Nekomata (original form: 猫また, later forms: 猫又, 猫股, 猫胯) are a kind of cat yōkai described in Japanese folklore, classical kaidan, essays, etc. There are two very different types: those that live in the mountains and … See more

Nekomata appear in stories even earlier than in Japan. In the Sui dynasty, the words 猫鬼 and 金花猫 described mysterious cats. In Japanese literature, the nekomata first appeared in the Meigetsuki by Fujiwara no Teika in the early See more

In Chinese lore there is a cat monster called the xiānlí (仙狸)" (Japanese pronunciation senri, where "Chinese: 狸" means "leopard cat"). In this telling, leopard cats that grow old gain a divine spiritual power (xian arts), shapeshift into a beautiful man or … See more

• Nekomata – The Split-Tailed Cat at hyakumonogatari.com (English) See more

At the same time, in the setsuwa collection Kokon Chomonjū, in the story "Kankyō Hōin (観教法印)", an old cat raised in a villa on a … See more

In the Edo period many books illustrating and describing yōkai were published (yōkai emaki), with nekomata frequently depicted. The Hyakkai Zukan published in 1737 (Gembun 2) … See more

• Kasha
• Kuroneko — a 1968 horror film featuring vengeful cat spirits
• Maneki-neko
• Kaibyō See more