Why the name of the film?

The film is a sequel to the movie Cat People. That is the only reason, really. It uses characters from the previous film and shows their lives following the events of it. I absolutely loved everything about this movie except for the title. While it is a sequel to Cat People, the title makes it sound as if it's a horror movie and it isn't. It is a beautiful tale of loneliness and friendship.

Come, fly the teeth of the wind. Share my wings.

Alice got her husband through duplicity, and he always treated Irena like an unthinking clod. The result is that Oliver and Alice have a limited relationship without true intimacy, and this leaves them unable to understand and sympathize with their sensitive daughter. Perhaps this is the real "curse of the cat people".

Robert Osborne said in his TCM tribute to Val Lewton a few years ago that RKO Pictures wanted to get a sequel to Cat People out as quickly as possible, and they told producer Val Lewton that he could film any story that he wanted to, as long as he met schedule, stayed within budget, and titled it Curse of the Cat People. Val Lewton was the head of RKO's low-budget horror film unit.