also: ねこめし
rice mixed with miso soup or bonito flakes; cat food (literal)
Refers to a simple home-style dish of rice topped with miso soup or dried bonito flakes, often associated with feeding cats or a humble meal. The literal meaning is 'cat food', but it is also used for human food in a casual, sometimes self-deprecating way.
When I was a child, I often ate rice with miso soup (cat rice).
I give the cat some cat food (rice with toppings).
Common mixed kanji-kana spelling; the word is usually written in kana, and this form reflects that preference while keeping the kanji for 'cat'.
Kanji spelling with the reading ねこめし; less common and may be unfamiliar to many readers.
Full kana spelling, matching usual-kana usage.
Compound of 猫 (neko, 'cat') and まんま (manma, a childish word for 'food' or 'meal'). The reading ねこめし for the kanji spelling 猫飯 uses the more formal 飯 (meshi) for 'rice/meal'.