Classic desktop cats
Oneko for Mac: the cat that chases your cursor
A little cat that runs after your mouse pointer and curls up for a nap when it catches it has been delighting computer users since the late 1980s. Here is where it came from, the ports that still run on a modern Mac, and what to check before you install one.
There is no official oneko for Mac, but free open-source ports run on macOS today. As of October 2026 the most active one, crgimenes/neko, says it is signed and notarized and runs on Apple silicon and Intel. If you would rather have a pet that stays put and reacts to your typing instead of chasing the pointer, Paw-Paw, the desktop pet we make, is a free native alternative.
Where oneko came from
The cat began in Japan as Neko (猫, “cat”), a small resident program for NEC’s PC-9801 computers. A cat drawn on the screen chased the text cursor, pawed at it, and fell asleep when nothing happened. In 1989 Kenji Gotoh (後藤寿庵) redrew it as a desk accessory for the classic Macintosh, with new sprites and the option to turn the pointer into a mouse, a bird or a fish; IBM later licensed those sprites for OS/2.
In 1990 Masayuki Koba ported the idea to Unix workstations as xneko, and the same year Tatsuya Kato modified it into oneko, which let the cat roam the whole desktop instead of staying in its own window. The oneko manual page still describes “a little cute cat” that chases your pointer and starts sleeping when it catches it. According to Debian’s copyright file, oneko is public domain, which is why so many ports exist.
Since then the cat has turned up in Windows versions, browser extensions and, from 2022, oneko.js, a small script that puts it on websites. It belongs to the same family tree as Shimeji and other desktop companions; our roundup of desktop pets for Mac covers the rest.
Oneko ports for Mac in 2026
All of these are free, open-source hobby projects. Details come from each project’s README and release page, checked on October 7, 2026.
| Port | What it is | Mac support | Latest release |
|---|---|---|---|
| crgimenes/neko | A Go rewrite with the original sprites and sounds; also runs on Windows and Linux. BSD-2 licence. | Universal download for Apple silicon and Intel; README says it is signed and notarized. | v0.1.46, September 2026 |
| oneko-swift | A native menu bar app with many sprite sets and a Raycast extension. MIT licence. | macOS 13+, Apple silicon and Intel; README says it is not notarized. | v1.2.0, July 2026 |
| Neco | A small menu bar app using the public-domain bitmaps. CC0. | Minimum macOS not stated. | v0.3.0, July 2026 |
| neko-mac | The older Cocoa port, quit with killall Neko. Unlicense. |
Built in 2015; not stated for Apple silicon. | v1.1, January 2015 (no longer updated) |
Website owners can add the cat to a page with oneko.js; it runs in the browser rather than on your Mac.
Installing one safely
- Download from the project’s own release page. Use the GitHub Releases link in the table, not a re-upload elsewhere.
- Pick the right build. Most ports offer a universal or
darwinbuild that runs on both Apple silicon and Intel Macs. - Expect a Gatekeeper prompt for unnotarized apps. macOS blocks them at first; you can allow one in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Open Anyway. Only do that for software you trust.
- Prefer Homebrew only where the project offers it. We found no oneko in Homebrew’s main repositories; oneko-swift has its own tap:
brew install --cask oneko-swift/tap/oneko.
Cursor-following pets on the App Store
We found no app called oneko on the Mac App Store, but two cat apps there can follow your pointer, both free to download as listed on October 7, 2026:
- Dockitty puts a cat in your Dock, with a Walking Mode that follows the mouse. Requires macOS 14.6 or later.
- Cat Fidget: Desktop Pet has a follow mode that chases your cursor. Requires macOS 14.0 or later.
A calmer alternative: a pet that stays put
Part of oneko’s charm is that it reacts to you. Paw-Paw keeps that idea but takes it somewhere quieter. We make it, so weigh this section accordingly.
It reacts to your typing, not your pointer
Your Paw-Paw sits where you put it, by the Dock at first, and its paws tap along as you type and click. After two minutes without input it curls up for a nap, much like oneko’s cat once it catches the mouse.
It grows with you
Your typing fills an XP bar, levels bring gifts with items to wear, and dozens of free Paw-Paws unlock as you play, from a capybara to a sloth. Now and then it cheers you on in a little speech bubble.
A native, notarized download
Paw-Paw is a free native app for macOS 13 or later on Apple silicon and Intel, downloaded from our site as a notarized DMG and kept up to date in the background. It counts key presses and clicks, never what you type.
If a cat chasing your pointer is exactly what you want, pick an oneko port. If you want a companion that keeps you company while you work, install Paw-Paw and see which you prefer; nothing stops you from running both.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an oneko for Mac?
There is no official Mac version, but several free open-source ports run on modern macOS. As of October 2026 the most active is crgimenes/neko, which its README says is signed and notarized and ships a universal build for Apple silicon and Intel. oneko-swift is a newer menu bar port that is not notarized.
Can I install oneko with Homebrew?
Not from Homebrew's main repositories: we found no oneko formula or cask there in October 2026. The oneko-swift project offers its own tap, installed with brew install --cask oneko-swift/tap/oneko.
Who made oneko?
oneko is Tatsuya Kato's 1990 version of xneko, Masayuki Koba's X11 program, which let the cat roam the whole desktop. Both descend from Neko, a cat that chased the cursor on Japan's NEC PC-9801, and a 1989 Macintosh desk accessory by Kenji Gotoh. oneko is public domain.
Is it safe to open an app that isn't notarized?
macOS blocks apps that Apple has not notarized until you allow them in System Settings, Privacy and Security, Open Anyway. Only do that for software from a source you trust, such as a project whose code you can read, and download it from the project's own release page.
Does Paw-Paw chase the cursor like oneko?
No. Paw-Paw stays where you put it and reacts to your typing and clicks: its paws tap along, it naps when you stop, and your input earns XP toward new Paw-Paws and items to wear. If you want a cat that runs after your pointer, an oneko port is the better choice.
How we checked: Paw-Paw makes Paw-Paw and has first-hand knowledge only of its own app. Facts about the other projects come from their READMEs, release pages and App Store listings, linked above and checked on October 7, 2026; we did not test them. History draws on the Debian oneko package, its manual page and the Wikipedia article on Neko.
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