Does Moussa the Cat Die in M.I.A?

In ‘M.I.A.,’ shortly after the mass homicide of her family, Etta Tiger Jonze has the good luck of running into some kind and helpful people who quickly take her under their wing. Lovely, a new illegal immigrant to Miami, Florida, saves the young woman’s life by dragging her out of the ocean and later takes her to her aunt Cheri’s house to crash. Lovely’s cousin, Stanley, and his trusty car remain crucial helpers in this endeavor. Although Stantley prefers having his own time and rarely gets involved with the two girls’ dangerous misadventures, he still becomes an integral part of their trio. Naturally, this means his beloved cat, Moussa, also remains a familiar face. On the flip side, the feline’s close connection to Etta, who seems to perpetually court trouble, leaves his fate on precarious grounds. SPOILERS AHEAD!

Moussa the Cat Meets a Grueling End

Moussa the cat is an instrumental companion for Stanley, whose neurodivergence and general aversion to social situations make him something of a loner. Still, between his cousin, Etta, and his emotional support cats, the young boy seems to have every friend he needs. For the same reason, his beloved pet’s safety and health are consistently one of his top priorities. Even so, in the end, he is unfortunately unable to save Moussa from a cruel fate. The area around Stanley’s mother’s house has been seeing more and more construction work lately. This is due to a development operation helmed by Caroline Rojases, a real estate mogul, who wants to build luxury accommodations in the area.

As a result, even Aunt Cheri’s next-door neighbors have surrendered their land, making it fertile ground for a pair of construction workers to rip apart. Early on in their arrival, these workers accidentally tear down Cheri’s fence and attempt to intimidate her out of seeking compensation. Nonetheless, Etta and her photographic memory of city laws quickly foil their plan. Consequently, the construction workers continue to hold a grudge against Cheri and the others since then. Eventually, they up the ante of their hostility and make a move to directly hurt Stanley. After Moussa the cat accidentally wanders into the neighboring property, the construction workers deliberately crush him to death.

Later, when a frantic Stanley comes looking for his pet, they ask him to look around until he inevitably finds Moussa’s remains in a trash can. Thus, the cat dies a horrific and needless death at the hands of two people who are searching for a power trip by abusing an innocent creature to cause his equally crimeless owner harm. Ultimately, Stanley ends up avenging Moussa’s death by spiraling into violence and fighting the two construction workers to death. In that time, Etta steps up to help him despite her recent argument with Lovely. She proves her friendship with Stanley by helping him dispose of the bodies. Furthermore, she’s there with him as a pillar of support while he mourns the death of his beloved friend, Moussa the cat.

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