«تِضْرَبِ الْقُطَّةْ تخَرْبِشَكْ»

The saying warns that initiating wrongdoing may bring a matching response from the person who has been wronged. It presents retaliation as a consequence of provoking harm, rather than as an unexpected reaction.

It is used to express the idea that a person who starts trouble can be answered in the same manner. The proverb places responsibility on the one who began the harmful action and then encountered a reciprocal reply.

Use it when someone initiates a harmful or hostile act and is then met with comparable treatment. It can explain why a retaliatory response occurred or warn against provoking another person into answering in kind.