最近の猫はネズミを食べない。

most recent; these days; right now; recently; nowadays

indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; (at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion; (at sentence-end) indicates emotional emphasis; (at sentence-end, rising tone) indicates question

cat; shamisen; geisha; wheelbarrow; clay bed-warmer; bottom; submissive partner of a homosexual relationship

topic marker particle; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis

mouse; rat; dark gray; dark grey; slate (color, colour)

indicates direct object of action; indicates subject of causative expression; indicates an area traversed; indicates time (period) over which action takes place; indicates point of departure or separation of action; indicates object of desire, like, hate, etc.

to eat; to live on (e.g. a salary); to live off; to subsist on