Nekogami refers to cat spirits or deified cats found in Japanese folk belief, often associated with local shrines and legends of cats that protected or served their households or temples. In some traditions, such cats were honored after death with small shrines or grave markers, and stories link them to guardianship and good fortune for those who cared for them, including tales touching on health and well-being. These beliefs are regional and folkloric rather than part of a codified Buddhist or Shinto doctrine, so accounts of their powers vary widely by locality.