An anime-style cat girl in a light blue kimono sits on a tree branch under vibrant pink cherry blossoms, with a traditional Japanese gate in the background.

The Neko Musume Yōkai, sometimes spelled as Nekomusume Yōkai, better known as Cat Girls, or translated to Cat Daughter, with some referring to them as The Daughter of the Cats, some calling them the Nekomimi Yōkai or even the Neko Girls, are believed to be a form of Yōkai based off of the idea of girl or women with cat-like features and traits. They are considered to be mono-gendered to be all girls. The Cat Girls were believed to have come from stories told by drunks back in the Edo period after seeing human girls with short lifespans acting similar to cats. Others believe that the Neko Musume Yōkai are connected to other cat Yōkai, such as the Nekomata or the Bakeneko, possibly due to them being able to shapeshift to some extent. Though Neko Musume Yōkai are often viewed fondly by many and are believed to be respected by a number of people. See more