9 Heroic Cats That Saved The Day In Horror Movies

It is not easy to be a cat in a horror movie. Sometimes, felines are the inseparable allies of all sorts of bad guys, from calculating psychos to supernatural entities. On other occasions, kitties are just there to become a savory snack for the stalking monster, the first step until the creature builds up enough strength to chomp on human flesh. Whatever role they may play, it is uncommon to see a horror movie cat that represents something other than the prelude to heart-wrenching spooks or a dreadful symbol of despair for those who come in contact with it.

However, not all suspicious characters deserve the bad rep they get, and cats embody this principle in the purest and fluffiest of ways. I'll admit it, they are temperamental little critters. But given the right opportunity, even the (apparently) harmless intervention of a kitty can make a big difference, especially when you are facing some demonic force manifested from your worst nightmares. That's right, I've said it. Kitties can be heroes too.

Armed with razor-sharp claws and skin-piercing fangs, cats are responsible for saving the necks of more than a few horror movie characters over the decades. Either by mere coincidence or by an unbelievable stroke of fate, sometimes it seems as if cats are just where they need to be, in the right place and at the right time. Let's keep that in mind while we pet these nine heroic cats that saved the day in horror movies.

In the "romantic" Swedish horror Let the Right One In, we are introduced to Oskar and Eli, a pair of preteens with a strange bond not easy to understand. You see, Eli looks like a young girl but is a decades-old vampire, while Oskar is an infatuated boy with insecurity issues. Quite the power couple.

In this film, cats come to the rescue when a woman named Virginia is bitten by Eli. She survives the attack and goes to her friend Gostä's apartment in a delirious state. However, Gostä's cats are not amused by the arrival of the unexpected visitor. They attack without relent until Virginia falls down a flight of stairs and is rushed to the local hospital.

A long night ends. Virginia awakens and realizes what has actually happened to her after receiving Eli's bite. Without hesitation, she asks a nurse to open the blinds in her room, letting in a stream of sunlight that burns her to ashes. Ironically, Gostä survives the whole ordeal thanks to his cats, even though he decided to ignore the existence of the vampire girl earlier in the movie.