Your cat has been acting a little strange lately.

It watches you from across the room. It wanders around the house at night. It seems to understand far more than a cat reasonably should.

Probably normal cat behavior.

But according to old Japanese folklore, there was another possibility:

Your cat might be turning into a monster.

Meet the bakeneko (化け猫), Japan’s supernatural shape-shifting cat.

Bakeneko can speak like humans, disguise themselves as people, dance around with towels on their heads and, in some of the darker stories, even take the place of their owners.

Because apparently cats weren't mysterious enough already.

First, What Does Bakeneko Mean?

The name tells us exactly what we're dealing with.

化ける (bakeru) means to transform, change form or disguise oneself.

猫 (neko) means cat.

So 化け猫 (bakeneko) essentially means a “changed cat,” “transforming cat” or “monster cat.”

In Japanese folklore, a bakeneko begins as an ordinary domestic cat but eventually develops supernatural abilities.

Exactly how that happens depends on the story.

Some cats become bakeneko after living for many years. Other traditions connect the transformation with growing unusually large or having an especially long tail.

There isn't one universal bakeneko rulebook.

But generally, the message was:

If your cat gets very old and starts behaving suspiciously...

keep an eye on it.

What Can a Bakeneko Do?

This is where the ordinary house cat becomes considerably less ordinary.

Bakeneko were said to possess a wide variety of supernatural abilities. Depending on the tale, they might understand human speech, speak themselves, manipulate people, create strange supernatural phenomena or even curse members of a household.

But their most famous talent is right there in the name:

Transformation.

A bakeneko might take human form and walk around disguised as an ordinary person.

Some stories go much darker. A supernatural cat might kill a person and then assume their appearance, allowing it to live among humans without anyone realizing what happened.

Imagine noticing your family member behaving slightly differently.

You ask:

“Are you okay?”

They stare at you.

Meow.

Not ideal.

Why Were Cats Considered So Mysterious?

To understand the bakeneko, imagine living in Japan centuries ago without electric lights.

It's nighttime.

Your house is illuminated by an oil lamp.

And there's your cat.

Walking silently through the darkness.

Its eyes reflect the light. It appears and disappears without making a sound. It jumps to places you didn't expect. It stares at empty corners of the room.

Then it starts licking oil from the lamp.

That last behavior was particularly important.

Traditional lamps could use oils that contained fish-based ingredients. Naturally, a cat might be attracted to them. To reach a lamp, the cat could stand upright on its hind legs and lick the oil.

To us, that's explainable cat behavior.

To someone watching a strangely illuminated cat standing upright in a dark room hundreds of years ago?

Monster cat.

Fair conclusion, honestly. 😂

Wait... Bakeneko Can Dance?

Yes, Japanese folklore occasionally gives its monsters surprisingly good nightlife.

Bakeneko were sometimes depicted standing on their hind legs, wearing towels or cloths on their heads and dancing.

This became one of the more humorous images associated with supernatural cats.

And again, there may be a little real cat behavior hiding underneath the supernatural story.

Cats can stand temporarily on their hind legs. They make strange movements. They play with objects. They do inexplicable things at inconvenient hours.

Anyone who has lived with a cat knows that 3:00 AM cat behavior already requires very little folklore enhancement.

Give the cat supernatural powers and suddenly you have a bakeneko.

Could a Bakeneko Disguise Itself as a Human?

This is one of its defining abilities.

Like several supernatural creatures in Japanese folklore, the bakeneko could be imagined as a shape-shifter.

It might transform into a human, sometimes taking the appearance of a woman.

Stories involving shape-shifting cats could range from mischievous to genuinely frightening. A human-looking stranger might not be human at all, and someone familiar might secretly have been replaced by a supernatural cat.

This kind of transformation appears repeatedly in Japanese folklore.

Foxes transform.

Tanuki transform.

Cats transform.

Apparently, if you lived in an old Japanese folktale, you needed to be extremely careful about trusting mammals.

Is a Bakeneko a Yōkai?

Yes. The bakeneko is generally considered a type of yōkai (妖怪).

Yōkai are supernatural beings, monsters, spirits and strange phenomena found throughout Japanese folklore.

But “yōkai” covers an enormous range of creatures.

Some are terrifying.

Some are mischievous.

Some are bizarre.

Some are basically an everyday object that has somehow become alive.

And some are cats who have decided that simply knocking your cup off the table isn't causing enough trouble.

The bakeneko fits perfectly into this strange world because it takes something familiar—a household pet—and asks:

What if it wasn't quite what you thought it was?

Bakeneko vs. Nekomata: What’s the Difference?

This is where Japanese supernatural cats can become confusing.

You may also have heard of the nekomata (猫又), another famous monster cat from Japanese folklore.

Bakeneko and nekomata share many characteristics, and historical stories and depictions don't always give us a perfectly clean boundary between them.

But today, there's one visual clue strongly associated with the nekomata:

a split tail.

Nekomata are commonly depicted with two tails, while a bakeneko doesn't necessarily have this feature.

Both may be old cats that develop supernatural powers. Both can be dangerous. Both may transform or behave like humans.

So a simple way to remember them is:

Bakeneko → supernatural transforming cat

Nekomata → supernatural cat especially famous for its split tail

The folklore is more complicated than that, but it's a useful starting point.

Did Bakeneko Stories Affect How People Treated Cats?

One fascinating idea sometimes connected with supernatural-cat folklore concerns the cat's tail.

Some traditions suggested that cats with long tails could eventually become dangerous supernatural creatures. This has sometimes been discussed in relation to a historical preference for short-tailed cats in Japan.

Japan is still known for cats with naturally short or bobbed tails, including the type that became internationally familiar through the Japanese Bobtail.

But folklore, breeding preferences and the history of Japan's cat population are complicated, so it's better not to reduce everything to:

“People shortened cats' tails because they were scared of bakeneko.”

What we can say is that the cat's tail became an important feature in Japanese supernatural-cat stories—especially when we get to the two-tailed nekomata.

Are Bakeneko Evil?

Not necessarily in every story.

That's one of the difficulties—and pleasures—of yōkai folklore.

There isn't a single official biography for the bakeneko.

Some stories portray supernatural cats as dangerous or vengeful. Others emphasize strange behavior, transformation or trickery. Later art and popular culture could also portray monster cats in more humorous or entertaining ways.

So “evil cat demon” is a little too simple.

Think of the bakeneko more broadly as an ordinary cat that has crossed the boundary into the supernatural.

What it does after that?

Depends on the cat.

Which, somehow, feels very appropriate.

Why Are Cats So Perfect for Japanese Folklore?

Cats are almost designed to become folklore creatures.

They're domestic...

but never completely controllable.

Affectionate...

when they feel like it.

Quiet enough to suddenly appear behind you.

Active at night.

Able to see in low light.

Equipped with reflective eyes.

And famous for staring intensely at absolutely nothing.

Humans have lived beside cats for centuries while never quite losing the feeling that cats have their own secret world.

Japanese folklore simply asked the obvious question:

What if they actually do?

Is the Bakeneko Still Popular in Japan Today?

The terrifying monster cat of older folklore hasn't disappeared. It has simply found new places to live.

Bakeneko and other supernatural cats continue to appear in Japanese manga, anime, games, films, illustrations and modern yōkai culture.

Sometimes they're frightening.

Sometimes they're adorable.

Sometimes they're both.

And that transformation feels particularly fitting for the bakeneko itself.

A creature once feared as a mysterious supernatural threat can now become a cute character, a game monster or an anime companion.

The shape-shifting cat...

keeps shape-shifting.

Why Is the Bakeneko So Interesting?

Because underneath all the supernatural abilities is something extremely familiar:

people trying to explain cats.

Why does the cat walk around at night?

Why are its eyes glowing?

Why is it standing on two legs?

Why is it licking the lamp?

Why does it seem to understand what we're saying?

Today, we have biological explanations for these behaviors.

Centuries ago, stories offered another explanation.

Maybe your cat has simply lived long enough to acquire supernatural powers.

And if you're a cat owner reading this while your cat silently watches you from across the room...

don't worry.

It's probably fine.

Probably. 🐈⬛👀

Frequently Asked Questions

What does bakeneko mean?

Bakeneko (化け猫) can be translated as “transforming cat” or “monster cat.” Bakeru relates to transformation or changing form, while neko means cat.

Is a bakeneko a yōkai?

Yes. Bakeneko are supernatural cats found in Japanese yōkai folklore and are associated with abilities such as transformation, human speech and other strange phenomena.

How does a cat become a bakeneko?

There is no single rule across all folklore. Different traditions associate the transformation with cats becoming very old, unusually large or developing other unusual characteristics.

Can bakeneko turn into humans?

In many stories, yes. Shape-shifting is one of the bakeneko's best-known supernatural abilities, and some tales describe them disguising themselves as humans.

What is the difference between a bakeneko and a nekomata?

The two overlap considerably in Japanese folklore. Today, nekomata are particularly recognizable by their split or double tail, while bakeneko is a broader term for supernatural transforming cats.

Are bakeneko evil?

Not always. Some traditional stories portray them as dangerous or vengeful, while others emphasize their strange, mischievous or shape-shifting behavior. Their portrayal varies considerably between stories.

🇯🇵 Keep Discovering Japan

If you enjoyed meeting Japan's shape-shifting monster cat, explore What Are Yōkai (妖怪)? Japan's Strange World of Supernatural Creatures to discover even more bizarre beings hiding in Japanese folklore.

👋 Meet a JapPop Resident

Nekojita — 猫舌 🐱🍜

A blog about supernatural cats?

Nekojita would like to clarify:

He is completely normal.

No shape-shifting. No curses. No replacing humans.

His greatest supernatural challenge is simply...

waiting for his ramen to cool down. 😂

Nekojita is inspired by 猫舌 (nekojita), a Japanese expression for someone who can't handle very hot food or drinks. Literally, it means “cat tongue.”

So while the bakeneko is busy developing mysterious powers, Nekojita is sitting nearby blowing on his noodles.

Fuu... fuu... still too hot. 🐱🍜

👉 Meet Nekojita and discover more residents from the JapPop Universe.

 

About JapPop 

At JapPop, we celebrate Japanese culture through playful illustrations, original characters and stories inspired by everyday life in Japan.

From beloved foods and traditional festivals to folklore, historical figures, seasonal customs, language and everyday life, every article introduces another piece of Japan—and another story worth discovering.

So tonight, if your cat starts wandering around the house at 3 AM, staring into empty rooms and behaving suspiciously...

it's probably just being a cat.

But if it starts speaking Japanese?

We have a problem. 🐈⬛👻

Discover Japan, one story at a time. 🇯🇵✨