The reason that runners can't take it as what it's supposed to be is that it's far more useful than that in the first place:

Remote Control Interface?
Rigger Adaptation?

Since when were they common features of a household pet?
The Synthcat is a useful spying tool even before you add a Panther Assault Cannon, Barret 121, or whatever is necessary to turn it into an assassination tool.

The advantage of a robotic cat is that it can be effectively invisible if you use it well. Even better; people allow cats to go places, like into houses, where most drones would be way too conspicuous.

For the above reasons; if you give it a weapons system (I was thinking a drug injector, something small & silent) then it becomes a highly effective assassination tool.

Why not add a grappeling gun and line so it can scale tall building with a single, erm, well, not bound, but y'know, it could scale tall buildings.

The posibilities are endless. Well, almost.

-Strobe

P123, Sprawl Survival Guide, both Rigger Adaptation and a Remote Control Interface are listed under the 'Other Features' section.

The fact that it acts like a normal cat is an advantage, it makes it less possible to do un-cat-like things. It may take a bit of overriding the anti-robocat-turning-blender controls but even from a captain's chair view he can still give commands to the drones. These commands could presumably include forwards, through the cat flap, bite the hand holding you ETC.

Scanners are only likely to be installed in rich neighbourhoods where these cats may be commonplace. A competent decker could probably find the transponder codes they use for the neighbourhood cats so you could sneak past no-problemo.

Also: weapons need not take-up CF. What CF would you rule it took to sharpen the cat's teeth and coat them with some nasty poison?

They copied it wrong??
Hm... maybe it's not so bad that they forgot to mention my name in SSG...

As to the cat, why do you have to complicate things, adding expensive equipment in it?

id simply make it a kitten and put a bomb in it.

meow meow puuurrrrrrrrrrrrrr BOOOOOMM!!!!

or more subtly, make it a nerve gas farting kitty.

Seeing that a freaking cat isn't supposed to be remote-controllable, and that it just isn't intended for a rigger to use, the synthcat will definately lose them in my campaign.

Of course, nothing stops Ares from making two models: the inoffensive-but-expensive-as-hell toy, and the limited-production, not-for-sale lethal-but-discreet drone.

Some people simply don't get it, that this cat was only introduced as flavour stuff. Let me guess, you still wonder why the BBB lists prices and availability for things like CD-players or HiFi-equipment but no clues who to use it in combat, don't you?

we do get it.... we just want to have some fun with them.....
i can imagine hiding a load of c4 in a drum, set to explode when someone hits it from above..... (to assassinate a band or something)

*imagines above situation*

*seconds later* *a tenth of a second later*
or, to sum it up: