Cats are a species of small predatory carnivorous animals that were valued by humans before the Great War for their companionship and ability to hunt vermin, such as rodents, snakes, scorpions, and other household pests. After the Great War, many cats were hunted for food because they were easy prey. This lead to The overhunting of cats which was believed to have caused a local extinction within the Wasteland.

However in recent years Cats have begun to repopulate the Wasteland and can now be found in all major and minor settlements as well military outposts and abandoned research laboratories. Because of the sudden rise in Wasteland cats and their tendencies to make their homes in domesticated areas. It is believed by many settlers that the cats are actually highly advance synths used by either the institute or the Enclave.