warriors: genetics project

profile art by wayne mcloughlin | detangling the family tree one cat at a time!

[genesproject]

Introductions

Hello! We are Genesproject, a Warriors design blog dedicated to untangling the canon family trees and giving you (mostly) genetically accurate interpretations of our feline friends! We're going to make it clear now that our family tree changes are based on headcanons by the mods and obviously do not hold any footing in the canon’s continuity. The mods did their best to keep meaningful family relationships intact, but to avoid some of the less savoury implications of the original Warriors family tree, we have omitted some cats’ relationships to each other. We hope you like our stuff! Feel free to ask us anything or send in submissions! Mod introductions are below:

Heya! I’m Robin(he/they), and I’m the head of this project! You may recognize me from such dead blogs as @warriorsultimateguide, but otherwise, I don’t have much of a presence online. My main role is to maintain the blog and take charge of most of the genetics and family tree work, but I’ll be doing art as well!  Hello I’m Em (he/him) :) The only thing I like more than cats are birds (so I’ll at least make sure no Jayfeather designs are based on the North American blue jay!) My connection to this project is that I study bird genetics and I love Hollyleaf a whole lot. I occasionally draw other things over on flyingpikart.tumblr.com especially Pokemon. Hiii I’m Andy (they/she). I’ll be working out the family tree and some genetics with Robin as well as helping out with some designs :) My favorite character is Darkstripe and has been for over 10 years now! I love studying cat genetics, and take interest in other studies like herpetology and animal behavior. You can find me most places with the username darkbanez, but my art blog is lowbranch.tumblr.com.  Hii I'm Bee (she/her)! I'm here to draw cats and help out a little with the genetics/family tree. I am Sunstrike's #1 fan and care about every allegiance only cat ever. My main art blog is @coastalraccoon and I also have a warrior cats design blog at @darkforest-trainee.

[genesproject]

have you done berryheart or podlight yet?

Berryheart was just posted! thank you for the ask <3

(podlight will definitely be drawn when we get our designs for frostdawn and curlfeather hammered out!)

please keep the requests coming, we love to see which cats people would like to see!

-mod em

[genesproject]

Berryheart (requested by anonymous)

Black solid with medium white spotting

Art by Em

In canon, Berryheart is described as a black-and-white she-cat with amber eyes.

Relevant retcons: none.

[genesproject]

Quailkit and Storkkit

Lilac solid with low white spotting, Chocolate mackerel tabby

Art by Em

In canon*, Quailkit is described as a pale grey-and-white cat, and Storkkit is described as a tortoiseshell with ginger patches. (Again, for genetic reasons, Storkkit cannot physically be a ginger cat.)

Two more of our missing kits, Quailkit (lilac) and Storkkit (chocolate) are Gorsepaw’s two littermates. We know nothing about how they died during the time WindClan was driven away from their home or anything except their parentage. Like Andy said about our last set, I’ve become somewhat attached to these two infants against my better judgement :,)

Relevant retcons: Cloudrunner is no longer their sire (or Morningflower’s mate).

[genesproject]

Gorsepaw

Chocolate mackerel tabby with low white spotting

Art by Em

In canon, Gorsepaw is described as a small, lean, brown tabby tom with short, thick fur.

(Remember when I said I was done with old WindClan? I immediately remembered after posting that that Morningflower did, indeed, have kits. Sorry, Gorsepaw.)

Relevant retcons: Cloudrunner is no longer his sire (or Morningflower’s mate).

[genesproject]

Morningflower

Lilac mackerel tabby with low white spotting

Art by Em

In canon, Morningflower is described as a tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes.

Relevant retcons: She is no longer Ashfoot’s sister.

A few artist’s notes: since neither of her parents is red, she cannot be a tortoiseshell, so I’ve opted for a warmer expression of lilac here (quite like her dad Stagleap!) My version of Morningflower also has little patches of fur that stick out and display her undercoat, which look like little flowers, making them her namesake. I’ll be leaving much of the later generations of this family up to my compatriots, but I’ve greatly enjoyed our journey through old WindClan together!

[genesproject]

Onestar

Cinnamon mackerel tabby with low white spotting

Art by Em

In canon, Onestar is described as a small and lean, mottled, pale brown tabby tom with amber eyes.

Relevant retcons: no longer Ashfoot’s brother.

[genesproject]

Stagleap

Lilac mackerel tabby

Art by Em & Andy (collab!)

In canon, Stagleap is described as a huge, stocky, broad-shouldered dark brown tom with amber eyes. (His two parents are too light for him to really be a dark brown, but hey, this isn’t so far off.)

Relevant retcons: No longer sire to Ashfoot.

[genesproject]

Ryestalk

Lilac mackerel tabby

Art by Em

In canon, Ryestalk is described as a gray tabby she-cat with soft fur and amber eyes. She is Mudclaw and Tornear’s dam.

Relevant retcons: none.

[genesproject]

Doespring

Fawn solid

Art by Em

In canon, Doespring is described as a light brown she-cat. (Since that’s the same description her dad gets, I imagine she takes after him quite strongly, at least in terms of appearance.)

Relevant retcons: none.

[genesproject]

Hareflight

Fawn solid

Art by Em

In canon, Hareflight is described as a light brown tom. He is Mistmouse’s mate.

Relevant retcons: none.

[genesproject]

Thistleclaw

Blue mackerel tabby with medium white spotting

In canon, Thistleclaw is described as a huge, sleek-furred, dark gray-and-white tabby tom with uneven gray patches mottling his white face and spiky fur. He has wide shoulders, amber eyes, a broad muzzle, a torn ear-tip, and a long gray tail.

Art by Andy

Relevant retcons

Windflight is no longer Thistleclaw, Rosetail, and Sweetpaw’s father. This means this litter is no longer half siblings with Dappletail, Thrushpelt, and Tawnyspots.

Alt Dark Forest design (CW: Blood)

[genesproject]

Mistmouse

Lilac mackerel tabby

Art by Em

In canon, Mistmouse is described as a light brown tabby she-cat. She was one of the last tunnelers (hence the big paws!) and a descendent of Windstar.

Relevant retcons: none.

[genesproject]

Bluestar

Blue solid with low white spotting

In canon, Bluestar is described as large, pale blue-gray she-cat with ice-blue eyes. She has thick, long fur and a broad face, head, and shoulders, with a scar that parts the fur across them, and a torn ear. She has a silver-tinted muzzle and a long, sleek tail.

Art by Andy

Relevant retcons

Featherkit and Cricketkit are now her half-siblings through Stormtail.

[genesproject]

Jay (requested by @transhetanybodys )

Black and white bicolor (with age graying)

Art by Em

In canon, Jay is described as a mangy black-and-white she-cat with a grizzled, graying muzzle, and no teeth.

Relevant retcons: none.

(The artist has a cat with no teeth, too. I used a picture of her face as Jay’s reference here.)

[genesproject]

If you're open to warrior cats design requests, could I please have Jay (Yellowfang's Secret/Tallstar's Revenge)? Thanks!

we absolutely are open to requests, and yours has been queued! Thanks for your support and for sending in our very first one - you'll see Jay tomorrow!

-mod em

[genesproject]

Featherkit and Cricketkit

White solid (masking red spotted tabby). 100% deaf AU

Blue solid with low white spotting

In canon, Featherkit is described as a deaf white tom with blue eyes. Cricketkit is described as a blue-gray cat.

Art by Andy

Relevant retcons:

Featherkit and Cricketkit are no longer Runningwind’s kits; instead, they are now fathered by Stormtail and are the half siblings to Bluestar and Snowfur.

Despite my best efforts, I grew very attached to these two “Missing Kits” retcons! If anyone wants to hear me yap about my headcanons for these two, feel free to reply in the comments with any questions!