From Holocron - Star Wars Combine
|Average Height||1.7 meters |
|Skin color||Gold to yellow-brown with dark stripes |
|Distinctions||Lion-like aliens |
|Average lifespan||Up to 79 standard years old |
|Known Members||List of known Cathar|
Biology and Appearance
The Cathar are a race of feline-like, biped humanoids from Cathar, a planet of savannas and rough uplands. The Cathar have fur-covered bodies with thick manes. They have prominent, retractable claws that can deliver powerful killing attacks on foes and prey. Their bodies also possess rapid healing abilities. On average, Cathar are 1.5 to 1.9 meters tall. These traits make them the perfect hand-to-hand specialists.
Society and Culture
They are known for their loyalty, passion, and temper. Quick and powerful, they are considered great warriors and dedicated, efficient predators. Their females are prized as slaves, whereas the males are generally considered too uncontrollable for slavery.
On their homeworld, Cathar live in cities built into giant trees, and are organized into clans governed by "Elders." Stories of their great heroes are often carved into the trunks of these tree-homes for following generations to see. The Cathar mate for life, to the extent that when one mate dies, the survivor never has a relationship with another. Cathar clan society includes great pageants and celebrations, especially for their heroes. Their religion includes a ritual known as the "Blood Hunt," in which Cathar warriors individually engage in combat against entire nests of Kiltik in order to gain honor and purge themselves of inner darkness. The native language of the Cathar is Catharese, which includes the emphasis of some spoken words with a growl.
The planet of Cathar was devastated by the Mandalorians during the Battle of Cathar, leading to the enslavement and near-extinction of the Cathar species. Over 90 percent of the species were killed by the Mandalorians in the battle. The few survivors were forced to flee offworld to survive. After the end of the Mandalorian Wars Cathar began to resettle their world and by the time of the Galactic Civil War, it had fully recovered from the damage the Mandalorians had done. 
Force-sensitive Cathar often became Jedi, even though the Jedi way tended to be in opposition to their natural tendencies. 
References:  - http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Cathar