Cat Proverbs and Sayings

A cat's a cat and that's that. Photo of Maine Coon by Amelia Beth

American proverbs and sayings

You will always be lucky if you know how to make friends with strange cats.
When moving to a new home, always put the cat through the window instead of the door, so that it will not leave.
A cat's a cat and that's that.
After dark all cats are leopards.

English proverbs and sayings

In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats.
A cat in grass is a tiger in the jungle.
Dogs remember faces, cats places.
If you stared deep into a cat's eyes, you would be able to see into the world of spirits.
The cat has nine lives - three for playing, three for straying, and three for staying.
A cat may look at a king.
The dog for the man, the cat for the woman
A cat with a straw tail keeps away from fire.

Chinese proverbs and sayings

All cats love fish but fear to wet their paws.
A cat assures its owner of good luck.
Happy owner, happy cat. Indifferent owner, reclusive cat.
He who rides the tiger finds it difficult to dismount.
I gave an order to a cat, and the cat gave it to its tail.
When rats infest the Palace a lame cat is better than the swiftest horse.
My soul feels as disturbed as if a cat were treading my heart.

French proverbs and sayings

Handsome cats and fat dungheaps are the sign of a good farmer.
The dog may be wonderful prose, but only the cat is poetry.
Books and cats and fair-haired little girls make the best furnishing for a room.
Cats, flies and women are ever at their toilets.
The cat is nature's Beauty.

Indian proverbs and sayings

If cats had wings there would be no ducks in the lake.
That cat that has its mouth burned by drinking hot milk will not drink even buttermilk without first blowing upon it.
A cat is a lion in a jungle of small bushes.
The cat is magical and the bringer of good luck.

Irish proverbs and sayings

Beware of people who dislike cats.
Nature breaks through the eyes of the cat.
To kill a cat brings seventeen years of bad luck.
To please himself only the cat purrs.

Spanish proverbs and sayings

It is better to be a mouse in a cat's mouth than a man in a lawyer's hands.
The cat always leaves a mark on his friend.
The cat wonders at its own tail.

Various proverbs and sayings

"Ye shall not possess any beast, my dear sisters, except only a cat." - The Ancren Riewle (Nun's Rule)
African: If stretching were wealth, the cat would be rich.
Albanian: A cat is a lion to a mouse.
Photo by Amber Schmidt
Arabian: A cat bitten once by a snake dreads even rope.
Arabian: The cat was created when the lion sneezed.
Ethiopian: A cat may go to a monastery, but she still remains a cat.
Egyptian: An overdressed woman is like a cat dressed in saffron.
Dutch: Those who dislike cats will be carried to the cemetery in the rain.
Italian: Happy is the home with at least one cat.
German: The cat who frightens the mice away is as good as the cat who eats them.
Moroccan: An old cat will not learn how to dance.
Norwegian: It is better to feed one cat than many mice.
Persian: When the cat and mouse agree, the grocer is ruined.
Japan: He's as quiet as a cat.

Anonymous proverbs and sayings

A cat is a tiger that is fed by hand.
There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast.
There are many intelligent species in the universe. They are all owned by cats.
Dogs believe they are human. Cats believe they are God.
No Heaven will ever Heaven be unless my cats are there to welcome me.
If you take even one of a cat's nine lives, it will haunt you forever.
I got rid of my husband. The cat was allergic.
Curiosity was framed. Ignorance killed the cat.
Never feed your cat anything that doesn't match the carpet.
Cat's motto: "No matter what you've done wrong, always try to make it look as if the dog did it."
To respect a cat is the beginning of the aesthetic sense.
"Don't use cats - they'll screw up your data." - Anonymous science professor to student
A cat knows you are the key to his happiness... a man thinks he is.
"Outside of a cat, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a cat, it's too dark to read." - Sign at Lilac Hedge Bookshop, Norwich, VT
Dogs have owners, cats have staff.
Cat: a pygmy lion who loves mice, hates dogs, and patronizes human beings.
"Never hold a dustbuster and a cat at the same time." - advice from kids
You know when people see a cat's litter box, they always say, "Oh, have you got a cat?" Just once I want to say, "No, it's for company!"
"Humans: No fur, no paws, no tail. They run away from mice. They never get enough sleep. How can you help but love such an absurd animal?" - An anonymous cat about Homo sapiens
The purity of a person's heart can be quickly measured by how he regards cats.
Blessed are those who love cats, for they shall never be lonely.
When I'm in the doghouse, my cats still come to visit.
A rose has thorns, a cat has claws; certainly both are worth the risk.
There are hundreds of good reasons for having a cat, but all you need is one.
A person who manages to understand a cat is qualified to understand most anything else.
Buy a dog a toy, and he'll play with it forever. Buy a cat a present, and it will play with the wrapper for 10 minutes.
Anything on the ground is a cat toy. Anything not there yet, will be.
Cats have amazingly keen hearing but go conveniently deaf when you call.
"If human, cats might play solitare, but they would never sit around with the gang and a few six-packs watching Monday Night Football." - Time Magazine, Dec.7, 1981
Cats have incredible vision - but they never see your flaws.
Cats are better than any vice. They're not fattening, dangerous, or expensive. However, they can be addictive.
A cat makes all the difference between coming home to an empty house and coming home.
Owning a cat is a good forerunner of marriage. You learn that you cannot control another living being, or expect him/her to do everything you want.
If you want a kitten, start out by asking for a horse. Photo by Urs Wachter.
I'm not much of a cook. My favorite thing to make from scratch is a purr.
Nine lives added to my one life makes a perfect 10.
"If you want a kitten, start out by asking for a horse." - advice from kids
A cat will wait until you've read your morning paper before tearing it to shreds.
Some people see the glass as half empty, some as half full. I look for the cat who drank the water.
Life is hard. Soften yours with a cat.
Happiness does not light gently on my shoulder like a butterfly. She pounces on my lap, demanding that I scratch behind her ears.
Owning a cat is like reading a good novel - just when you think you know the main character, she'll surprise you on the very next page.
A thing of beauty, strength, and grace lies behind that whiskered face.
Cats are like music. It's foolish to try to explain their worth to those who don't appreciate them.
Cats whiskers are so sensitive, they can find their way through the narrowest crack in a broken heart.
If you want to know the character of a man, find out what his cat thinks of him.
Every life should have nine cats.
It's really the cat's house. I just pay the mortgage.
A cat is an example of sophistication minus civilization.
A cat which is kept as a household pet may properly be considered a thing of value. It ministers to the pleasures of its owner and serves with honor.
We have a friend who hates cats. Every time he comes to the house the cat sits on his knee.
For a man to truly understand rejection, he must first be ignored by a cat.
It's always blackest just before you step on the cat.
Cats are like potato chips. You can never have just one.
If you can remember how many cats you have, you don't have enough.
Cats are so unpredictable. You just never know how they'll ignore you next.
Never underestimate the power of a purr.
A cat knows exactly what you are, and treats you accordingly.
Children are like cats, they can tell when you don't like them. That's when they come over and violate your body space.
Everyone knows cats are on a higher level of existence. These silly humans are just too big-headed to admit their inferiority.
There is a proof for God's existence: ( S)he made cats.
I have noticed that what cats most appreciate in a human being is not the ability to produce food which they take for granted, but his or her entertainment value.
Some people have cats and go on to lead normal lives.
Cats leave pawprints on our hearts.
Every dog has his day - but the nights are reserved for the cats.
Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this.
All cats look gray in the dark.
A cat has nine lives.
The cat is honest when the meat is out of her reach.
It takes a good many mice to kill a cat.
A cornered cat becomes as fierce as a lion.
If you don't feed the cats you must feed the rats.
Wanton kittens make sober cats.
The cat is a good friend but she scratches.
After a time, even the dog begins to compromise with the cat.
When the cat is away the mice will play.
These aren't my thoughts, they're my cat walking on the keyboard.