Stray Cats is the 43rd side mission in Nioh 2. This walkthrough will guide you through all areas of Stray Cats Side Quest.
Stray Cats is unlocked when you complete The High-spirited Demon Main Mission and after Stroking at least 30 Scampusses throughout the game.
Recommended Level: 90
Region: TWILIGHT
Requirement: Finish The High-spirited Demon, Stroke 30 Scampuss Cats
Reward: Gesture PLAY DEAD, Ninja’s Locks x1, Clay Bell of Beckoning, Highest Quality Leather Cord x5
Unlock Requirements – How to farm 30 Scampuss Cats
This mission comes with a special unlock requirement. You must stroke 30 scampusses. Those are the little cats that follow you around.
It will only count them after the timer of the cat has run out. This means you can’t just pet a cat and let yourself die (this wouldn’t count). Only after the cat has followed you around until it goes away it counts as having bonded with the Scampuss 1 time. After the timer of 1 Scampuss has run out it disappears for the current playthrough of that mission.
The trick is to leave the mission and replay it to find the same Scampuss again!
The best place to farm 30 Scampusses is Main Mission 18 Cherry Blossom Viewing in Daigo. After the first 2 enemies in the mission you enter a building. Where the first 2 enemies are inside the building is also a Scampuss (sometimes it only shows up after having died 1 time). If it’s not there, you can kill yourself instantly using Harakiri and it will spawn. It’s very close to the start of the mission so you don’t have to run far. After the cat’s timer has run out (see its icon under your stamina bar), quit the mission using the item “Divine Branch Fragment” from your inventory.
However, this is later in the game. It takes around 3 minutes per cat including quitting out of the mission and getting back to the cat.
Alternatively, you can also find a Scampuss in the very first Main Mission The Village of Cursed Blossoms on the hill before 3rd Shrine, but this one is later in the mission and requires more running.
Find 3 Cats, Fight the Boss
Simply stroke all 3 Scampusses which are marked on your radar and once you have them head back to where the mission started.
Stray Cat #1 – From the starting point (facing Hattori Hanzo), head to the right. There a Waira spawns from a Yokai Realm, follow the path behind him up the hill. At the end of the hill path is the first scampuss.
Stray Cat #2 – From the starting point (facing Hattori Hanzo), head to the right, then take a left turn and up a ladder. The scampuss will sit on a wooden bridge, you can get up there by a ladder on the side of the bridge.
Stray Cat #3 – This cat will be locked in a cell. In order to set it free you need to find the Jailer’s Key which is located on a corpse in the Yokai Realm area of this map. This Yokai Realm is in the hut below the bridge with 2nd stray cat. Interact with the glowing corpse at the end of the Yokai Realm to get Jailer’s Key (2 images below).
Once you have the key, you can find the cat in a prison cell on the path left of the starting point.
When you found the 3 cats get back to the starting point an Onryoki will spawn, which you must defeat.
Onryoki Boss Fight
You have encountered this boss in other side missions before. This time you even have 3 little cat companions to aid you in the fight. So technically, you can just run away and they will defeat Onryoki for you automatically. Just let him miss an attack, then run to his back to do a single 
high stance strike. Get away and repeat. But really, if you don’t want to bother with him let the cats do the job while you lean back and watch the fun.
Where to Find the Kodama
From where you start in the mission turn around 180° and you’ll see the first Kodama.
Follow the path left of Hattori Hanzo, at the end you find it on a boat.
Staying on the left path from Hattori Hanzo, it’s behind a hut halfway up the hill.
In the Dark Realm where you pick up the jailer’s key – use the key to open the door to the big armored skeleton with an axe. Defeating it clears up the Dark Realm and now you can find the Kodama where the Dark Realm was.
Backtrack to the start of the level. This time, take the path that leads to the right up the hill. From the hilltop you can drop down a cliff to the fifth and last Kodama in this mission.
This finishes Stray Cats side mission in Nioh 2.
For all other Mission Walkthroughs, check out our complete Nioh 2 Walkthrough.
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