A catgirl is a woman or girl with cat ears and a cat tail, but an otherwise human body; they are found semi-commonly in anime and manga either as a form of cosplay or actual body parts, as well as in a few video games (Dark Cloud, for example). Catgirls wishing to look especially cute will wear over-sized mittens and shoes that look like paws. "Catgirl" can sometimes be modified to refer to other woman/animal combinations that are sometimes found, usually mammals like bunnygirls, foxgirls and (more rarely) doggirls; see kemono. Fans unfamiliar with the Japanese obsession with cuteness (kawaii) sometimes point out catgirls act more like kittens than grown cats, who can be aloof and surly.
Most catgirls are typically not considered furry because they resemble humans with cat-like embellishments rather than being an anthropomorphic cat. This even includes characters such as Escaflowne's Merle, the Puma Sisters from Dominion Tank Police, or Aisha Clan-Clan from Outlaw Star, who are more catlike than usual.
Ordinary humans, such as Hikaru Shidou from Magic Knight Rayearth, or Ichigo Momomiya (Zoey Hanson in the English adaptation) from Tokyo Mew Mew (Mew Mew Power in the English version) will sometimes sprout cat ears or a tail in order to illustrate their excitable personalities. This is similar to the phenomenon of becoming chibi and is mostly a stylistic quirk from manga artists. In Japanese, catgirls are usually called nekomimi (??)—literally, "cat ears"—rather than the literal term nekomusume (??).
Characters in anime and manga may momentarily develop a catlike mouth. This is usually used to emphasize mischievous thoughts or comments by a character. Rebellious boys are more often compared to dogs (Inuyasha being a popular example) or wolves. The "lone-wolf" characterization is very common for brooding, aggressive socially isolated males, while comparisons to dogs usually refer to adorably rebellious but ultimately harmless boys. However, in certain anime and manga series, such as Loveless. a boy may be compared to a cat in a similar way catgirls are. In those occasions, they are sometimes referred to as catbois (or catboys). Understandably, Bishounen catboys are typically associated with shoujo and yaoi.
In some circles, catgirl is a disparaging term for a stereotypical hyperactive and obnoxious fangirl, who might wear cat ears as an accessory while at conventions.
