Catbus

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Catbus (ネコバス, Nekobasu) (referred to in the film as ねこのバス, Neko no basu) is a fictional supporting character in the Studio Ghibli film My Neighbor Totoro, directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It is a large, grinning, twelve-legged cat with a large bushy tail and a hollow body that serves as a bus, with windows and seats covered with fur. The character's popularity has led to a spinoff short film,^[1] toys for children, an art car, and an exhibit in the Ghibli Museum. Catbus is believed to be based on the Japanese bakeneko (化け猫, “changed cat”), an ancient urban legend where cats that grow old learn to shapeshift. In the original Japanese version of My Neighbor Totoro, Catbus is voiced by Naoki Tatsuta, whilst in the Disney English release, Catbus is voiced by Frank Welker, and by voice actor Carl Macek in the Streamline Pictures release.