Of Cats and Women (2007): A Belgian Short Film About a Woman Who Steals Her Ex-Boyfriend’s Cat
Of Cats & Women (2007) is a twisted 12-minute Belgian short film about a woman who steals her ex’s cat to get back at him.
Of Cats and Women
Director: Jonas Govaerts
Country: Belgium
Adapted from a short story by Scottish author Laura Hird, Of Cats & Women is one of the early short films by Belgian director Jonas Govaerts.
At the time, Govaerts was primarily the guitarist for the popular metal-pop band The Hickey Underworld, which he was part of from 2006 to 2014.
Seven years later, he made his feature film debut with Cub aka Welp, catapulting him to local stardom and gaining international recognition.
The Belgian amusement park Bobbejaanland even features a haunted attraction inspired by Cub.
Since then, Govaerts has expanded his repertoire, including the TV shows Tabula Rasa (2017) and Amsterdam Empire (2025), as well as the feature film H4z4rd (2022).
He has also contributed essays to the movie reference guides When Animals Attack: The 70 Best Horror Movies With Killer Animals and Evil Seeds: The Ultimate Movie Guide to Villainous Children.
Plot Overview: A Jealous Ex and a Stolen Cat
Of Cats and Women takes place in a quiet suburban neighborhood.
Ariel (Marijke Pinoy) is left alone after her lover, Bart (Herman Gillis), runs off with a younger woman, Eefje (Maaike Neuville).
Consumed by jealousy, Ariel relentlessly stalks and phones the new couple.
When Bart and Eefje change their number, Ariel becomes even more unhinged.
One night, she lures their white Persian cat, Dario, outside with some food and kidnaps him to get back at her ex-lover and his new girlfriend.
The cat makes it clear he is not happy with the situation. He pees in inappropriate places, growls, runs, hides, and scratches Ariel.
Bart calls his ex-partner, asking if she has seen his cat. She pretends to know nothing, but the scene intercuts with flashbacks of her actions.
We see Ariel slamming Dario (a dummy, not a real cat) against the wall several times, leaving an ever-growing blood stain.
She then leaves the cat’s corpse in the middle of the road and drives over it. There is little left of the once-fluffy Dario.
Ariel then calls Eefje to apologize for the excessive calls and invites her for coffee.
The film ends with the “missing cat” announcement in the street, replaced by a “missing person” report for Eefje.
Unhinged and Efficient
The violence against the cat is unsettling, but it is so over the top that it is also hilarious. It is black comedy at its peak—unhinged, brutal, and relentless.
Despite being one of Govaerts’ early works, it is clear why he would become a star director. He proves he can tell an engaging story in just 12 minutes with a minimal budget. The film is somewhat reminiscent of early Dick Maas shorts, but he also frequently references Alfred Hitchcock, especially in color coding and psychology. Of Cats & Women exemplifies what it takes to create a memorable short film.
It is a potent reminder that the worst kind of revenge is to kidnap and torture someone’s cat.
Final Thoughts
Have you watched Of Cats and Women (2007)? Or did this article put it on your radar? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
If you’re looking for another standout Belgian cat movie, be sure to watch Sirocco and the Kingdom of the Winds (2023).
Also check out all the other short cat movies.
Watch Of Cats and Women on YouTube
About the Author
Vanessa Morgan is the editor of When Animals Attack: The 70 Best Horror Movies with Killer
Discover even more cat movies in Meow! Cats in Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy Movies.
Even if it is a dummy in the most violent scenes, and I’m sure it is, this would be hard to watch.