Honestly, you’re making your way through the Last Resort hotel, feeling like a total boss because you just vacuumed up a boss ghost, and then it happens. That purple tail flickers. The elevator button you just fought for? Gone. If you’ve played through the middle and late stages of the game, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Luigi’s Mansion 3 Polterkitty is essentially the game's way of saying, "Wait, don't leave yet!" It is a polarizing mechanic that forces a game-wide game of hide-and-seek, and while some players find it a charming break from the puzzles, others—to put it bluntly—find it a tedious pace-killer.
The Polterkitty isn’t just some random environmental hazard. It is a spectral feline owned by Hellen Gravely, the main antagonist who trapped Mario and the gang in the first place. This cat is basically a recurring mini-boss that shows up at the worst possible times to steal your progress. You finally beat the Godzilla-parodying boss on the Paranormal Productions floor, and just as you're about to celebrate, the cat swops in. It's frustrating. It's meant to be. But there is a very specific logic to how you track this ghost down, and if you don't know the cues, you'll spend hours wandering empty hallways.
The Mechanics of the Chase
The Polterkitty shows up twice: once after Floor 8 (Paranormal Productions) and again after Floor 13 (The Gym). Each time, it steals an elevator button and retreats to a previous floor. This isn't just a simple "walk into a room and find it" situation. The cat is smart. Or, at least, programmed to be annoying. You have to use the Dark-Light Bulb to track its paw prints. These glowing purple prints are your only real guide through the backtracking sections.
Here is the thing about the Polterkitty encounters that messes people up: you can’t just vacuum it. When you find it, it usually hides in something—a piece of luggage, a plant, a cabinet. You have to use the Suction Shot or the Burst move to scare it out. Once it’s exposed, it transforms into a larger, multi-tailed beast. This is where the real fight starts, and it requires a level of patience that the rest of the game doesn't necessarily prepare you for.
Most ghosts in this game are aggressive. They come at you. The Polterkitty is the opposite. It is a master of the "wait and strike." It will climb up to high ground—usually a wardrobe or a rafter—and watch Luigi. If you try to flash your Strobulb while it’s looking at you, it will just cover its eyes with its paws. It’s a literal cat-and-mouse game where you are the mouse. You have to turn your back. You have to lure it into thinking you’re vulnerable. Only when it creeps down and prepares to pounce do you turn around and flash the light.
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Why the Backtracking Divides the Fanbase
Backtracking is a dirty word in modern gaming for a lot of people. When Next Level Games designed the Polterkitty segments, they were clearly trying to maximize the utility of the hotel's elaborate environments. Why build a beautiful, intricate movie studio floor if the player only sees it once? By sending you back to Floor 7 or Floor 14, the developers force you to look at these spaces through a different lens.
However, some critics argue this is "padding." It's a way to stretch a 12-hour game into a 15-hour game without adding entirely new assets. Is it padding? Maybe. But it also serves a narrative purpose. Hellen Gravely is desperate. She knows Luigi is winning. Sending her pet to harass him is a very "villainous" move. It feels personal.
I’ve seen players on Reddit and ResetEra get genuinely heated about the second Polterkitty encounter. By the time you hit the late-game, you’re ready for the finale. You want to save Mario. You want to face King Boo. Having to go back and find a cat across three different floors feels like a speed bump. But there is a nuance here—the Polterkitty fights are some of the only times Luigi’s Mansion 3 feels like a true "hunt" rather than just a series of combat arenas.
Tracking Tips Most People Miss
- Listen to the HD Rumble: The Switch controllers actually give you a subtle vibration cue when you’re near the cat’s hiding spot.
- Watch the Ears: When the cat is on a ledge, its ears will twitch right before it pounces. If you flash too early, it resets the cycle.
- Gooigi is a Bait: Sometimes, using Gooigi to stand in the open while Luigi hides behind a pillar is the easiest way to trigger the pounce animation.
- Check the Ceiling: In the Garden Suites, the cat loves the rafters. If you can't find prints on the floor, look up.
The Visual Storytelling of a Ghost Cat
One thing everyone can agree on is that the Polterkitty is incredibly well-animated. Nintendo and Next Level Games nailed the feline movement. The way it stretches, the way it hisses, and even the way it preens its spectral fur—it feels like a real cat, just, you know, dead. It adds a layer of personality to the hotel that the generic "Goob" ghosts just don't have.
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There's also a tragic element if you look closely. The Polterkitty is clearly loyal to Hellen, but Hellen is a nightmare. The cat is doing her bidding, acting as a barrier between Luigi and the truth of the hotel. When you finally defeat it for the last time and retrieve the final button, it doesn't even "die" in the traditional sense; it just retreats, defeated and tired. It’s one of the few ghosts in the game that feels like it has a life outside of just being a target for your vacuum.
The boss fight on the 13th-floor gym is particularly memorable because of the scale. The cat grows larger, the stakes feel higher, and the environment is more open. It’s a test of everything you’ve learned about the Strobulb’s timing. If you’re rushing, you’ll fail. This is the game’s way of telling you to slow down and pay attention to the boss's patterns.
Actionable Steps for Beating Polterkitty Quickly
If you're currently stuck or just want to get through these segments as fast as possible to see the ending, follow this workflow.
Phase 1: The Initial Scent
Follow the paw prints immediately upon losing the button. Don't stop to collect coins or pearls. The cat's path is scripted. If you are on Floor 8, it will lead you toward the Studio 3 entrance. Use the Dark-Light frequently, but don't hold it until it overheats.
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Phase 2: The Flushing
When the prints stop at an object (like a trash can or a box), use the Suction Shot (Y button) to yank it or the Burst (L+R) to rattle it. The cat will jump out. Don't try to flash it yet; it will just run to a different room. Follow it until it reaches a "combat room"—usually a large area with overhead beams.
Phase 3: The Lure
This is where most people get stuck for 20 minutes. Stop chasing it. Stand in the center of the room and face away from the cat. Wait for it to move from its perch. You will hear a distinct growling sound that gets louder as it approaches. When the growl reaches a peak and the cat raises its claws, spin around and tap A.
Phase 4: The Slam
Once the cat is stunned, vacuum its tail. You need to do this three times across different floors to fully "defeat" it for that segment. Remember that after the first slam, it will flee to a different floor entirely. Check the elevator; E. Gadd will usually chime in with a hint about where it went.
The Polterkitty is a hurdle, but it's a hurdle with a lot of character. It forces you to be a detective, not just a ghostbuster. While it might feel like a chore the second time around, mastering the "look away" tactic makes the encounter go from a frustrating loop to a satisfying victory. Stop chasing, start baiting, and you'll have that elevator button back in no time.
Go back to the elevator, check the map for the "purple aura" rooms, and use the Gooigi-distraction method if your timing with the Strobulb is off. Most players find that once they stop treating it like a standard ghost fight and start treating it like a stealth mission, the Polterkitty segments become significantly more manageable and far less of a headache.