Tradition / Region: Chinese Mythology
Alternative names: Jinhua Cat Demon, Cat Demon
Category: Cat
The Myth
The Jinhua Cat is a cat spirit said to arise when a cat has been kept for more than three years. According to tradition, it climbs onto rooftops at midnight and absorbs the essence of the moon. After repeatedly feeding on moonlight, it transforms into a powerful cat demon.
Once transformed, the Jinhua Cat preys upon humans by taking on human form. It appears as a handsome young man to women and as a beautiful woman to men, seducing its victims. Before entering a household, it urinates in the family’s drinking water. Anyone who drinks the contaminated water becomes bewitched, unable to perceive the demon’s true feline form, and gradually falls ill.
One famous tale tells of a young woman in Lin’an who was secretly visited by an extraordinarily handsome youth. He provided food and drink instantly and behaved like an ordinary person, yet no one else could see him. Sorcerers failed to drive him away until an old noodle seller recognized the visitor as a Jinhua Cat Demon and successfully exorcised it.
Chinese tradition also warned against keeping pure white cats in the Jinhua region, believing they could absorb moonlight, become spirits, and bring misfortune to their owners.
Sources
“金華貓 (Jinhua Cat).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed July 28, 2026. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/金華貓