[ADWD Spoiler] The tom cat with the torn ear

[Tourniquet]

Its Chekhov's cat obviously.

[NexivRed]

If it's Rhaenys's cat then it's bloody old.

So.. if she warged into the cat before she snuffed it, does that mean we can expect to see this cat riding around on Rhaegal :D

[Swordswench]

Why would that be obvious? Plus, don't you have to be somewhere close to the animal? Arya is hundreds of miles away across the narrow sea.

Arya wargs into Nymeria thousands of miles away every night. She was able to see through the cat's eyes in the inn just by comtemplating it, so I could see her inadventenly warging/skinchanging into the Balerion cat just by musing over her training with Syrio. But she doesn't seem to be at the point where she can control the animals she enters into. Yet.

Plus, there's an element of skin-changing to what the FM do when they put on faces. The recipient gets memories or impressions of the life of the person they're wearing, and with Arya having her non-sight senses awakened by the blinding, the cat may come into play later on, as she already knows that cat, and could maybe make a connection with it.

[Jackie of Tarth]

I am getting a headache! I love this series but if I dont read the forums I miss sooooooo much. I believe the cats are relevant to the story and the one is probably Balerion. But could someone tell me the difference between a skinchanger and a warg???

[nara]

On a related note, how is it that the Stark kids seem to have this ability to be wargs or skin changers, but Ned did not show any such ability? Is there still hope for the Ned-ites?

[Skagosi]

On a related note, how is it that the Stark kids seem to have this ability to be wargs or skin changers, but Ned did not show any such ability? Is there still hope for the Ned-ites?

The nearest thing to explanation I got was "Your children were meant to have these wolves Lord Stark." It was probably the only real heavy-handed foreshadowing in the series. Those nameless Old Gods of the north are helpful yet cryptic.

[G Vico]

I am getting a headache! I love this series but if I dont read the forums I miss sooooooo much. I believe the cats are relevant to the story and the one is probably Balerion. But could someone tell me the difference between a skinchanger and a warg???

"Skinchanger" and "Warg" are interchangeable, unlike "Other" and "Wight".

All cats in the series, however, are apparently the same cat. Some of the dogs that show up may also be this cat -- I'm still working on that theory.

[Ser Hippie]

Syrio is Belarion's human guise. So is Jaqen.

[G Vico]

... and when Manderly is happily eating pork pies thinking they are Frey pies, he's actually eating cat pies. It's a classic Martin switcheroo and the consequences of the eating of the cat pies won't become evident until the final book -- but you can be sure everything hinges on it.

[Drowned Priest]

Its Chekhov's cat obviously.

Chekhov's gun and Schrodinger's cat are two different things

[jurble]

Clearly, when Aegon reaches the Red Keep, Balerion's reaction to him will prove/disprove his Targ-ness.

[FalseSpring]

I don't want to make a new thread about cats, but I feel like Tommen's cats still being kittens is an inconsistency. Cats don't stay young that long.

Also feel like the plot didn't advance enough with them. Was really expecting a fantastic new quote for my sig.

[fuelpagan]

In all seriousness, I think the cat is definitely Balerion and Bloodraven is warging into it to spy on the Red Keep.

I agree. He has a thousand and one eyes. Surely he would be spying in on the red keep.

[fuelpagan]

Clearly, when Aegon reaches the Red Keep, Balerion's reaction to him will prove/disprove his Targ-ness.

Did you notice the turtle before the attack of the stone men? I think Bloodraven is already after him.

[Tourniquet]

He also shows up in A Clash of Kings and rubs against Sansa's leg. The general thought on the black tomcat is that he's Rhaenys' black kitten Balerion. Personally, I'm waiting for him to take his revenge by killing off Tommen's kittens.

Ser Pounce will have his head!

[Tourniquet]

Chekhov's gun and Schrodinger's cat are two different things

Well you can't be sure of that if hes in a box...

[G Vico]

I don't want to make a new thread about cats, but I feel like Tommen's cats still being kittens is an inconsistency.

They're all the same cat. Keep up, FS.

[Raskolnikov]

If it is indeed Rhaenys', that's a really old cat.

[The Bronze Wyvern]

The Balerion = Arya's Tom connection was one of the favourite things I picked up on my pre-ADWD reread, so I was thrilled he got another mention in ADWD! I do love cats. How cute is it that Tommen called his cat Ser Pounce? BTW, someone has set up a twitter account for Ser Pounce and it's comedy gold!

[Nymeriah]

The idea that somebody who has died having some remnant of themselves remain with objects/locations/animals that were important to them isnt unique to GRRM's fictional "warging". Especially with violent/unjust deaths.

GRRM's description of wargs dying had to have been inspired (maybe just sub-conciously) by ghost/spirit pop-culture.

I dont think its silly to think the cat has some shred of Rhaenys in it. Rather than being a SOIAF warg, it is a real life warg. Thats why he is generally bad-tempered, but especially around Lannisters.