proverb · Words worth keeping
Cats don’t catch mice to please God.
Cats don’t catch mice to please God.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Cats catching mice without seeking God’s approval question an elevated motive being assigned to an ordinary action. The saying contrasts conduct with an asserted religious purpose.
What the words are saying
The animal comparison is not a verified account of motives. A useful reading can ask whether an explanation fits the actual circumstances without presuming cynical motives in every person. The sentence neither proves nor disproves sincere faith, and its precise traditional application is unverified.
Everyday example
A reader examines the stated reason for an action instead of assuming a sacred label establishes its motive.
When to use it
Use it only as a qualified action-and-motive comparison.
What it does not mean
No animal motive, universal self-interest or judgment of religious sincerity is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
Afghanistan
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin.- Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 478; PDF page 45; collection label: Afghanistan
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- Afghanistan