noun
kitten
A young cat, typically under one year old. The most common meaning.
子猫が箱の中で寝ている。
A kitten is sleeping in the box.
彼女は子猫を拾って家に連れて帰った。
She picked up a kitten and brought it home.
noun
small cat
Refers to any cat of small size, not necessarily a young kitten. Less common than the 'kitten' sense.
あの子猫はもう大人だけど、体が小さい。
That small cat is already an adult, but its body is small.
Kana spelling is common in casual writing, children's materials, or when avoiding kanji.
Rarely used kanji form; 小 is not the standard character for this word.
Compound of 子 (こ, 'child') + 猫 (ねこ, 'cat'). The reading こねこ is a straightforward combination of the kun'yomi readings of the two kanji.