1.
stray cat; feral cat
A cat that lives outdoors without an owner. May be a former pet that was abandoned or a cat born in the wild.
公園に野良猫がいた。
There was a stray cat in the park.
野良猫に餌をやる人がいる。
There are people who feed the stray cats.
近所の野良猫を保護して、動物病院に連れて行った。
I rescued a neighborhood stray cat and took it to the animal hospital.
A compound of 野良 (stray, ownerless — originally meaning "field") and 猫 (cat).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 野良猫に餌をやる (to feed stray cats)
- 野良猫を保護する (to rescue a stray cat)
- 野良猫の世話 (caring for stray cats)
- 地域猫 (community cat — managed stray cat)
In Japan, the issue of 野良猫 is a significant community topic. Many neighborhoods have volunteer groups that practice TNR (捕獲・不妊手術・返還: trap-neuter-return) and manage stray cat populations as 地域猫 (community cats). The related term 野良犬 means "stray dog."