The Purr-fect History of Catgirls

Hentai and catgirls – you can’t have one without the other.

Like maids, giant robots, and good ol’ fashioned jelly donuts, the catgirl is a staple of classic and contemporary anime. More specifically – they’re a common fetish for anime and manga of the XXX purr-suasion. Hentai has been fixated on catgirls since its inception, and the craze has only gotten stronger in the decades since. Today, you can’t go one month without a new catgirl-centric anime, manga, or eroge hitting Japanese shelves.

C. Art from the game Neko Miko.

But where did this extra kawaii craze come from? Believe it or not, catgirls come from way back before hentai even existed! In the 1700s, traveling shows were a huge part of Japanese culture. These shows – called misemono – were quick n’dirty public performances with low production values and plenty of heart. Misemono weren’t hampered by big budgets of more lavish productions, so they could change and adapt to reflect cultural trends and hot button topics. It was from this hotbed of creativity that the nekomusume sprouted. It's worth noting at this point that catgirls are often referred to as "neko", which is a contraction of "nekomusume".

Nekomusume persisted (purr-sisted, even) into the Edo Period. During this time, it was common to hear folk tales and see performances that featured shape-shifting ladies of the night. In these stories, slinky neko would transform into shady sex workers eager to seduce an unsuspecting partner. Meanwhile, Europeans and colonizers in America were concocting elaborate fantasies about witches that could transform into black cats. Catgirls may be cute n’ cozy now, but back in the day, they were powerful and mysterious creatures with sexual power and agency. It’s easy to see where characters like Yoruichi and Selina Kyle come from!

Through the Edo period and going up through the Meiji restoration, catgirls only sunk their cute little paws deeper into the cultural consciousness. It could be argued that the early 20th century work of Kenji Miyazawa was the biggest boost of nekomimi popularity since their inception. Miyazawa told a plethora of beautiful tall tales using cat-human hybrids, and much of his work has since been turned into different animated films and series. Miyazawa’s life itself was adapted into a beautiful anime film called Spring and Chaos in 1996 – itself (appropriately) told using anthro cat-human hybrids.

Much of the current incarnation and understanding of catgirls we have now, however, are rooted in ‘90s anime. While catgirls were definitely present in otaku culture in the 70s and 80s, that era was pretty firmly dominated by the all-powerful bunny girl. However, once a few juggernaut fantasy and sci-fi series in the 90s featured nekomimi, it was over for the stalwart birthed by “Hef” in the 50s and 60s. Otaku began to hyperfixate on catgirls and maids in this era, and going into the early aughts, both converged in new and exciting ways.

Translation? Maid catgirls. Yeah. Maid. Catgirls. We’ll let that sink in a moment.

C. Neko maid characters from the hentai games Fantasy Tavern Sextet - Vol.2 Adventurer’s Days (left) and Lonely Catgirl is the Purrfect Pussy (right).

In the 2000s, the catgirl also took on a new ubiquitous cultural significance: weeaboos. American anime fans fell in love with the catgirl and any kind of neko anime. Conventions began to ramp up as anime exploded in popularity, and with them came cosplay. And with cosplay came cat ears in the wild, out and about at your local Borders and Suncoast. (Pour one out for Borders and Suncoast.) If you were out on the town and you saw somebody in a pair of cat ears, chances were high that they were your comrade in otakudom. Anime wasn’t as big of a deal in the West as it is now, you see. Back then, a simple catgirl in the wild could make you feel a little less alone in the world – even if you never even exchanged a glance.

Ah… nostalgia.

But how, exactly, did we end up here? In 2022, the catgirl is commodified bottom behavior – a globally accepted symbol of demure sexual submission. Some feminist critics have even called catgirls the fetishization of youth and innocence, which is a pretty dark read of their popularity! Personally, we don’t think it comes from any malicious place from most people. Let’s just be honest. Cats? Cute. Ladies? Cute! Cat ladies? Sign us up! Plus, let’s not forget the all powerful catgirls in shonen anime and fighting games. Just because some people love the submissive aspect of catgirls doesn’t mean all catgirls are created equal. Sub-y and domme-y catgirls are both valid!

Catgirl anime porn is here to stay. More importantly, catgirls themselves are here to stay – in and out of the bedroom. If you’re into streamer culture or gaming in general, cat ear headphones are a modern e-girl staple. If you’re into cosplay, a back pocket catgirl fit is practically a requirement. And if you’re into hentai (which we’re pretty sure you are), well… you’ve got a pick of the litter when it comes to options! From neko doujin that put popular characters in cat ears to full-fledged catgirl hentai productions, there’s no shortage of neko fuzz to go around.

Catgirls in hentai are incredibly popular, so it goes without saying that catgirls are a staple of any high quality hentai game. Neko girls automatically bring a spellbinding energy to any narrative, with their adorable pet-able heads and precious personalities. Anime catgirls are a must in any medium, from anime to manga to gaming.

But – can we cue the Sarah Mclachlan for a second? At Nutaku, we take our mission to shelter sweet, fluffy catgirls on our humble site very seriously. So why not take a look at our kittens? From full-fledged fantasy RPGs to deep visual novels to free-to-play mobile experiences, we’ve got a catgirl for every single season and mood. With your help and support, these precious neko can have a home in your hard drive, cell phone, or bed.

Here are a few suggestions of some of our favorite neko girls that can be found in various games on Nutaku and even better, all of those games are free to play and can be enjoyed right away:

Ingrid (pink and dark hair) and Taylor (blond hair) are two adorable neko girls from the fantastic free puzzle-RPG game Project QT. In project QT unlock multiple beautiful unique women that all have special fighting abilities. Assemble your team and take on challenging battles through a match 3 system where every enemy is unique and more difficult. Once you have won, level up your characters and raise their strength to unlock lewd scenes beyond your wildest dream. Project QT is addicting and completely free so what are you waiting for, play now!

Ingrid is a noble who is part of the cat-ear clan. She decided to join the campus where she applied to study electronic music. Above all Ingrid loves music and to play her guitar, which is also her weapon of choice when it comes to fighting. Her favorite hobby is sleeping and taking care of the main character. 

Taylor is another catgirl character in Project QT. Just like Ingrid, she loves to play music and she chose her drum stick as her fighting weapons. She has a punk rock attitude and her favorite hobby is to put on shows. Although she seem tough, she has a soft side and deeply cares about the people around her.

In Project QT you can unlock a unique Hentai event with Ingrid and Taylor where they both enjoy the presence of the main character together. It is one of the best scenes in Project QT and truly worth it if you are into catgirls!

Ayumi (pink hair) and PrincessCumXXX (purple hair) are 2 of cutest characters from the ever-beloved free clicker game Fap CEO. Fap CEO is a kinky hentai game that is a mix of Dating Sim and resource management. You are the CEO of the company and must hire cute women, like Ayumi, to help you make your business successful while also having fun with the girls.

No one really knows if Ayumi is actually a real cat or she just spent a ridiculous amount of time with cats to the point where she wants to imitate them but no one has seen her without her tail and ears. She is a cute character from Fap CEO that likes to roam around the studio as if she was the owner of the place. She loves cats, pastries and cream and despises being dirty and being told no. 

PrincessCumXXX is a new friend of Ayumi who decides to reach out to the CEO to join the studio in Fap CEO. She goes by the name PrincessCumXXX and looks like a catgirl. She seems to be connected to a theft that happened in a small suburban area where many bottles of milk were stolen. She has large breasts, loves milk, head pats, and ear scratches. 

No time to waste, get started and live your kinkiest adventure yet in Fap CEO!

Cleo (orange hair), Acadia (gold-ish hair), Suki (purple hair) are from the incredibly popular free adventure game Harem Heroes. Full of parody content, riveting writing, and thrilling sexual contests, you'll never be bored in Harem Heroes. Enjoy tons of uncensored hentai content, including sexy catgirls of course, as you build your harem.

Cleo is an adorable demon neko girl. She likes to enjoy roaming around the streets and dark alleys at night

Acadia is a cute neko girl who loves to make jokes and who always seems to have a few tricks up her sleeve. She is a little difficult to get along with but once you get on her good side she will do anything for you, even your wildest fantasy.

Suki is a kinky catgirl that has the ability to charm others into doing her bidding. In most cases she loves to charm humans and have some lewd fun with them which they also enjoy quite. Better to watch out though, as she is as dangerous as she is horny!

Jump into Harem Heroes today to join in on all the fun (read: having sex with neko girls!)

Izumi is a strong neko demigod from the game King of Kinks.

Izumi is still in her human form and has a tail, which the legend has it that whoever manages to catch it will be her master for life. Her tail is also very sensible and her deepest wish is for someone to caress it but since she is not able to talk the master's language, this never happens. 

Kings of Kinks is a free to play hentai game where you use beautiful warriors to create the strongest team and fight your enemy. Every character you unlock has unique sexual scenes that can be viewed after forming a deeper bond and leveling up their stats.

Quill Purnell is one of the waifu you can meet in Crush Crush. After the main character had an accident with a cardboard box that was Quill's home, he was forced to take her in.

Quill is a cute cat girl who works as a freelance artist. Her favorite food is fishcakes and she loves when the main character gives her earrings. In her spare time you can find Quill doing some bird watching, and although she won't admit it, salivating when she sees a bird she likes.

In Crush Crush you will meet a large cast of unique waifus of all kinds! From monstergirls, to neko and Yandere you will be able to bring them on a date and evolve your relationship from simple acquaintance to lovers, Gain sexy pictures, change their outfits and spend a steamy night with them, everything is possible in Crush Crush!

Check out some of the other games available on Nutaku by visiting the game store pages for games tagged with neko and catgirl!