The hearky (Felis auris bona or Felis auris) is the smallest recorded feline. As they are small cats, Hearkies are members of the genus Felis. They are very similar to the domestic cat in the way the sniffy resembles the domestic dog. Though there is much more species diversity than in the sniffy, hearkies all tend to have soft, thick fur, notably so on the pads of their paws. This allows them to tread softly without very much effort.
Where the sniffy excels olfactorily, the hearky has a very keen sense of hearing. Like the domestic feline, they have many muscles dedicated to rotating their ears to perceive sound as effectively and efficiently as possible. Their ears are also larger in proportion to their body than the average domestic feline's. All this means that they have very sensitive ears, and dislike loud or sudden noises. The most obvious example isy a sniffy's voice; hearkies are easily irritated by its high pitch.
Hearkies have an immensely vast hearing range. It has been extensively tested by hearky scientists, and, though it differs from hearky to hearky, the average range is from 38 Hz to 92 kHz (98000 Hz). This is a range of 97962 Hz, or 97.962 kHz.
The hearky has a naturally soft voice, and Hearken, the hearkies' language, is a very nuanced language. Subtle pronunication errors can lead to serious misinterpretation. It is common, when speaking in Hearken, that you will be asked to repeat what you said many times before you are understood. As a result, singing in Hearken is a very difficult feat. Hearky singers are revered by all.
While sniffies' attitude to Talltowers is one of curiosity and even awe, hearkies treat Talltowers with a mixture of contempt and indifference.