The cat owl lives primarily in the forests of both the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation,[1] though the creature can be held as a pet.[2] Its natural prey are mice and other small rodents. It has a distinctive meow-hoot that is considered to be one of the most bizarre sounds made by an animal.[3]
In search for information about Appa's whereabouts, Team Avatar and Joo Dee entered a pet shop in Ba Sing Se. A cat owl was among the animals sold, and the creature scared Momo away from its eating bowl when the lemur started feeding.[2]
Later, when Hama brought Katara into a forest outside a Fire Nation village, a wild cat owl was perched on a branch high in the trees.[1]
The cat owl is a falconoid and has the head and tail of a cat, along with the wings and body of an owl. Its head, torso, and paws are covered in fur, which is slate gray on its dorsal sections and creamy white on its ventral sections. The feathers of its wings and tail are gray as well. Its eyes are commonly green.[2]
The cat owl's body's coloration as well as facial appearance resembles that of a great horned owl, an animal that is sometimes nicknamed the "cat owl" due to its furred, feline tail.