Honestly, I think the flame-like aspect of #38 I like a bit more than the cat-like aspect of #41.
Hmm, what if we really went flame-like with the iris? Made it kind of curvey or swirly like a candle flame?
Also, what if we made it a tiny bit more feral by making the eye shape itself slightly more pointed on the right side? Maybe drag the outline out on the right like a cat's eye makeup pattern? I'm not sure if that would look too feminine though. I do like the masculine feel to the eye.
http://www.google.com/images?q=cat's+eye+makeup