After explaining how Dogs got introduced in Core Set 2021 earlier this week on Good Morning Magic, Gavin Verhey used this episode to break down the history of Cats in Magic.
Similar to Dogs and how they used to be Hounds, Cats appeared earlier in the game but under different creature types like Cat Warrior or Lion. It took until Urza’s Saga to get Cat as a stand alone creature type on cards like Guma, Cave Tiger, and Pouncing Jaguar.
So while Cat Warrior showed up in Legends and Waiting in the Weeds from Mirage made Cat tokens, Cat itself as a creature type came after Dog, comically. Snow Hound from Ice Age was a Dog, but then was changed to Hound before the Core Set 2021 updated switched it back to Dog.
Mirrodin eventually introduced the Leonin tribe and the first cat tribal commander, Raksha Golden Cub. Cat support continued to grow from there and Verhey was tasked with making the Commander 2017 Cat deck. As lead designer of the set, Verhey ended up making Wasitora, Nekoru Queen and a successful cat precon that overlapped a bit with Amonkhet and the Cat tribal design in it.
Verhey wrapped up the episode going over his five favorite cats in Magic history.