BAKENEKO CAT

Literally "cat-monster", the bakeneko is a yokai (spirit of Japanese folklore) taking the appearance of a long-tailed cat. The latter would then allow him to walk on two legs, and he would be lent certain abilities such as speech, metamorphism, and even the resurrection of the dead! In a slightly more horrific register, a cat transformed into a bakeneko would even go as far as killing its master to take his place and thus control the whole household!