Neko-Musume is a half-yōkai character introduced in the 1967 manga story "Nezumi-Otoko and Neko-Musume" as a cat hanyō and member of the Kitarō Family. She stands 136cm tall, weighs 29kg, and resides in GeGeGe Forest, being roughly one year older than Kitarō. Her classification as half-yōkai surfaces occasionally across adaptations. She communicates in Japanese and cat language, preferring fish, bonito flakes, and rats as food. Her appearance evolves significantly over different media. Early designs feature a bowl-cut hairstyle, later shifting toward more human and feminine traits. Standard attire includes a long-sleeve white blouse, pink dress with suspenders, pink shoes, and a signature pink bow casting cat-ear shadows. Variations include a red polka-dot dress in the second anime, gothic-lolita styling in "GeGeGe no Kitarō: Yōkai Sen Monogatari," and increased height with red stiletto heels in the sixth anime. Later 2018 episodes add pointed ears that droop during distress and sheer pantyhose. Neko-Musume maintains a human form but transforms when angered, excited by fish, or encountering rats. Her eyes shift to gold with feline pupils, exposing fangs and razor-sharp claws while enhancing reflexes. The sixth anime grants her a controlled battle form: a grotesque feline face with an enlarged, fanged mouth, heightened aggression, and movement on all fours using howls for communication. This form operates on instinct but distinguishes allies from foes. Manga guidebooks establish her attendance at yōkai primary school with Kitarō. In "Zoku GeGeGe no Kitarō," she enrolls at Bizarre Women's University's Strange Studies department, working part-time to support Kitarō and Medama-Oyaji—a recurring trait. Narrative inconsistencies suggest potential multiple versions. A precursor named Neko appears in "Hakaba Kitarō" rental stories, sharing bake-neko abilities but dying and residing in Jigoku after suicide. She harbors persistent romantic interest in Kitarō, typically unreciprocated and framed as friendship. Her cat-rat dynamic fuels adversarial interactions with Nezumi-Otoko, often punishing his misdeeds physically. Despite this, they cooperate in battles. "Kitarō: Kunitori Monogatari" depicts her prejudice against Nezumi-Otoko’s half-human heritage, including derogatory comments. Her first encounter with Kitarō occurs when he pursues Nezumi-Otoko for stealing fish, per novel adaptations. She later becomes a core Kitarō Family member, fighting yōkai threats. The 2018 series amplifies her combat role, portraying her as a ferocious warrior rivaling Kitarō’s effectiveness.