User blog comment:ShawnCognitionCP/Alien: The Horror God, and if You've Been Influenced/@comment-26030957-20150227052405/@comment-27007772-20150228045639

Well, the cat was something she brought along to fill the void of her leaving her daughter. Hence why she was so protective of it. She saves the cat, but finds our her daughter is dead in the intro of Aliens, completing the theme of "The Aliens always win, everyone will die, they will ruin your life".