stray cat; alley cat; brazen food-stealing cat
Refers to a stray or alley cat, often with a nuance of being bold, mischievous, or a food thief. The どら part comes from どら息子 (prodigal son) or どら (lazy, good-for-nothing), giving a negative or rough connotation.
A stray cat from the neighborhood ran off with a fish from the kitchen.
That alley cat is always rummaging through the trash cans.
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling.
Katakana variant of the first part, sometimes used for emphasis or stylistic effect.
Compound of どら (from どら息子, meaning 'prodigal son' or 'good-for-nothing') and 猫 (cat). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term has been used since at least the Edo period to describe stray cats with a thieving or unruly nature.