[RPG] Can you play a kitsune or nekomata

character-creationdnd-5eraces

Can you play a kitsune or nekomata (fox or cat beings, respectively) in D&D 5th edition? I have never played, but wanted to use one of my RP characters for D&D.

If not, are there any existing races that are similar?

Best Answer

...wandering tabaxi are catlike humanoids driven by curiosity to collect interesting artifacts, gather tales and stories, and lay eyes on....

-Volo's Guide to Monsters

Tabaxi are a playable catfolk race presented in Volo's Guide to Monsters.

Beyond that, you're looking at creating a custom race, as described in the DMG at pp.285-287. Or looking for some second-party content, perhaps over at DM's Guild.