SOURCE: Star Man's Son (Ace Books 1952) aka Daybreak 2250 AD by Andre Norton

DESCRIPTION: "A low questioning sound came out of the dark and absently he answered with an assenting thought. A shadow detached itself from a jumble of rocks and crept on velvet feet, soft belly fur dragging on the moss, to him. Then a furred shoulder almost as wide as his own nudged against him and he dropped a hand to scratch behind pricked ears. Lura was impatient. All the wild scents of the woods were rich in her widened nostrils and she wanted to be on the trail. His hand on her head was a restraint she half resented." (Star Man's Son by Andre Norton)

NOTES: In the post holocaust world of 2250 AD cats have mutated into larger creatures with reflective eyes. Mutated humans such as Fors of the Star Men can communicate with them psychically. Lura acts as guard, hunter and companion to Fors as he travels the mutated wilds exploring dead cities and fighting the Beast men.

HISTORY: This novel is often considered to be Norton's first. It is interesting to compare it to "The Gift of Asti" in which she tries out some of the themes previously. Lur, a lizard companion becomes Lura, the lion-like cat. The heroine becomes male and the post-apoc world gets much better fleshed out. "The Gift of Asti" features a Wellsian Morlock type creature while Star Man's Son features  Moreauian beast men.