Coraline: The History of The Cat | Horror History

[@129chrisseb]

I love how the cat in the book just says his whole deal is that, ya know, he's a cat. He doesn't have a name because his species aren't dumb. He's just a cat. And there's a history of a cat. Im still absolutely watching this

[@desellis8117]

In the Neil book Coraline asked the black cat how they know/tell apart other cats friends tho

[@sadpepe7451]

Yea kinda like the cat from Rick and morty maybe they took inspiration from coralline

[@aroha9090]

Yeah, I'm of the mind that the cat is exactly how he describes himself. A cat. Probably all cats can move between worlds, and talk in some but not in ours. Probably cats don't need names, because they identify each other through smell and body language and things we don't notice. And Gaiman has cats of his own, he's probably pretty aware of their amazing abilities to just disappear sometimes, and how they seem to sense all kinds of stuff we can't. Cats are famously mysterious and strange and... otherworldly sometimes. And the cat in Coraline is an outdoor cat, probably a stray, with 'quite a bit of wild in it' (as my nana would have said).

[@desellis8117]

@@sadpepe7451 The 2009 Coraline movie and and the 2 graphic novel versions came out before Rick and Morty.

[@elijahyoung3870]

@@desellis8117 they said maybe Rick and morty took inspiration from Coraline. That would HEAVILY imply Coraline coming out first.

[@Auron1Roxas2]

Pretty sure the cat is just a cat. Coraline was made by Neil Gaiman and if you've read some of his other works, like the sandman, he has this running theme with cats where they're sort of in-between worlds. The cats dialogue is just it referring to the nature of cats. You name a dog and it comes when it calls you. You name a cat and it comes to you when it wants to.

[@michelled.4874]

"Pretty sure the cat is just a cat." Oh boy some people are so blind and stupid. The "cat" is not and has never been an actual cat. Watch this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fn-zZ6B-dqyCeNk Watch all of it in fact: kzbin.info/aero/PLzG_3q50DuPnorgp2Fhr7Qyp2P70Qrjtv Wake the fuck up already.... Michelle.

[@RaeNapier64]

Personally I reckon Coraline’s cat is meowpheus (cat dream) or something similar to him, an entity that can take whichever form it likes and isn’t good nor evil, it simply is

[@Auron1Roxas2]

@@RaeNapier64 Meowpheus haha I like that!

[@2Ten1Ryu]

I also think, the fact that the cat doesn't have a name implicates that it is somehow immune to or above the Beldam's powers. It has no name, so she can't take it away like she did with the children. The cat knows what is what and therefore isn't susceptible to any kind of manipulation and can come and go as it pleases. Maybe it is some kind of metaphor for self-confidence and self-reliance, because that's makes Coraline stand up to the Beldam in the end. And after that, the cat really seems to accept the friendship with Coraline, whereas before it seemed kind of annoyed by her sometimes. To me, that implies that Coraline has grown and is now more on a level with the cat. Oh yeah, and the cat's voice that sound like the voice in the back of Coraline's head? I think it is her voice, in some way. It says in the book, it is like the voice in her head but male. When I think about the own voice in my head, I am not sure what gender it has. It depends. I often hear words spoken by other people in my head. So the cat's voice could be Coraline's voice, too.

[@tayloranderson7547]

For real life

[@Danikoshii]

Love the detail of the cat letting Coraline pet his belly at the end of the story. Cats don't actually like belly pets like dogs because it's a vunerable area they protect when in fights. So the cat letting Coraline pet such a vulnerable spot for him shows they've really become close

[@chimemorris5488]

My cats actually enjoy them. My orange one will lure my hand or foot in with his and then play bite either my hand or foot.

[@asdfghjkl3003]

Please do the grandmother next. I'm really interested in her history and what happened to her sister.

[@gamerstheater1187]

He already did a deep dive into her in Wybee's video

[@hannahthrupp9399]

@Firedemongaming And Wybie only appears in the movie if my memory serves me correctly. So everything we know about the grandmother is in the movie. And Wybies grandmother has little screen time and the only info about her is just the stuff about her sister.

[@junehoornweg18]

Yes! I was hoping that someone would say ask it

[@simsgirlgem]

Oh I would love to see a video on her and how she might have let coraline and her family move in to distract the beldam away from wyby

[@KikiW89]

I'm sure the Second Mom took his Grandmother Twin.

[@cheesecakewhispers7993]

I really like the idea of the cat being to opposite entity to the beldom, like it and the turtle, guiding the children to escape. Maybe old enemies but ancient creatures.

[@TheJayden3977]

The Beldam and IT are so similar in lots of ways when you think about it.

[@monikacigerova6850]

I think the cat is Morpheus, The lord of the dreams

[@freebird264]

My theory is that the Cat is the Beldam's former pet. The Beldam is clearly like a witch, and witches often have a cat as a pet (or an owl, toad, rat, snake, etc.) So what if she created her own cat and used it to entice children into her world and gave him the abilities to speak in her world and teleport between worlds freely like her dolls. However, after Ms. Lovatt's sister was abducted, the Cat recognised the damage he was causing as Wybie's grandma no doubt mourned the loss of her sister. Thus, the Cat developed a conscience and broke off his allegiance to the Beldam - resulting in a fight that caused him to lose a bit of his ear. He then stayed mostly in the real world rather than the Other World, and slowly growing his own soul, causing his button eyes to fall out as real ones grew in. He then made it his mission to torment the Beldam and wait for another child to come along whom he could assist in destroying the Beldam once and for all.

[@tayloredwards4968]

By far the most mysterious character in the movie and the book. We don't know where he comes from. Most importantly how he's able to talk or even knows what the other mother is 🐈‍⬛

[@thebananagamer56]

If I had a nickel for every time Keith David played a creepy cat I'd have 2 nickels, which isn't much but it's weird it happened twice

[@ejsmith5838]

Lol

[@monarchminnie5827]

I love that reference

[@SilverSnook7966]

Now three nickels he's playing Husk from Hazbin Hotel

[@rockettbennett]

@@SilverSnook7966Damn he fell off.

[@edge_58342]

​@SilverSnook7966 But Husk is not creepy, just a grumpy drunk

[@kittykatgaming2237]

I love reading the book and watching the movie. That cat has always been my favorite character

[@benihime1]

Coraline traumatised me as a kid.. i can still remember the creepy soundtracks.. what a masterpiece this cartoon was

[@kelsey2333]

I love the cat and honestly anything coraline. I was so obsessed that I read the book as a 26 year old. It was to easy and simple for it to be super interesting to me unfortunately but the movie is still one of my favorites of all time. But I will say the book does add some cool details for sure

[@tayloranderson7547]

For real life is that so true

[@MissLaBoeuf]

This is probably a really dumb question, but how do you do your background art? I've always loved the 'drawing on a chalkboard' look

[@gamerstheater1187]

I think he used Adobe or some drawing platform

[@kassykreutzer6972]

Mee too

[@offspringfan89]

Definitely not a dumb question.

[@themysteriousunknownrevealed]

I do love these chalk drawings in the BG

[@wannabecartoonist7389]

I can’t speak for the others,but I’m an avid watcher of The Theorizer and while his Coraline theories may seem outlandish on the outside,in a lot of areas they’re frighteningly plausible and where they’re not they’re incredibly interesting and creepy to make up for it

[@crow_g1639]

tHeOrIzEr

[@wannabecartoonist7389]

@@crow_g1639 ?

[@bekleedee]

I can't recall how many times I've watched his big Coraline theory video. They're fun.

[@wannabecartoonist7389]

@@bekleedee really fun

[@lights_utopia1130]

@@bekleedee mhm

[@talibhussain5357]

There need to be Coraline 2, with lots of backstory! Your theories are always great

[@crow_g1639]

Nah they woulf ruin it rather stay like thst

[@crow_g1639]

Plus this movies are like alot of years of work

[@tiannaspence9671]

I used to think this too but what would even be the plot of the second one? I rewatched analyzed this movie many times but now I feel like the story is finished

[@Pualowkey]

Or just a movie called beldam about the beldams past

[@NoxDolore]

No.. This movie is good as is.

[@DriedVix]

One of my favorite books! The movie got me into the horror genre. Thank you for going back to this book! Your original 'Other Mother' video is what got me to buy the audio book.

[@amyrobinson7567]

The cat disappearing at the end was always so amazing! I always thought it implied the cat was evil and actually on the Beldam’s side or if it meant there were other worlds, portals, and baddies other than the Beldam. Likely it may mean nothing and just a creepy ending for the film. It does not matter how many times I watch Coraline, it is a great film.

[@ChiliDUDE27]

You know what I'd really like to see? A horror history episode on Courage the Cowardly Dog.

[@blo0dysmiles297]

"I'm not like those crazy Coraline KZbinrs" does exactly what they do.

[@blo0dysmiles297]

If you actually read the Arthur's other books he has a thing with cats there just creatures that can go between worlds in his books.

[@justineharper3346]

Anytime someone ends a video with “I’ll see you in the next one”, my brain automatically adds “Assuming we both survive” 😂

[@mathieuleader8601]

I like how Gaiman himself voiced the cat in Coralisa the parody of Coraline in one of the later treehouses of horror from the Simpsons

[@smartwateryttv4610]

The Cat's origin story always intrigued me with its sparks of mystery and possibilities. You never fail to captivate my interest with your analyses and knowledge of the characters in your videos! I have seen numerous theories regarding this snarky feline and his past and I agree with yours (that the Cat was once human and tried to interfere with the Beldam's plans to steal a soul of a kid, resulting in him being turned into a cat), and I want to add on. My theory is that the Cat is the blood relative of another relevant character in the story. As absurd as it may seem, I reckon he was the older brother of Goth Ghost Girl, whom he witnessed grotesquely getting her soul pillaged by a horrifying monster. It's possible that the young girl got in trouble by her real mother and was punished. The elder brother pitied her, but his hubris kept him silent and still. Later, at night, he caught sight of his sister sneaking downstairs. He followed her, astonished to find a passageway behind the former sealed door. He soon discovered the Other World and a humanoid figure- freakishly identical his mother with the exception of her button eyes- holding a needle and yarn. He further scans to see his 10-year-old blonde sister sitting by the dining table, smiling dreamily as if she was invited to a royal ball. Eavesdropping on their conversation, he learns that the creep was going to sew buttons on his sweet sister's eyes. Without hesitation, the lad attempted to prevent this and protect his sister- but failed miserably, resulting in losing his only sister. Considering all the Beldam's victims of children and she didn't feed on Coraline's parents' souls- it's safe to assume that souls "expire" as they grow out of childhood. Therefore, transforming him into a cat, living the rest of his unfortunate life with grief and resentment. The Cat also helped Coraline retrieve the marble containing the soul of Goth Ghost Girl, so if we go by my theory then that would not only mean that he redeemed his past failure in saving her, but also avenged his sweet little sister by helping Coraline defeat the Beldam.

[@fellsgaminghub8196]

Yeessssss, the poll was overwhelming wanting the backstory of the cat, and omg your interpretation is much more... Likely I guess I should say as it makes a lot of sense unlike other channels interpretation.

[@crow_g1639]

Fr

[@Nevae_696]

It does

[@babystone42]

This is the only class I pay attention in 😂 also when I asked my cat if I have dominion over him bc I named him he just kinda blinked at me which freaked me out within the context of this video 😅

[@villainousextremity]

Wow never thought to get another horror history from Coraline but glad you made it. To me the cat is more than just a cat if he's smarter than the average cat.

[@blizzard_0f_0z]

the cat has always been my favorite. reading the book and watching the movie has always been a has always been one of my favorite things too do

[@gamerstheater1187]

fun fact: when a cat blinks at you it's their way of saying "I love you"

[@hannahelorie2527]

It was this channel that introduced me to Coraline. It was one of the best animated movies I'd ever seen. And yes it dipped its toes in horror. I loved it! Ty CZ👍

[@nat6219]

Considering how the cat is able to go through portals into the Beldam’s world, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was able to travel to the holiday worlds in Nightmare before Christmas.

[@valenciageode25]

I’ve watched two many of these. I tried to mentally create a timeline for one of my characters (writer here) and I imagined CZ narrating.

[@BuggIg]

when cats allow you to pet their belly that means they trust you, The Cat Trusted Coraline to Pet his Most Sensitive Body Part, and That is Friendship

[@whatevertjyt7071]

Let's go another theory on Coraline this is my favorite movie theory.

[@bigbrainstudios8706]

i love how coraline is on horror history, it gave me nightmares when I was a little nugget

[@chubby_deity3143]

I don't quite get how/why the Beldam is afraid of the cat, especially if he was a human that was turned into a cat by HER magic. Was there any indication that there was another powerful entity in the Other World and that maybe the Beldam destroyed or something? I think if such a creature exist and that the cat was a familiar of of THAT creature could make more sense to me.

[@crow_g1639]

Just a theory

[@gamerstheater1187]

I think it's cause Cats are a prime figure used to counter supernatural creatures in many myths and legends. Also cats are usually associated with witches so many this is a subversion of that cliche

[@chubby_deity3143]

@@gamerstheater1187 then why would the Beldam choose a cat of all the things she can turn him into?

[@Nevae_696]

@@chubby_deity3143 well in the book the door was actually normal sized like a hallway don’t remember at which point this happened in the story but when coralline was going threw the hallway she ran her hand against the wall and said that it felt like the inside of someone mouth and also the hallway seemed to get longer like it was trying to keep her in almost like it was swallowing her I’ve heard a theory that the other world might actually be a ancient creatures so you’re right about there being a powerful entity but if the cat was it’s familiar it would be trying to keep coralline in not help her escape ( I’m so sorry this is so long )

[@kyoka1528]

@@chubby_deity3143 Maybe the Beldam didn't exactly choose. She turned him but, it's possible that she didn't have the choice. Maybe it was a rule of turning a living person into an animal that it has to be what an animal the spellcaster fears. Magic has rules in almost every story - that's the same for Coraline. It's established the Other Mother needs Coraline to give her permission to sew buttoms over her eyes. The Other Mother has boundaries she cannot cross. Edit: Spelling

[@XiiaoJen]

I love horror history, Coraline is my favorite. Can’t wait for future horror history episodes!!

[@Redfernroses]

In many cultures Cats, owls, and few other animals can willingly pass through the veil between our reality and others. Just as themselves, as protectors, story tellers, and eyes.

[@almasantiago1100]

I absolutely LOVE your videos about the Coraline universe. Always so intriguing! I'm going to see it in theaters with my Lil one and I'm really excited!

[@sirrcarrtierr]

It’s good to see that your still making these ive been watching you for 4 years now

[@ImADoge]

Coraline will always be a master piece

[@itstheguyfromthething]

these are my favorite series, really love these!! keep it up!

[@nassimboussaadia6720]

Coraline was not made by Tim Burton.

[@gamerstheater1187]

He's just a loyal kitty helping his new owner

[@lilsshenanigans1091]

I was literally thinking about coraline for the past couple of days, such good timing 🖤

[@dollminatrix1375]

Love this, but the only sin you made is dogs aren’t better. They’re equal precious little fur babies 💖 cats and and dogs are lovely.

[@FreakishGeek]

Slow blinking, like how the cat blinks at Coraline, is a sign that the cat trusts and cares for you. This may be his way of showing he's trustworthy/means well as he guides her, as well as saying 'yes'.

[@Mripvanwinkle29o11]

This movies lore is super scary lol what a classic

[@KingOfTheClowns]

Coraline is one of my favorite movies. I still don't have the Funko Pops though.

[@Toft1815]

so happy to see this come up today! love coraline and any and all discussions relating to the story, so thank you for this!

[@nightshadowsstudios]

Yay a video on the coraline cat Thank you so so much for making this video 🥺👍💐⭐️

[@StelsunNwadinma]

Bro it’s always a good day when CZ, Dead Meat, or FoundFlix posts a video💯💯💯💯💯

[@Boazo]

Please do the grandmother next. I wanna know her history and what happened to her sister.

[@neevehasmultipleidentities]

Maybe the other mother tried to make the cat her familiar, since that’s why he can go through dimensions and isn’t harmed by the other mother

[@LouLou-vk5xm]

Because of this video I just watched the movie and listened to the audio book at work today. Thanks for the video!

[@dainapolchow4177]

Your videos are always a treat! Thanks for doing this one!

[@johnydsmithson6834]

Yes, yes, yes. Finally, what I've been waiting for more than anything is finally here.

[@lexmelsher9667]

now we 100% need mrs spink and mrs forcible (the ladies downstairs in the pink palace)

[@jamesgarrett8833]

Hey CZsWorld, I knew since I was a kid about black cats 🐈‍⬛ being associated with witchcraft, but I never knew black cats have always been link to the supernatural since the ancient times. Shocking! So the way I learned about black cats being involved in witchcraft was from a show I watched as a kid, called Truth or Scare. The story goes a man was taking a walk one night, then a woman walk ahead of him and turns right. Theirs were torches there on the walk away to give them light to see in the dark. So moments after the lady turns right, the man could see her shadow being illuminated by the torches and saw her shadow turn into a cat, then that walk way the lady turned into, a black cat emerged from that walk away and headed off in the opposite direction and so the man turns right to see if the lady was still there, but she wasn’t and so the man walk a few more distances to see to find the lady, but he did not

[@ghazalalweish6388]

Finally a new coraline video! 🙏🏻

[@ghostiebaka2809]

Cat game was recently released and now we have cat video. Truly a blessed time for cat fans

[@bette7125]

I remember going to see Coraline on Valentine’s Day when I was 15 (for a date) at the theater. I was so excited, and I still love this movie/book

[@tinapuddin9923]

I think I've watched Coraline now at least 10 times since watching your videos...lol.

[@goofyahbiii1819]

Love the coralline videos

[@keenman4]

It's a stretch with your theory, but leaves more questions. What I believe is The Cat is the fourth child that the other mother took. Other mother mentioned "I even broke the strongest of will" and that the three ghost children's doesn't show any sign of "Strong Will" as Coraline. Which leads to The Cat because The Other Mother knows about the Cat and hates him maybe for escaping the other world or foiling her plans in capturing children's which will explain about the "Game" The Cat mentioned. The cat knows basically everything of the other world and the other mother of her wicked ways and entry points where he can enter and leave freely from the other world. I believe there is the First Child that have been taken and his soul been put into a cats body instead of using buttons to keep his soul there. The Cats "Game" must be when he was human when he made a game deal with the other mother and it still continues even when Coraline enters.

[@wolfstarwolfmoon3543]

Do you think that the black cat could be the original owner of the Otherworld? That could explain why he knows so much about it and can travel freely through it.

[@TeddyBear-pm4qq]

I refuse to ever watch Coraline again but I remember the cat being the only character i understood and that just explains a lot about me

[@felis_blackcat]

Finally, something that has evidence unlike some "guessing theory" out there. They just make no sense to me. They're just guessing.

[@MyUniiverse]

“I see a giraffe” “you have a tall handsome beast in your future” loved that

[@Gremlin_Goods]

Love it! Would you consider doing one on Paranorman?

[@Spritzkrieg]

I always liked the cat. I liked him a lot more when I realized his animated form was voiced by the same dude who voiced the Arbiter

[@gutta-kidd-la412]

I like how bro put in a clip of the theorizer, his tangents are such an insane rabbit hole

[@ThatSavageKitchen]

I’ve been waiting for another Coraline video

[@fd3]

Have to done any Paranorman videos? There’s so much lore and Halloween-creepy themes :) A video on Agatha would be amazing! 🙂 Almost indispensable!!

[@celestial4120]

Wow ur amazing !! Ur insight to movies is like no other ✨✨✨

[@arifhossain9751]

Ayyyy my boy Theorizer got some screentime in the video.

[@dohtollen]

Lovely video and theory! What if you do the history of Mrs/Ms. Lovat? (Aka Wybie's grandma)

[@sugarcanes]

The video we never knew we needed

[@albatora]

OMG! Posts about next character on community posts and uploads the SAME DAY? Don't burn out but amazing video time to binge a ton again xD

[@mangocoffee510]

I always assumed the cat was some other kind of benevolent entity that is able to access the otherworld.

[@livingwithautism3789]

I always assumed the cat was some other kind of benevolent entity that is able to access the otherworld.

[@KatCash318]

The cat with button eyes is terrifying enough as it is

[@abloogywoogywoo]

There's the theory he's the creator of Coraline's world, which explains why he wants the children's souls back.

[@amberberezanski4335]

Never get tired of your content ❤️

[@SkySkytheScienceGuy]

DUDE I LOVE CORALINE AND I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS SO THIS IS FUCKING AMAZINGGGGG

[@scibus2593]

My theory is that the cat is just a cat. Cats are magic, every cat butler knows this. So in a sense he is just a cat, but he is also not because no cat is JUST a cat.

[@EvonneLindiwe]

Keith David being the voice surprised me.😊

[@nightpolecat7121]

I have been waiting for this video

[@jamesgarrett8833]

Hey CZsWorld, I never knew about these fan theories about the cat, but I am not surprised because I seen videos on other fan Theory. So I wanted to ask, did you hope when you were younger that someday they would make a sequel to Coraline exploring more about the cat 🐈‍⬛?

[@jorgyt754]

I personally the think that the Cat is Coraline's great grandfather who's also the ex of the Beldam who is actually her great great great grandmother who gave birth to Wybie.

[@rakeshpatel6637]

That Alinity dig just about killed me... good one.

[@kingemo7806]

I did my own version of Caroline story inspired by the audio horror story I need to go back and turn into into a animation since the story been up since last year. I thought about doing a part two to the story showing why they don't like the pink house and how they got haunted just never got around to writing it out i also wanted to do something on what happened to the ghost kids before they became a ghost i added raven from teen titans to the story

[@akshithabalamurugan1190]

i was scared when i saw it first time,i had nightmares for years,and i finally saw it when i was 15. yes,coraline is traumatising, and the worst part is that my parents will scare me by saying "if you dont listen to us that creepy ghost will come out of our wardrobe and take you away" .they did this to me when i was 5,yes TO A 5 YEAR OLD!!

[@HeatherNickless-vt8zr]

I think the original model for the cats from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Coraline" came from the film short "Vincent", which can be viewed in the bonus features of "The Nightmare Before Christmas", although, it was seen as more of a sleek silhouette cat than an actual character, except it was a female cat in "Vincent" while the Cats in the other two films are very much male.

[@sp4c3k1dz]

5:44 IM ORBITING U KNOW MAYDAY PARADE 😍😍

[@aarons6935]

On the coraline wiki, the theorizers' theories have basically become canon.

[@ktlady]

Not coraline channeling alinity omg i laughed way to hard at that 🤣🤣🤣

[@robyn00xx]

The mayday parade reference threw me for a whiplash lol haven’t listened to them since highschool

[@mogwiawolf4354]

Love this cat

[@fuchsia5899]

Yay more coraline😆

[@Bigtiddiegof666]

Maybe the cat is just that…A cat…They have been known to travel between realms in many tales…

[@yvngMV117]

YESSS THANK YOU CZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@lizzay6037]

The only class I can pay attention in

[@RebeccaO619]

Great video. I have no freaking clue how I picked up on the cat blinking indicated he was saying “Yes” but have never noticed the chunk missing from his ear??? I own the movie and have seen like 12 times. Wtf.

[@jessiestinks]

just when i think the coraline line videos are done you pull out another one!