monster cat; magical cat
A cat yōkai from Japanese folklore, often depicted as a cat that has gained supernatural powers, such as shape-shifting or walking on hind legs.
In old tales, there are stories of monster cats transforming into humans to repay kindness.
This temple has a legend about a magical cat.
Compound of 化け (bake, 'transforming', from 化ける bakeru) and 猫 (neko, 'cat'). The term refers to a cat that has acquired supernatural abilities in Japanese folklore.