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The Cat
Alias: The cat

Wuss Puss (by Coraline) Vermin. (By The Beldam)

Age: 7 years.
Gender Male.
Status: Alive.
Voiced by: Keith David.
Appearances: Movie.
Books.

"No. I'm not the other anything. I'm me!"
— The Cat, upon meeting Coraline Jones in the other world.

The Cat is one of the major supporting characters of the story. He demonstrates the ability to appear and disappear on a whim, often to hide from danger or to help Coraline from danger. For unexplained reasons, he is able to speak in the other world.

Plot Appearance[]

Movie[]

An excerpt from the main article: Coraline (filmography)

In the movie, The Cat is known to be Coraline's snarky and sarcastic companion. His first appearance was on the pathway to the well that Coraline was heading down, soon later being introduced by Wybie. He is described as "feral" and follows Wybie wherever he goes.

Besides a few appearances, either snarling at Coraline or playing the role of Wybie's companion, The Cat's first major appearance is where he suddenly starts talking to Coraline in the Other World. Upon noticing that he doesn't have button eyes, Coraline questions how he's able to speak, remarking that cats can't talk back home. The Cat sarcastically replies that she is "clearly the expert in these things, after all, I'm just a big-fat wuss-puss!" remarking on her insult from earlier. Upon realizing that The Cat is the same one she met by the well, Coraline immediately apologizes for her insult, asking how he ended up in the Other World. He tells her that he's been going to and from the Other World for a while, despite the Other Mother's attempts to keep him away. The Cat tries to warn Coraline about the real nature of the Other World, remarking that the Other Wybie told him all about it. He states that even if the Other Wybie can't speak, cats have far superior senses to that of humans, but he is cut off mid-sentence upon hearing a suspicious noise, trotting off after it.

Later, Coraline runs from the Other Pink Palace, now knowing the Other Mother's true intentions. The Cat catches up with her shortly, as they both reach the empty part of the Other World. The Cat explains how the Other Mother only built what she knew would impress Coraline, and remarks on his belief that the Other Mother either wanted something to love besides herself, or was looking for something to eat, remarking, "How do you taste?". Before trotting ahead. The pair end up right at the front of the Other Pink Palace. Coraline wonders aloud, "How can you walk away from something and come back to it?", to which The Cat replies, "walk around the world." Soon after, The Cat intercepts a jumping circus mouse, and Coraline pleads with him to stop hurting it, before he bites down, revealing the mouse to be a rat doll filled with sand. The Cat states, "I don't like rats at the best of times, but this one was sounding an alarm." The Cat trots off once again, and Coraline simply watches, stating, "Good kitty."

When Coraline returns to the real world, she notices her parents are nowhere to be found. After being unable to find them, she crawls into bed, crying herself to sleep. The Cat wakes her up later that night, Coraline asks if he knew where her parents were. The Cat brought Coraline to the mirror on the first floor, when Coraline looked into it, she could see her parents trapped in a icy prison, her mother writing "HELP US" backwards on the foggy glass. The Cat then ran up the stairs to her parents room, dragging out the Doll from earlier, only now it resembled both of Coraline's parents, revealing the Other Mother had captured them.

Coraline burns the doll in the fireplace, and goes with The Cat to rescue her parents. As they crawled through the corridor once again, The Cat warned Coraline that was falling into the Other Mother's trap, but still, Coraline pressed on. Understanding Coraline's persistence to save her parents, The Cat suggests Coraline challenge the Other Mother to a game, remarking "She might not play fair, but she won't refuse. She's got a thing for games." before Coraline's candle is blown out by mysterious wind, and The Cat runs off. Coraline challenges the Other Mother to a finding things game, where she will be required to find the souls of the ghost children and her parents, betting her life on it. During the game, The Cat helps Coraline to retrieve the third child's eye from the circus rats, stating, "I think I mentioned, I didn't like rats at the best of times." Coraline replies, "Yeah, I think you might've said something like that."

As Coraline palms the third eye, the Other World begins to fall apart around them, Coraline urges The Cat to jump inside her bag to which he complies. The two barely make it inside the house. The pair walked cautiously through the house until they reached the living room. Upon realizing Coraline had not come alone, the Other Mother remarked, "You're back, and you brought... vermin with you?" Coraline takes a step back, disturbed by the Other Mother's new, spider-like appearance, before defending The Cat, stating, "No, I brought a friend." The Other Mother urged Coraline to produce the ghost's eyes and her parents, to which she only produced the former. The Cat jumped up onto the mantle, where the Detroit Zoo snowglobe showed Coralines parents, still freezing in their icy prison. Coraline urges the Other Mother to open the corridor, claiming she knows her parents are inside of it. As the Other Mother opens it, Coraline pockets the snowglobe, picks up The Cat and throws him at her head. She manages to catch him, but not without him clawing her button eyes off, blinding her. In pain, she throws the frightened animal away, smashing the floor and revealing it to be a large spider web. The Cat barely manages to escape through the corridor by climbing on the beetle shaped wardrobe.

After Coraline manages to escape from the Other World, The Cat shows up at her window, clearly upset with her for throwing him at the Other Mother's face. Coraline opens the window, letting him in. She profusely apologizes, saying that it was all she could think of, and, forgiving her, The Cat licks Coraline's hand. Coraline says it is time to set the ghost children free, placing their eyes under her pillow, and the pair fell into a deep slumber.

Coraline wakes up mere minutes later, realizing that she has to get rid of the button key, knowing that the Other Mother would track it down and take it back. The Cat tries to stop her, knowing that she could be in grave danger. He seemingly runs for Wybie's house, waking him and urging him to come to the well with Coraline. Wybie gets on his bike, and drives to the well, saving Coraline from the Other Mother's disembodied hand. After the hand was destroyed, Coraline and Wybie drop the key down the well, along with the broken hand. Coraline jokingly remarks that she was glad Wybie decided to stalk her, to which Wybie says, "It wasn't my idea!". The Cat hops on top of a nearby rock, and cocks his head to one side, as if to say, "No, it was mine."

The Cat makes a short appearance during the last scene of the film, disappearing behind the Pink Palace's sign, as he does so often in the movie.

Books[]

An excerpt from the main article: Coraline (books)
The Cat is mainly the same in the book as in the movie, except for being introduced by Wybie (Judging the fact that Wybie wasn't in the book at all. The main differences were in the things that he said. For example, while Coraline is on her way to Ms. Spink and Forcible's performance, The Cat mentions how cats don't have names, stating they don't need them the way humans do. The Cat makes several such statements, which Coraline takes to be egotistical and is therefore annoyed by. Another scene that was cut out of the movie is when Coraline is trying to get information out of the Other Father when the Other Mother turned evil. The Other Father said that she was fixing the doors and windows to keep The Cat (vermin) out. When Coraline mentioned this to him when they were "walking around the world", he simply chuckles and said that it wouldn't work. (See Coraline book to see all cat quotes) You can now safely assume that most of these quotes were irrelevant and that the filmmakers cut out these parts to get straight to the point. ​​​​​​​

Powers, Abilities, Knowledge[]

The Cat has the ability to seemingly vanish and reappear at will. This is never actually discussed in the movie, as his supernatural nature is demonstrated as opposed to being described. In the movie, The Cat's enigmatic nature is show. For example, The Cat shows off for Coraline by walking behind a log and exiting at a different place on that log; or, at the end of the movie where he vanishes by walking behind a sign-post and failing to reappear on the other side of it.

In the book, The Cat is moreso implied to be some sort of other-worldly entity. He seems to understand the nature of the Other World in full detail, including its history and the terrible truth behind its facade. The Cat only discloses some of this information to Coraline Jones, keeping most information to himself. One such feature is his knowledge of secret entrances leading to the Other World, he loses a great deal of confidence when these passageways disappear through the acts of The Beldam.

When The Beldam states that she hates cats, it is implied that she and The Cat are arch-enemies in some manner. The Cat's knowledge and ability to elude The Beldam, despite her disfondness for him, implies that he is her match, serving a good counter to her evil. Yet, The Cat is only confident enough to match her when he is in control of a situation, such as knowing exits to the Other World. In both the movie and the book, he lacerates and blinds The Beldam in a bid to help Coraline secure an exit from the Other World.

Personality[]

The Cat is very sarcastic and ironical. Initially, The Cat is impatient and sardonic toward Coraline for satirizing him and calling him a "wuss-puss," acts which he loathes with intensity. Finally, The Cat slowly seems more attached to Coraline. According to Wybie Lovat, The Cat is a feral animal, but Coraline and Wybie's acts of caring for The Cat dispute the claim.

The Cat has a habit of cocking its head, a habit shared with Wybie Lovat and a habit eventually adopted by Coraline. Its function appears similar to that of a greeting but may have other meanings.

When in the real world, for both the novel and the film, The Cat seems to act much more like a cat should, such as enjoying being petted and hunting, and then bringing his catches to Wybie. However, in the Other World, The Cat's behavior is more intellectual, as he understands what others say and can respond to what is said. He responds by talking, like a human. While in the real world, he understands what humans say, while being able to only reply with body language and "typical" cat sounds, such as meows and purring.

Quotes[]

Movie[]

  • "No...I'm not the other anything. I'm me."
  • "I just can."
  • "No."
  • "Well, you're clearly the expert on these things. After all, I'm just a big fat wuss puss."
  • "I've been coming here for a while. It's a game we play. She hates cats and tries to keep me out, but she can't, of course. I come and go as I please."
  • "Not like any mother I've ever known."
  • "You probably think this world is a dream come true. But you're wrong. The Other Wybie told me so."
    Coraline: "That's nonsense. He can't talk."
    Cat: "Perhaps not to you. We cats, however, have far superior senses than humans, and can see and smell and–Shh! I hear something. Right over..."
  • "And what do you think you're doing?"
  • "Nothing out here."
  • "It's the empty part of this world. She only made what she knew would impress you."
    Coraline: "But why? Why does she want me?"
    Cat: "She wants something to love, I think. Something that isn't her. Or maybe she'd just love something to eat."
    Coraline: "Eat? That's ridiculous. Mothers don't eat...daughters."
    Cat: "I don't know. How do you taste?"
  • "Walk around the world."
  • "Hang on."
  • "I don't like rats at the best of times, but this one was sounding an alarm."
  • "You know, you're walking right into her trap."
  • "Challenge her, then. She may not play fair, but she won't refuse. She's got a thing for games"
  • "I think I mentioned I don’t like rats at the best of times."
  • "Here it look you needed this one however."
  • "There."

Books[]

  • "There are those who have suggested that the tendency of a cat to play with its prey is a merciful one--after all, it permits the occasional funny little running snack to escape, from time to time. How often does your dinner get to escape?"

Trivia[]

  • In the movie, the scene where Coraline Jones and The Cat are about to exit the other world, The Beldam remarks on the cat's presence, "You're back, and you brought... vermin... with you?" which implies that The Beldam considers The Cat to be a nuisance or pest.
  • In the book, The Cat explains that he does not need a name, due to cats being able to "know" themselves. He remarks that humans have names due to not knowing who they are.
  • Due to The Cat's magical nature, its acts of protecting and aiding Coraline Jones from The Beldam, and The Beldam's fondness of children, it is possible that The Cat's continued presence near Wybie Lovat is to protect him from The Beldam.
  • In The Nightmare Before Christmas, when Sally sings her solo, there is a cat that bears a striking resemblance to The Cat from Coraline.
    • The Nightmare Before Christmas was directed by Henry Selic, the director of Coraline.
  • When Coraline and The Cat first met, she wishes he could talk. Since Coraline's wishes come true in the Other World, this might be how The Cat is able to speak with her there.
  • The Cat makes a cameo appearance in Frankenweenie, when Victor digs up Sparky's corpse in the pet cemetery from New Holland.

Gallery[]

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