The Sandman: A Dream of a Thousand Cats (S1.E11, 2022)

In the “A Dream of a Thousand Cats” episode of the Netflix series The Sandman, a Siamese cat learns that dreams can reshape reality.

Initially published in The Sandman Comics #18 (1990), the parable “A Dream of a Thousand Cats” is the two-part finale and the only animated episode of the first season of The Sandman Netflix series. What stands out is its striking visual style, crafted by director Hisko Hulsing, who blends actual oil paintings with traditional 2D animation and realistic computer-generated 3D imagery. This combination effectively captures the vivid, hallucinogenic atmosphere created by the original comic illustrators Kelly Jones, Malcolm Jones III, and color specialist Robbie Busch.

This episode marks the first time Dream (Tom Sturridge)—known as Lord Morpheus, King of Dreams and Nightmares, and one of the Seven Endless—remains in the background. Instead, the focus shifts to a young tabby kitten (voiced by Rosie Day), who attends its first late-night gathering in a secret graveyard where an unnamed feline prophet (Sandra Oh) shares its vision of a new world.

The pure-bred, registered blue-point Siamese’s life story is poignant and tragic. It tells of an unfair life shaped by consequences beyond one’s control. A wealthy couple initially welcomes the cat and rewards it with comfort and food in exchange for affection. However, the cat deluded itself into thinking they were equals, unaware that nature’s call for procreation is irresistible, even in an ideal life. It chose a strong, cat-shaped Morpheus as its mate, but to its human owners, this crossbreeding resulted in “worthless” half-breed kittens. When its humans drowned the kittens, the cat lost all trust in humanity. It realized that as long as it lived with humans, no cat could ever be truly free; it would always be subordinate. And so, it prayed to the night, the darkness, the King of Cats—and then it dreamed.

The cat envisioned finding wisdom, revelation, and justice for all cats. In its first encounter with a skull-faced bird (Neil Gaiman), it learns that justice is a delusion and wisdom has no place in the heart of the Dreaming. However, revelation is the province of Dream. The dead crow then tells the Siamese cat—soon to become a prophet—about a cave in the mountains where it can find “him.”

Though cats walk their own paths, the journey ahead is long and dangerous. The cat traverses the unholy fields of Wetness, Void, and Darkness, the Wood of Ghosts where the dead and lost children whisper, and the Cold Places where every step brings pain and torment. Alone and unsure of its purpose, the Siamese mother eventually arrives at the foot of the mountain, where it must convince the guardians—Wyvern, Pegasus, and Gryphon—to let it meet the Cat of Dreams. It vows not to leave until it has spoken with him. The protectors grant it passage, but not without warning that dreams always come with a price.

Entering the cave, the Siamese cat finds the Cat of Dreams, hoping it can provide enlightenment. The Cat of Dreams asks to look into its eyes, and by doing so, the Siamese sees a truth that transcends everything it ever imagined. In the eyes of Morpheus in cat form, it witnesses a world from long ago where giant cats ruled and domesticated humans, enslaving them or turning them into walking dinners.

The game between cats and humans continued for a long time—until one man, inspired by a powerful vision of a better, free world where cats were no longer hunted for amusement, rose against this life. For a long while, nothing changed. But one day, a thousand people shared the same vision. The next day, everything was different. Cats became small, and humans grew large. They became prey to dogs, humans, and their metal machines. Dreams shape the world; if enough beings share the same dream, it becomes reality.

The message is the same everywhere: dream it. Even if only a thousand of us exist, we can envision a peaceful world where no cats suffer. We can create a new universe where all cats are queens and kings of creation, and no kittens have to die alone and cold.

Awakening from its vision, the Siamese cat leaves its luxurious home and travels from place to place, preaching its dream to feral cats. It will continue spreading its message until their paradise is realized.

Most older cats are skeptical, but a young tabby kitten leaps off the tomb and tells the prophet it believes. The Siamese cat replies that this means there is hope.

Back home, the kitten’s humans watch it twitching in its sleep as if it were hunting.

This piece on the  “A Dream of a Thousand Cats” episode of the Netflix series The Sandman was previously published in the book Meow! Cats in Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy Movies.

About the author

SVEN DAEMS explores unorthodox art forms, compiles playlists for one of Europe’s oldest active jazz clubs (Hnita-Hoeve), and spins obscure DJ sets. When he is not learning to pronounce hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia, he is probably reading about art, music, film, bizarre food, alternative politics, philosophy, witchcraft, Philippine lore, and Japanese mythology. For over a decade, he ran his websites—Svn’s Corner and Svn’s Corky Corner—and recently launched a new digital platform, Svn’s Unsane Vortex. As a guest writer, Sven wrote articles about music, film, and art for different blogs, newspapers, and magazines. He also contributed essays to the books When Animals Attack: The 70 Best Horror Movies with Killer Animals, Strange Blood: 71 Essays on Offbeat and Underrated Vampire Movies, and Evil Seeds: The Ultimate Movie Guide to Villainous Children.