# Are Cats Good or Evil? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 31, 2026, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050 "2026-07-31T13:35:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ynnad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4491bb/32.png) [@Ynnad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ynnad)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/1 "2026-07-31T13:35:25Z")
When my son was very young, he asked me if cats are good or evil. After careful deliberation, I concluded that cats are neither good nor evil. They are just cats. What do you all think? ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/2 "2026-07-31T13:45:43Z")
The conflation of self interest with evil is a human construct. Self interest in cats only stands out to us in contrast to the blind obedience of dogs. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/3 "2026-07-31T13:50:45Z")
In terms of D&D alignment they are Chaotic and neither good nor evil. In terms of theology, they are cats and neither Good or Evil. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/4 "2026-07-31T14:02:36Z")
Well, the pope loves cats. (He’s a catholic.) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/5 "2026-07-31T14:38:34Z")
Mostly agree. Good and Evil are _moral_ constructs. All lesser animals lack a moral sense. Or at least lack one we can discern or communicate with. Conceptually speaking, could there be moral non-human critters? Sure. Would they necessarily share our morality? Maybe, but probably not. Animals cannot be moral or immoral. Therefore they can’t be good or evil. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/6 "2026-07-31T14:38:42Z")
So does Dr. Evil. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/7 "2026-07-31T15:07:48Z")
Yes. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/8 "2026-07-31T15:16:31Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Good and Evil are _moral_ constructs. And human, social concepts, too. They are not absolute: there are large spreads between cultures. For example, in some cultures it might be considered correct (or even mandatory) to kill a man who raped your sister. A matter of honour. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/9 "2026-07-31T15:30:44Z")
What varies between societies, professions, or situations is ethics, not morals. Morals are absolute. And yes, I know that some will say “but people disagree about what’s moral!”. Yes. That’s because some people are wrong. ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/10 "2026-07-31T16:14:30Z")
could the OP be thinking about cats associated with witches, or bad-luck Black cats? ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/11 "2026-07-31T16:15:24Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > What varies between societies, professions, or situations is ethics, not morals. Morals are absolute. I get the distinction. But I would not agree that morals are absolute. There seems to be a general similarity among all human societies about a lot of things. Killing someone for no reason, for example, is universally regarded as undesirable. But I’d say there are practical reasons for this. Societies which don’t have such rules are probably not going to survive. But morality in an absolute philosophical sense? Where does that come from? I think we will just have to agree to differ here. @Chronos is, I gather, a Catholic, while I am an atheist. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/12 "2026-07-31T16:20:50Z")
_Cats_ the play was pretty good, but mindless. _Cats_ the movie, however, was definitely evil. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/13 "2026-07-31T17:08:10Z")
Yep. Definitely Chaotic Neutral. Although you can select a leopard as an Animal Companion once you level up enough. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/14 "2026-07-31T17:13:29Z")
I’d go with chaotic neutral too. (I’ve had cats as pets in the past and this seems the best description of them) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/15 "2026-07-31T17:13:41Z")
> [@fedman1](#): > > could the OP be thinking about cats associated with witches, or bad-luck Black cats? It was the OP’s “very young” son who actually asked the question, and inspired the OP to start the thread. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/16 "2026-07-31T17:14:59Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Although you can select a leopard as an Animal Companion I want a Kzin. If someone hasn’t paid for our services, we ‘send the boys around’ to take care of it. One Kzin is probably worth a squad of Chicago enforcers… ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/17 "2026-07-31T17:31:47Z")
Cats are mostly amoral. Some are evil. Maine coons however are righteous beasts. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/18 "2026-07-31T17:36:43Z")
How to say you have a Maine coon without saying you have a Maine coon. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/19 "2026-07-31T18:00:14Z")
The average cat is a much nicer person than the average human. Cats, therefore, are good. QED. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/20 "2026-07-31T18:10:53Z")
Cats are neither good nor evil. Most, however, are arrogant bastards. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050.md?page=2)