<p>It should be <a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%8C%AB%E5%A8%98_(%E3%82%B2%E3%82%B2%E3%82%B2%E3%81%AE%E9%AC%BC%E5%A4%AA%E9%83%8E)" rel="noreferrer">Neko Musume</a> (literally &quot;cat young woman&quot;) from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeGeGe_no_Kitar%C5%8D" rel="noreferrer">Gegege no Kitaro</a>. (I don't know if it is aired abroad.)</p>
<p>She is</p>
<blockquote>
<p>普段は人間と変わりないが、ネズミ（ねずみ男を含む）や魚を見たり怒ったりして興奮すると、眼が金色に染まり[注釈 1]、耳まで裂けた口に鋭い牙をむきだした化け猫の形相になる</p>
<p>(roughly translated) normally just a human, but when excited e.g. by finding a mouse or fish or by getting angry, her face becomes a monster-cat, eyes getting golden and the mouth getting large with the sharp teeth.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The first series was in 1968 and the latest ended in 2020.　You can see how her design changed e.g. <a href="https://inouegaku.com/neko" rel="noreferrer">here</a>.</p>
<p>The following article is relevant as well (it mentions about original cat girl in manga):</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catgirl" rel="noreferrer">Wikipedia/Catgirl</a></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-10-25T12:18:15.267Z
2022-10-25T12:18:15.267Z
sundowner
<p>If you go with a more general understanding of cat girl then Neko Musume from Gegege no Kitarou (1968) is probably the first in anime history.</p>
<p>This is her character design over time:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/VQkccm.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/VQkccm.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>As you can see, she doesn't have cat ears. Not back then and not now and I feel your question implies the first cat girl with actual cat ears.</p>
<hr />
<p>As far as I remember the first one to make a big impact was Liru from <strong>Renkin San-kyuu Magical? Pokaan (2006)</strong> - a wolf girl. You might have seen her before:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/LktOKm.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/LktOKm.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>Though, that was by no means the first instance of the Kemonomimi trope.</p>
<p>1997, Hyper Police</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/SAXRLm.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/SAXRLm.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>1995, Fushigi no Kuni no Miyuki-chan</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/50wVom.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/50wVom.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>1993, Kouryuu Densetsu Villgust</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/kPrInm.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/kPrInm.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>1984, Wata no Kuni Hoshi</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/HT9dCm.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/HT9dCm.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-10-26T14:44:08.840Z
2022-10-26T14:55:55.520Z
2022-10-26T14:55:55.520Z
Ocean
<p>Cats girls are quite common today in anime. For exampls:</p>
<ul>
<li>Chocola and Vanilla from <em>Nekopara</em>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/0CYC8.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/0CYC8.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></li>
<li>Cyan from Show by Rock!!
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ZHXJp.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ZHXJp.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></li>
<li>Nozomi Kiriya from Mayoi Neko Overrun!
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/j1ZAC.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/j1ZAC.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></li>
</ul>
<p>But, who's the first cat girl in the anime history?</p>

<anime-history>
Who's the first cat girl in the anime history?
# Who's the first cat girl in the anime history?
Posted by: username_0 on 2022-10-25
Cats girls are quite common today in anime. For exampls:

* Chocola and Vanilla from *Nekopara*
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/0CYC8.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/0CYC8.png)
* Cyan from Show by Rock!!
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/ZHXJp.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/ZHXJp.png)
* Nozomi Kiriya from Mayoi Neko Overrun!
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/j1ZAC.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/j1ZAC.png)

But, who's the first cat girl in the anime history?
**Tags:** anime-history
---
## 2 answers
### Answer by username_1 on 2022-10-25. Score: 5
It should be [Neko Musume](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%8C%AB%E5%A8%98_(%E3%82%B2%E3%82%B2%E3%82%B2%E3%81%AE%E9%AC%BC%E5%A4%AA%E9%83%8E)) (literally "cat young woman") from [Gegege no Kitaro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeGeGe_no_Kitar%C5%8D). (I don't know if it is aired abroad.)

She is

> 普段は人間と変わりないが、ネズミ（ねずみ男を含む）や魚を見たり怒ったりして興奮すると、眼が金色に染まり[注釈 1]、耳まで裂けた口に鋭い牙をむきだした化け猫の形相になる
>
> (roughly translated) normally just a human, but when excited e.g. by finding a mouse or fish or by getting angry, her face becomes a monster-cat, eyes getting golden and the mouth getting large with the sharp teeth.

The first series was in 1968 and the latest ended in 2020.　You can see how her design changed e.g. [here](https://inouegaku.com/neko).

The following article is relevant as well (it mentions about original cat girl in manga):

* [Wikipedia/Catgirl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catgirl)
---
### Answer by username_2 on 2022-10-26. Score: 4
If you go with a more general understanding of cat girl then Neko Musume from Gegege no Kitarou (1968) is probably the first in anime history.

This is her character design over time:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/VQkccm.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/VQkccm.jpg)

As you can see, she doesn't have cat ears. Not back then and not now and I feel your question implies the first cat girl with actual cat ears.

---

As far as I remember the first one to make a big impact was Liru from **Renkin San-kyuu Magical? Pokaan (2006)** - a wolf girl. You might have seen her before:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/LktOKm.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/LktOKm.jpg)

Though, that was by no means the first instance of the Kemonomimi trope.

1997, Hyper Police

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/SAXRLm.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/SAXRLm.jpg)

1995, Fushigi no Kuni no Miyuki-chan

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/50wVom.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/50wVom.png)

1993, Kouryuu Densetsu Villgust

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/kPrInm.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/kPrInm.jpg)

1984, Wata no Kuni Hoshi

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/HT9dCm.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/HT9dCm.jpg)
---
