Im not sure how you want your story/world to be, but skyrim seems to do a great job at creating a species based on cats.

http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Khajiit_(Skyrim)

the khajiit are in the game traveling salesmen. They are also used as assasins:

> In addition to standard elven strike teams, the Thalmor also employ Khajiit assassins when stealth is required.[4]

if you enter the game you get a boost on your sneak skill. You could use this information to give your cat species a roguish lifestyle or personality etc.
In the game they are a minority, facing racial slurs by inhabitants of cities in skyrim.