the punk rock of cats. And I want to snorgle those kittens.
posted by Salmonberry at 7:42 AM on May 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

CROOKSHANKS!!
posted by NoraReed at 10:58 PM on May 10, 2011 [2 favorites]