# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/41 "2026-07-31T22:40:56Z")
> [@Dorjan](#): > > Buddhism - Same as Shinto, symbols of luck. My Zen Buddhist teacher once offhandedly referred to cats as “children of Mara” and I laughed my ass off. Mara is famously the “demon” that taunted the Buddha when he was sitting under the Bodhi tree. Yes, I mean of course cats are evil. Everyone knows it. Even the New York Times. > **[Your Cat Is Being Nice? Think Again.](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/10/science/cat-grooming-licking-research.html?smid=nytcore-android-share)** > > A new study finds that sometimes cats groom each other specifically to be annoying. I don’t think I could love a dog the way I loved my cat. Dogs love you unconditionally. Cats love you on their own terms, while plotting your demise. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/42 "2026-07-31T22:59:23Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Cats love you on their own terms, while plotting your demise. I dunno, I knew and loved two cats that loved me and never wanted harm on me. They both chose me as their human, so there’s that. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/43 "2026-07-31T23:50:23Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > Well, the pope loves cats. > (He’s a catholic.) > [@markn\_1](#): > > So does Dr. Evil. And so does Don Corleone. ---
**Author:** ![Apodder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apodder/32/17727_2.png) [@Apodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apodder)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/44 "2026-08-01T01:27:46Z")
I’d say neither good nor evil, but they have psychopathic traits: From Wiki: " A psychopath is **a person with a personality disorder marked by a lack of empathy, a lack of remorse, and antisocial behavior**. They often use charm to fool others and act in bold or selfish ways." Sounds about right to me! 😆 ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/45 "2026-08-01T01:51:50Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Cats love you on their own terms, while plotting your demise. Exactly. Our dear departed cat gave us love and affection\[1\], but also would try and trip us on the stairs, hoping we’d fall to our deaths so he could eat our eyelids. Trying to kill something you love, which provides all your worldly needs, is evil. * * * 1. or had a failing thyroid and would snuggle purely to stay warm ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/46 "2026-08-01T02:12:52Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Self interest in cats only stands out to us in contrast to the blind obedience of dogs. I’m not going to insert myself in the never-ending cats vs dogs argument, but I’ll just say that what you call “blind obedience” I call unswerving loyalty and strong emotional bonding. Some dogs – Bernese Mountain Dogs would be an example – tend to bond for life to whoever they grew up with as puppies. They can be re-homed, just as human children can when necessary, but just as with children, it’s emotionally difficult for them. And the “blind obedience” part is wrong anyway. Just as with children, the presence of a lifetime bond and great love doesn’t preclude naughty or playful disobedience in specific cases where they push their own interests. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/47 "2026-08-01T02:33:28Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > And so does Don Corleone. Ernst Blofeld is famous for loving cats. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/49 "2026-08-01T02:52:43Z")
I saw some news about a cat that attacked a (rabid?) dog that was trying to drag away a kid in her family, and saved him. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/50 "2026-08-01T02:56:26Z")
Are you thinking of [Tara the Hero Cat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tara_(cat))? Here’s the video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U30FFKlJ0R8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U30FFKlJ0R8) ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/51 "2026-08-01T03:17:25Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > It’s unfair to generalize about an entire species. > > It depends on the cat. Yep, we have four. They’re all pretty different. They range from a total sweetie that just wants to eat, sleep and be pet to an orange nightmare who will lash out at you for looking at him wrong. Even then, the orange nightmare is still pretty nice when he _wants_ to be nice. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/52 "2026-08-01T10:07:42Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > 1. In D&D terms their alignment could be “Chaotic Cat”. [The end credits of _Inside Out_](https://youtu.be/6DZVnX8bEAs?t=81) showed why cats do what they do. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/53 "2026-08-01T10:25:53Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Ernst Blofeld is famous for loving cats. So was Ernest Hemingway. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/54 "2026-08-01T12:25:26Z")
Cats are cats, and so inherently Good. It’s people that are Evil. ---
**Author:** ![rippingtons\_fan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rippingtons_fan/32/11767_2.png) [@rippingtons\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rippingtons_fan)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/55 "2026-08-01T12:30:34Z")
Those are my feelings exactly! I love my cats, all of them! ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/56 "2026-08-01T14:11:08Z")
And so did Mohammad. ---
**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:** [August 1, 2026, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/57 "2026-08-01T18:31:24Z")
🙄 My catholic joke was wasted on you lot ! ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/58 "2026-08-01T18:48:39Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > 🙄 My catholic joke was wasted on you lot ! Looking it up… > [@pjd](#): > > Well, the pope loves cats. > (He’s a catholic.) I get it! Not bad. One might even say that, being a ‘ Cat-holic’ he has an unhealthy addiction to them 😏 ---
**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:** [August 1, 2026, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/59 "2026-08-01T18:54:55Z")
Whoosh on me for sure. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/60 "2026-08-01T18:55:04Z")
Not me, but then, I am a Catheist. The universe was created by the Great Furball. According to the canon of St. Douglasadams, the creation of the universe was widely considered a bad move, though. Hence, the Great Furball cannot be considered to have a moral aspect. It would appear that the universe was created for its amusement, which is both good and bad. Just, do not stray to close to the edge, lest the Great Furball push you off’n it. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050/61 "2026-08-01T21:10:09Z")
One might even say that cats are “jenseits von Gut und Böse”, as the kids put it? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cats-good-or-evil/1032050.md?page=4)