There are many memorable cats in the anime world, along with many more strays loitering in the background of random outdoor scenes. Cats often play a pivotal role in the story, and can even show up as the villain once in a while.
There’s no question that cat characters are fan favorites when it comes to anime. But, while they may be popular with audiences and some cat-loving characters, not everyone is a cat person. Here’s a look at anime characters with cat allergies, and what they do about it.
9 Ciel Phantomhive Reveals his Cat Allergy After Discovering Felines In Sebastian’s Closet (Black Butler)
Ciel Phantomhive is one of two identical twins in Black Butler, confusingly both named Ciel. As children, they're kidnapped by a cult, and as one Ciel is sacrificed by the cult, the other ends up making a deal with a demon called Sebastian. From that time on, Ceil and Sebastian are inseparable. At one point, Sebastian hides several cats in his closet, and Ciel discovers them, revealing his cat allergy. In the manga, there are also more occasions when his allergy flares up in contact with various cats on the street.
8 Junpei Kousaka Hates And Is Allergic To Cats, But Is Surrounded By Them And People Who Love Them (Nyan Koi!)
Junpei Kousaka doesn’t like cats. It doesn’t help that he’s quite allergic to them, but everyone around him seems to love them, including his crush Kaede Mizuno and his own mother and sister. One day, the second-year high school student accidentally knocks off the head of a cat god’s statue. As punishment, he’s granted the ability to communicate with cats and has to fulfill exactly one hundred cat wishes without letting anyone else know about the curse. If he fails, he will become a cat and die of his allergy.
7 Nayuki Minase’s Cat Allergy Is Just One Of her Medical Issues (Kanon)
A mix of romance, supernatural, high school harem, and slice-of-life, Kanon focuses on hero Yuichi Aizawa. Nayuki Minase is Yuichi's cousin, and one of the more popular supporting characters. She's beautiful, kind, and has a heavy sleeping problem.
Nayuki loves animals, and always tries to interact with them, even wild and unknown animals. She finds a stray cat and brings it home, even though she’s allergic. Nayuki and Yuichi name it Piroshiki, or Piro.
6 Seishuu (Sei) Handa Loves Cats But Discovers He's Allergic To Them (Barakamon)
Handa is well-liked, even though he's been exiled to a small island for punching out a famous Calligrapher. He actually loves cats but doesn’t realize at first that he is allergic to them. One day, he goes to a store to use the phone when his own breaks down. The store owner loves cats, and there are many around, but when Seishuu goes to pet one, it bites him instead. He then discovers that he has an allergic reaction.
5 Toka Takanashi’s Allergy Leads (Indirectly) To Blackmail (Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions!)
Yuta Togashi is trying to escape the adolescent delusions of his past when he called himself the Dark Flame Master. But, he meets Rikka, who has her own chunibyo syndrome issues. One day, she finds a stray cat and deludes herself into thinking it's a magical creature. She can't bring it to her own place, because of her roommate Toka's allergy to cats. Toka is Rikka’s older sister. Rikka ends up blackmailing Yuta into taking the cat in by threatening to show one of his embarrassing Dark Flame Master rants.
4 Cat-Like Careful S. Is Allergic, And Also Targeted By, An Assassin Cat (Happy Heroes)
A stray cat wanders into an episode of Happy Heroes, and it’s a bit of a joke as well as a plot point. The Chinese animated series follows a group of kids who become superheroes. They go on to battle aliens, monsters, and the usual superhero enemies.
One of the characters is named Careful S., and he looks something like a black cat. In one episode, he’s targeted by an assassin who also happens to be a cat. But, Careful S. thinks the kitty is a stray, and takes him home... despite having an allergy.
3 Yuuto’s Cat Demon Companion Causes Violent Sneezing (Omamori Himari)
Yuuto is a member of a long, proud lineage of demon slayers. Out of the powerful clan, he’s the pacifist, the one who can’t bring himself to harm anyone, demon or not. He could even be called shy. Yuuto is an optimist who believes in the good in everyone. His companion is a cat demon named Himari, and, as luck would have it, Yuuto is strongly allergic to cat hair. He sneezes loudly whenever Himari is in the vicinity.
2 Saiki Kusuke Builds A Robotic Cat For His Mother, Who Is Allergic To Felines (The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.)
Saiki Kusuke is the older brother to the hapless Kusuo in The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. Kusuke is a genius when it comes to inventing and constructing machines and devices of all kinds. For his parents’ 22nd wedding anniversary, he creates Warp, a robotic cat, so they can enjoy a cat's company even though his mother is allergic to live cats. Warp is designed with a special AI along with speech recognition and can even have a conversation as well as flawlessly emulate a real cats’ movements.
1 Detective Kei Matoba Wears A Mask To Bring Home A Stray Cat (Cop Craft)
San Teresa City Police detective Kei Matoba and Tirana, a knight from an alternate reality that has become linked with Earth, are a crime-fighting team. They patrol a city with a mixed population of humans, fairies, and demons, where crime is rampant. The two bicker constantly, but one evening, end up at Kei's apartment. There, he wears a mask because he's brought home a stray cat, even though he's allergic. The soft side of his character is a revelation to Tirana, who is used to fighting with and against him.