How to say "kitty" in Japanese

• にゃんにゃ
  nounA baby-talk word for a kitty or pussycat, used with or around small children. It is less common, so as an adult speaking ordinary Japanese you will seldom need it yourself.
• ぬこ
  nounCovers 'cat' and 'kitty' as Internet slang, found in online posts and casual net writing rather than everyday conversation. It is a playful, marginal choice; in normal speech 'kitty' is not really the word you want here.
• にゃーにゃー
  nounChildren's language imitating a cat's cry, glossed as 'cat' or 'kitty'. Like the other baby-talk options it is less common and belongs to speech with young children, not to neutral adult usage.

All three are informal, less common ways to say 'kitty': 「にゃんにゃ」 and 「にゃーにゃー」 are children's language, while 「ぬこ」 is Internet slang, so choose by setting rather than by sense.

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

• にゃんにゃkitty
• ぬこcat
• にゃーにゃーcat