Version	Policy	End Of Life Date/Notes
5.0	Cats for Blender 5.0 is fully supported. All Blender 5.0 releases will be released under version number 5.0.x.x. Please ensure your Blender 5.0 is up to date.	Currently set for 3 months after the first stable Avatar Toolkit comes out

✅ Recommended: Use the latest Blender 5.0 release for best stability and compatibility.

📝 Note: Cats is currently on life support until Avatar Toolkit is more stable. We will continue pushing updates to Cats but will transition once Avatar Toolkit reaches a stable release.

Version Numbering

Cats uses a clear version numbering system:

5.0.x.x - All versions for Blender 5.0
First two numbers match Blender version
Third number indicates feature updates
Fourth number indicates bug fixes

Example: 5.0.1.2 means:

Blender 5.0
First feature update
Second bug fix

End of Life Versions

⚠️ Do not report issues for these versions as they are no longer supported.

Version	Policy	Last Version
4.5 LTS	Cats for Blender 4.5 LTS is now End of Life, no support will be given.	4.5.x.x
4.4	Cats for Blender 4.4 is now End of Life, no support will be given.	4.4.x.x
4.3	Cats for Blender 4.3 is now End of Life, no support will be given.	4.3.x.x
4.2 LTS	Cats for Blender 4.2 is now End of Life, no support will be given.	4.2.x.x
4.1	Cats for Blender 4.1 is now End of Life, no support will be given.	4.1.2.4
4.0	No longer supported	4.0.5.2
3.6 LTS	Cats for Blender 3.6 is now End of Life, no support will be given.	3.6.8.3
3.3, 3.4, 3.5	No longer supported	0.40.0
3.2 and below	No longer supported	0.30.0
2.79	No longer supported. Even official Cats hasn't worked properly on this version for a long time. Use older version of official Cats for 2.79.	N/A

Support Policies

Blender 5.0 Support

Current Status:

✅ Fully supported
✅ Active development
✅ Bug fixes and features
✅ Community support available

When Support Will End:

When Blender 5.1 (or next major version) is released, OR
3 months after Avatar Toolkit stable release
Whichever comes first
Will announce well in advance
Legacy versions will remain available

Version Update Policy:

When a new Blender version is released (e.g., 5.1), we will update Cats to support that version
The previous version (e.g., 5.0) will become end-of-life and unsupported
This continues until Avatar Toolkit becomes stable
We only support the latest Blender version at any given time

Legacy Version Support

Policy for Older Versions:

No new features
No bug fixes
No support in Discord/forums
Issues will be closed
"Use latest version" response

Why This Policy:

Maintains single codebase
Focuses development resources
Ensures best user experience
Prevents fragmentation

Upgrading Blender

Why Upgrade to Blender 5.0?

Benefits:

Latest Cats features
Best performance
Active support and updates
Latest Blender improvements
Better stability
Access to newest tools

How to Upgrade

Download Blender 5.0:
- Visit blender.org
- Download latest Blender 5.0 release
- Install (can coexist with older versions)
Install Cats for Blender 5.0:
- Download from catsblenderplugin.xyz
- Follow Installation guide
- Remove old Cats version first
Migrate Your Projects:
- Open .blend files in Blender 5.0
- Blender handles most compatibility automatically
- Test before finalizing
- Keep backups of original files

📝 Note: Blender 5.0 can open files from older versions, but files saved in 5.0 may not open correctly in older Blender versions. Also if you migrating from 3.x you may need to upgrade your projects in 4.x first then migrate to 5.x.

Version Compatibility

Blend File Compatibility

Opening Old Files in Blender 5.0:

✅ Blender 4.x files: Usually work fine
✅ Blender 3.x files: Generally compatible but may need to open and save in 4.x first.
⚠️ Blender 2.x files: May need adjustments
✅ Most data transfers correctly

Opening Blender 5.0 Files in Older Versions:

❌ Not recommended
❌ May lose data
❌ May cause crashes
❌ Features won't work

Best Practice:

Keep backup of original files
Test compatibility before committing
Save incremental versions
Use version control if possible

Finding the Right Version

Version Selector

Use our website's version selector:

Visit catsblenderplugin.xyz
Select your Blender version
Download matching Cats version
Avoid version mismatches

GitHub Releases

All versions available on GitHub:

GitHub Releases
Find specific versions
Read release notes
Download older versions if needed (unsupported)

Support Lifecycle

How Support Works

Active Support (Blender 5.0):

Bug fixes within days/weeks
New features regularly
Discord support available
GitHub issues addressed

Limited Support (None Currently):

Critical bugs only
No new features
Limited community help

End of Life (All older versions):

No support
No updates
Issues closed
Community-only help (unofficial)

Transition Process

When moving support to new version:

Announcement: Several weeks notice
Transition Period: Both versions supported
End of Life: Old version becomes EOL
Legacy: Old version remains downloadable

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Cats 5.0 on Blender 4.x?

No. Cats 5.0 only works on Blender 5.0 and above. Use the appropriate Cats version for your Blender version (though they're no longer supported).

Will old Cats versions still work?

Yes, old releases remain available on GitHub, but:

No support provided
May have bugs
Missing features
Use at your own risk

When will Blender 5.1 be supported?

When Blender 5.1 is released:

We will update Cats to support Blender 5.1
Blender 5.0 support will end (become EOL)
This pattern continues with each new Blender version until Avatar Toolkit is stable
We only maintain support for the latest Blender version
Will announce updates via Discord
There will be a Cats 5.1 beta build soon.

What happens when Avatar Toolkit is stable?

Cats may transition to maintenance mode
Focus shifts to Avatar Toolkit
Cats remains available
Will announce plans clearly

Why not support multiple Blender versions?

Maintaining multiple versions:

Multiplies development work
Fragments community
Creates confusion
Reduces quality
Better to focus on one version well
users stay on outdated cats and blender versions for way too long

Checking Your Version

Finding Cats Version

Open Blender
Go to Edit > Preferences > Extensions
Find "Cats Blender Plugin"
Version number shown in extension info

Finding Blender Version

Open Blender
Go to Help > About Blender
Version shown at top
Or check Help > Splash Screen

Updating Cats

Check Settings panel for update notifications
Visit GitHub releases for latest version
Follow Installation guide to update
Always restart Blender after updating

Getting Help

For Supported Versions (Blender 5.0)

✅ Discord support channel
✅ GitHub issues
✅ Community forums
✅ This wiki

For Unsupported Versions

❌ No official support
⚠️ Community may help (no guarantees)
❌ GitHub issues will be closed
💡 Recommendation: Upgrade to Blender 5.0

Related Pages:

Installation - Install Cats 5.0
Settings - Update management
FAQ - Common questions
Troubleshooting - Solving issues

Please do not report any issues for Blender version below 5.0