Cat of Fortresses. Elven Civ.
oh those elves, always gettings things backwards
No, they're not getting things backward. After a long war with the dwarves, the elves of a now unknown civilization crumbled. The remaining elves who ran way to create a new society sought out a revenge against all of dwarf kind. Then they sought to use the relationship they had with the animals of the forest.
The elves had been aware of the dwarves tendency to store food by large amount in locations underground, so they knew that many animals sought to be in those stores and have a feast on their own. So they created a new animal. But the animal they created was there to hunt those smaller animals that the dwarves had taken up to call 'vermin', rather than to protect them. And they created the animal to be able to connect with the dwarves like the elves could connect with most animals. Evil was the connection, but it was vital for the animal's protection and survival.
The still unnamed clan ventured forth to the most vile place they could, underground to the leader of the dwarves who had slaughtered their own civilization. They brought him ten of the animals they had created, five males and five females. And the king liked the gift as he saw one of the males chase and kill a vermin.
"So good are your gifts, that I'll put forth that our civilizations shall be at peace." The King spoke to the elves. "But we'll make no payment for previous wars nor shall we beg forgiveness." Then he sent his agents with pair of the cats to his four most promising mountainhomes.
The elves left, smiling for introducing such a creature to the dwarves. Knowing how dwarves had no respect for animals or nature, they knew that they would eventually come to dislike the animal, but still unable to kill all of them, or try to because of their usefulness. And the animal as impossibly fertile and sibling breeding would not make them deformed like any other animals. The elves had been good with their crafting with magic and form.
The elves then called themselves after their revenge. "Cat of Fortresses!" They cried out in triumph.