noun
stray cat; alley cat
Refers to a cat that lives outdoors without a specific owner, often in urban or rural areas. Can carry a slightly rough or independent image.
公園に野良猫が何匹か住み着いている。
Several stray cats have taken up residence in the park.
野良猫に餌をあげるのは禁止されている。
Feeding stray cats is prohibited.
Katakana spelling sometimes used for emphasis or in casual contexts.
Hiragana spelling; common in children's materials or when avoiding kanji.
Compound of 野良 (のら, 'field' or 'stray') and 猫 (ねこ, 'cat'). The word 野良 originally referred to agricultural fields, and by extension came to describe things that are wild or ownerless.