The Role and Relevance of Jones the Cat in 'Alien'

From my guess, there’s always something for humans to take care of in the loneliest areas we explore. It helps with mental health. Usually, a plant is the cheapest and easiest to take care of, but a cat is more interesting and allows for better plot development.

The Importance of Jones

Every spaceship, according to the movie 'Alien,' is incomplete without him and a blessing is lacking in the spirit.

Also, plot. Jones is someone for Ripley to rescue who isn't going to be doing any rescuing back. A bit like the little girl in 'Aliens,' but with better whiskers. Not that Jones does badly against the alien menace; you could say the same about the little girl.

Functions of the Cat

The cat, Jones, provides several useful functions in the movie, 'Alien.'

Truckers in Space

First, the crew of the Nostromo are not shiny futuristic crewmembers like in Star Trek. They are basically truckers in space, badly paid, badly treated, and pretty rough around the edges.

Cats have traditionally been carried on long sea voyages to keep down the population of rats which were otherwise impossible to control. The presence of a cat on the Nostromo indicates either 1) there is still a rat problem on long voyages or 2) the Company doesn’t care what you bring on board as long as you get the cargo home. Either way, it further indicates that the Company cares more for the cargo than for its people.

Upping the Drama

Second, the cat provides several opportunities to crank up the drama by confusing the motion trackers and by causing Brett’s career to come to an abrupt end when he goes looking for it, "Heeeeere kittykittykitty!"

I didn’t get the impression that the cat belonged to Ripley; I thought he was just the ship's cat. However, Ripley's successful rescue of the cat definitely helped her to feel better afterward and provides a slight consolation after everything else she has been through. Hence, a bit of closure for the audience as well.

Two Reasons for Jones

Company. Pets, especially cats, are very comforting.

Rodents. Any vessel, no matter its size, has problems with rats and mice that always find their way on board. Where there are crew, there have to be food supplies. Rats, when food goes short, start chewing on things like cables, which is a bad thing in deep space. Despite many rat-trap inventions, one of the most effective ways to deal with the rat problem is the hunter superbly evolved to combat them—the humble cat.

Conclusion

The cat, Jones, in 'Alien' serves a multifaceted role—both in the practical sense, addressing the need to manage rats, and in the plot sense, providing emotional comfort and adding layers of drama.

By integrating Jones into the narrative, the filmmakers added depth to the crew dynamics and underscored the importance of mental health and comfort in isolated environments. The cat’s presence and subsequent rescue clearly serve as a plot device to enhance both character development and audience engagement.