Bakeneko

Literal translation is Changed Cat

Cats are often seen as Yokai in Japanese folklore because they live by humans but retain their wild nature. The irises of their eyes change shape, they are often difficult to control, they have nocturnal habits, the sharpness of their teeth and claws etc., all contribute to this idea.

Bakeneko would lick the oil of lamps and that is said to be an omen of strange things to come. However, this is most likely due to poor people using fish oil in their lamps. Cats standing on their hind legs looking into the light of the lamp, their eyes filled with anticipation and the light of the lamp probably gave them an unnatural appearance.

There are stories of cats that were killed in a brutal manner by a human that would come back as Bakeneko to curse and haunt them. A lot of these stories revolve around revenge on cruel humans. Bakeneko can shapeshift into humans by wearing a napkin or towel on their head. They can then speak some human words (which some cats are known to mimic human words) and dance among other things.