Are ‘Christmas at the Catnip Cafe’ & ‘The Nine Lives of Christmas’ in the Same Universe?

Are the movies connected?

Fans speculate that “Christmas at the Catnip Cafe” and “The Nine Lives of Christmas” may share a single fictional universe because of a playful cameo and specific dialogue that echoes earlier Hallmark movies. The connection is not officially confirmed on screen but is strongly hinted through character references and in‑jokes familiar to viewers.

Kimberley Sustad’s cameo

In “Christmas at the Catnip Cafe,” Kimberley Sustad briefly appears as an unnamed woman who chats with Ben while holding a cat during an event at the café. Her character comments that she loves cats and mentions having “a fireman” at home, suggesting a personal link to a firefighter.

“You should really think about adding a fireman to the whole thing… Cats and a man in uniform. I have one at home. Two, maybe three.”

This line sounds like more than a throwaway joke, especially to viewers who recognize Sustad’s earlier Hallmark role.

Link to “The Nine Lives of Christmas”

Sustad previously starred in Hallmark’s “The Nine Lives of Christmas” (2014) and its sequel “The Nine Kittens of Christmas” (2021) as Marilee, a veterinary student who later becomes a veterinarian and falls in love with firefighter Zachary, played by Brandon Routh. By mentioning a fireman at home while cuddling a cat, the cameo seems to nod directly to Marilee’s relationship with Zachary and their shared love of animals.

In the sequel, Marilee and Zachary reunite after a breakup, adopt a kitten together, and end the film engaged, implying that they continue building a life together with pets and his firefighting career. The Catnip Cafe cameo can therefore be read as an informal update that Marilee is still with her firefighter partner, now offscreen but still part of her life.

Shared Hallmark “universe” idea

Hallmark has increasingly embraced recurring actors, cameos, and Easter eggs, creating a loose sense of shared continuity across several Christmas movies. In this context, Sustad’s cameo functions as both fan service and a subtle bridge between the cozy worlds of cat‑themed holiday romances.

Paul Campbell, who stars as Ben in “Christmas at the Catnip Cafe,” also appeared in “The Nine Kittens of Christmas” in a small firefighter role helping Marilee with a kitten, reinforcing the impression of overlapping characters and settings. These cross‑appearances strengthen the idea of an interconnected Hallmark realm rather than isolated standalone stories.

Is it the same universe?

If Sustad’s cameo is treated as Marilee appearing under a different name (or simply uncredited as herself), then “Christmas at the Catnip Cafe” effectively provides a brief status update on Marilee and Zachary’s romance from “The Nine Lives of Christmas.” However, because the film never explicitly calls her “Marilee,” some viewers interpret it as a meta‑reference rather than a strict canonical crossover.

Many fans enjoy assuming that the character is indeed Marilee, which places both cat‑centered stories in the same universe where firefighters, veterinarians, and rescue cats keep reappearing. Others see it as a wink to long‑time Hallmark watchers without fully merging the storylines, leaving room for personal interpretation.

Brief plots for context

“The Nine Lives of Christmas” follows firefighter Zachary and vet student Marilee, whose lives intersect thanks to a stray cat and shared holiday spirit, eventually leading to romance.
“The Nine Kittens of Christmas” revisits them years later as they reunite to re‑home a box of kittens, confront past choices, and end up engaged, suggesting a stable future together.
“Christmas at the Catnip Cafe” centers on Ben, a veterinarian, and Olivia, a marketing executive, who jointly inherit a cat café and clash over its direction before gradually falling for each other.

These premises share themes of animal rescue, cozy small‑town vibes, and holiday romance, making the cameo‑driven crossover feel natural rather than forced.

Fan questions and possibilities

Viewers continue to debate whether Sustad’s Catnip Cafe character is definitively Marilee and whether Hallmark might return to Marilee and Zachary in a future installment. The cameo invites this speculation by blending her prior narrative—vet plus firefighter plus cats—into a new setting without resolving it on screen.

Some fans hope for another film that would reunite Kimberley Sustad and Brandon Routh, potentially acknowledging the Catnip Cafe cameo and solidifying the shared universe. Until then, the connection remains an intentional Easter egg that effectively links the two stories for audiences who want them to coexist in the same Hallmark holiday world.

For now, the safest interpretation is that the movies occupy a gently overlapping Hallmark multiverse, with cats and firefighters as the recurring glue rather than a fully mapped, rigid canon.

Author’s summary: The cameo in “Christmas at the Catnip Cafe” strongly hints, but never states outright, that it shares a universe with “The Nine Lives of Christmas,” letting fans decide how tightly the stories connect.

IMDb — 2025-12-01