JAPANESE FOLKLORE: MONSTER CATS!! 化け猫 (BAKENEKO)

やぁ、諸君！

Welcome to J-Burogu, the random Japanese stuff blog.
I thought I'd start talking about various Japanese Folklore from time to time, when I feel like doing so and have nothing else to do ;p.

So anyway, this post is going to be about Bakeneko (化け猫), which according to wikipedia is 'Monster Cat'. However, 化ける (Bakeru) actually means to shape-shift, so it might be more accurate as 'Shape -shifting Cats'. There are many stories about Bakeneko in Japanese folklore, and they can be both good and bad. The bad ones either end up killing their owners and others, or shape-shifting as your friends/family for......well I don't know their reason for that but they do. Maybe they just like mischief and find it fun messing with arrogant humans?

According to legend, cat's can turn into 'Monster Cats' in a number of ways.
1.They live for a hundred years (somehow)
2. Reach a weight of 3.75kg
3. Or is allowed to keep a long tail (Japanese people made a breed of cat's with bobtails (Link)

You can't underestimate this furry pets either, as they're pretty damn dangerous. They've got the ability to curse people, control dead bodies, possess living people They can also grow to be giants. However, they also have good abilities like talking to humans and walking around on their hind legs, which allows them to dance around and in some cases, do sumo wrestling lol. Oh, they can also fly.

Anyway, if you're interested in these furry creatures, I'll let you do more research on your own.
I'll leave you with some old Japanese 'Ukiyoe' (Block prints) of them though. I've only posted pictures of  funny/cutish looking ones, but other ones of evil cats exist too if you look for it.

Picking up the girlfriend?

Doing what cats do.

Meal time and drinking sake

Playing the 'Shamisen'

.......Celebrity cats? Maybe

Cats playing with balls

There's cats all over the place here. The huge one in the back, on in the lantern, 

 those two small ones dancing, and the person in the middle with white hair and ears.

I've found that they actually do exist in real life, and are in fact around us even today. I'll give you some evidence that I've found!!

These surely HAVE to be Bakeneko......

Lastly Bakeneko in Anime.........

From Bakemonogatari. I forgot her name though...