--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You know a real friend? Someone you know…" description: "\"You know a real friend? Someone you know will look after your cat after you are gone.\" — William S. Burroughs" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d2/william-s-burroughs-528_cat_you-know-a-real-friend-someone-you-know_1512870.png" --- # You know a real friend? Someone you know will look after… ![“You know a real friend? Someone you know will look after your cat after you are gone.” quote by William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d2/william-s-burroughs-528_cat_you-know-a-real-friend-someone-you-know_1512870.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d2/william-s-burroughs-528_cat_you-know-a-real-friend-someone-you-know_1512870.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d2/william-s-burroughs-528_cat_you-know-a-real-friend-someone-you-know_1512870.png) > “You know a real friend? Someone you know will look after your cat after you are gone.” [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True friendship is shown through caring for what matters to you after you're gone. **In simple terms:** A friend cares for your cat after death. Key Takeaway Value friends who protect your loved ones. Themes friendship loyalty legacy Mood somber warm Type personal reflective When to use this quote - estate planning - pet trusts - friendship rituals Key Concepts caregiving trust posthumous care Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do you leave behind? - How do you show care now? A Different Perspective May romanticize death. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cat/) [Cat Gone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cat-gone-5572503/) [Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend/) [Friend Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend-know/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Gone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gone/) [Look Cat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look-cat-505783/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-friend/) [Real friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-friends/) ## Related quotes > [“Good, cause look what the cat just drug in, or threw up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-knoebel/good-cause-look-what-the-cat-just-drug-in-or-threw-up/) [Candace Knoebel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-knoebel/) > [“Look, cat, you and I are never going to be friends. She’s going to call you Max, but I’m going to call you Shit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-scott/look-cat-you-and-i-are-never-going-to-be-friends-she-s-going-to-call/) [Victoria Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-scott/) > [Look what the cat dragged in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/look-what-the-cat-dragged-in/) [Proverb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/proverb/) > [“And in his eyes he had the look of the cat who inspires a desire to caress but loves no one, who never feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/and-in-his-eyes-he-had-the-look-of-the-cat-who-inspires-a-desire-to/) [Anaïs Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [“The way the animals live, everybody envies them, because look, a cat, when it walks--did you ever see a cat making an aesthetic mistake.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-t-hunt/the-way-the-animals-live-everybody-envies-them-because-look-a-cat/) [H.T. Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-t-hunt/) > [Yes, there is no doubt that paper is patient and as I don't intend to show this cardboard-covered notebook, bearing the proud name of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/yes-there-is-no-doubt-that-paper-is-patient-and-as-i-don-t-intend-to/) [Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/) > [Real friends are always there 4 you there always pick you up when ur down they always help you in ur problems but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/britany-rodriguez/real-friends-are-always-there-4-you-there-always-pick-you-up-when-ur/) [Britany Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/britany-rodriguez/) > [But when you know that you've got a real friend somewhere, suddenly all the others are so much easier to bear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-browne/but-when-you-know-that-you-ve-got-a-real-friend-somewhere-suddenly/) [Jackson Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-browne/) > [I have this great test to see if a girl's a real friend. 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And Michael Jackson, the shy kid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/there-was-michael-jackson-the-king-of-pop-an-aloof-superstar-who-had/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [When you get into trouble, you find out who your real friends are.. They may not be the ones that you speak to you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nic-skerry/when-you-get-into-trouble-you-find-out-who-your-real-friends-are-they/) [Nic Skerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nic-skerry/) > [For me one of the most important things is not feeling like you have to protect yourself if you're with a real friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-stead/for-me-one-of-the-most-important-things-is-not-feeling-like-you-have/) [Rebecca Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-stead/) > [A real friend ... exults in his friend’s happiness, rejoices in all his joys, and is ready to afford him the best advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herodotus/a-real-friend-exults-in-his-friend-s-happiness-rejoices-in-all-his/) [Herodotus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herodotus/) ## More by William S. Burroughs > [“Control never be a means to any practical end. It can never be a means to anything but more control… Like punk.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/control-never-be-a-means-to-any-practical-end-it-can-never-be-a-means/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“Well as, one judge said to the other, 'Be just and if you can't be just be arbitrary.' Regret cannot observe customary obscenities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/well-as-one-judge-said-to-the-other-be-just-and-if-you-can-t-be-just/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [After one look at this planet any visitor from outer space would say 'I want to see the manager.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/after-one-look-at-this-planet-any-visitor-from-outer-space-would-say/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [For seven days she lay in bed looking sullenly at the ceiling as though resenting the death she had cultivated for so many years.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/for-seven-days-she-lay-in-bed-looking-sullenly-at-the-ceiling-as/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [When you stop growing you start dying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/when-you-stop-growing-you-start-dying/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [Life is a cutup. And to pretend that you write or paint in a timeless vacuum is just simply . . . not .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/life-is-a-cutup-and-to-pretend-that-you-write-or-paint-in-a-timeless/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [When all lies, deceit, pretense is stripped away, what remains? The truth of a painting, or a book or a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/when-all-lies-deceit-pretense-is-stripped-away-what-remains-the-truth/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“There is no final enough of wisdom, experience - any fucking thing. No Holy Grail, No Final Satori, no solution. Just conflict. Only thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/there-is-no-final-enough-of-wisdom-experience-any-fucking-thing-no/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“For John Dillinger In hope he is still alive Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1986 In hope he is still alive Thanks for the wild…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/for-john-dillinger-in-hope-he-is-still-alive-thanksgiving-day/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“Did I ever tell you about the man who taught his asshole to talk? His whole abdomen would move up and down, you dig,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/did-i-ever-tell-you-about-the-man-who-taught-his-asshole-to-talk-his/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [You need a good bedside manner with doctors or you will get nowhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/you-need-a-good-bedside-manner-with-doctors-or-you-will-get-nowhere/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [There couldn't be a society of people who didn't dream. They'd be dead in two weeks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/there-couldn-t-be-a-society-of-people-who-didn-t-dream-they-d-be-dead/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [I prefer cats to people, for the most part. Most people aren't cute at all, and if they are cute they very rapidly outgrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/i-prefer-cats-to-people-for-the-most-part-most-people-aren-t-cute-at/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [ \[Arab peoples\] are stuck back thousands of years and they think they're going to get out with a TV set. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/arab-peoples-are-stuck-back-thousands-of-years-and-they-think-they-re/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“It is not the intensity but the duration of pain that breaks the will to resist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/it-is-not-the-intensity-but-the-duration-of-pain-that-breaks-the-will/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) [Explore all 484 William S. Burroughs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) ## More Cat quotes > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [Most people are sensitized to animals through their cats and dogs, but for me it was a flounder. I used to go fishing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mathews/most-people-are-sensitized-to-animals-through-their-cats-and-dogs-but/) [Dan Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mathews/) > [One reason why my memory decays is that I have three cats, all so loving and insistent that they play cat's-cradle with every train…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-townsend-warner/one-reason-why-my-memory-decays-is-that-i-have-three-cats-all-so/) [Sylvia Townsend Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-townsend-warner/) > [It's an interesting fact that fewer than 17 % of Real cats end their lives with the same name they started with. Much family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-s-an-interesting-fact-that-fewer-than-17-of-real-cats-end-their/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [The dog is guided by kindly instinct to the man or woman whose heart is open to his advances. The cat often leaves the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/the-dog-is-guided-by-kindly-instinct-to-the-man-or-woman-whose-heart/) [Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/) > [If you ask me to tell you anything about the nature of what lies beyond the phaneron… my answer is “How should I know?”……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/if-you-ask-me-to-tell-you-anything-about-the-nature-of-what-lies/) [Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) > [Is man no more than this? Consider him well. Thou ow'st the worm no silk, the beast no hide, the sheep no wool, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/is-man-no-more-than-this-consider-him-well-thou-ow-st-the-worm-no/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [One cat just leads to another. The place is so damned big it doesn't really seem as though there were many cats until you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/one-cat-just-leads-to-another-the-place-is-so-damned-big-it-doesn-t/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [In the olden days in England, you could be hung for stealing a sheep or a loaf of bread. However, if a sheep stole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-harding/in-the-olden-days-in-england-you-could-be-hung-for-stealing-a-sheep/) [Mike Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-harding/) > [Kittens can happen to anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gallico/kittens-can-happen-to-anyone/) [Paul Gallico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gallico/) > [I think if you keep the box closed long enough you do kill the cat, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-think-if-you-keep-the-box-closed-long-enough-you-do-kill-the-cat/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“All right, you deadly little ghostlings,” I muttered. “Mama says go back to bed! - Cat”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/all-right-you-deadly-little-ghostlings-i-muttered-mama-says-go-back/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [Man wishes woman to be peaceable, but in fact she is essentially warlike, like the cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/man-wishes-woman-to-be-peaceable-but-in-fact-she-is-essentially/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [There are videos I used to take at home, pretending to be a newscaster, interviewing the teapot or my house cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-wagner/there-are-videos-i-used-to-take-at-home-pretending-to-be-a-newscaster/) [Alex Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-wagner/) [Browse all 2,996 Cat quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cat/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You know a real friend? 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