How to say "kitten" in Japanese

• 子猫こねこCommon
  nounThe everyday word for the literal sense of 'kitten': a young cat. Neutral in tone; use it whenever you mean an actual kitten, for example a stray you found or a cat's offspring.
  彼女かのじょは子猫こねこをジャガーと名付なづけた。↗

  She called the kitten "Jaguar".
• プッシー
  nounA loanword of English 'pussy': it matches 'kitten' only through that word's affectionate sense for a cat. In Japanese it is seldom used that way, and its other senses make it a poor choice.

For the literal sense — a young cat — 子猫 is the everyday word; 「プッシー」 is simply the English loanword 'pussy', whose 'kitten' sense is seldom used in Japanese, making it a poor choice for the animal.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 子猫こねこkitten
• プッシーpussy