French for Cats: All the French Your Cat Will Ever Need

French for Cats #1

by Henri de la Barbe, Henry N. Beard, John Boswell

The bestselling author of Latin for All Occasions presents all the French your cat will ever need, including phrases for "Excuse me, may I rip the couch to shreds?" "kitty litter", "cat toy", "mouse", "fur ball", and "catnip". Adorable, absurd, and irresistible reading for the sophisticated cat. Illustrated.

Genres: Humor, Cats, Nonfiction, Language, France, Animals, Graphic Novels

96 pages, Hardcover

First published October 8, 1991

Reviews

[booklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good friend gave me this. It's a perfect book for any cat lover, whether you are French, planning to visit France, like to broaden your feline vocabulary or want to have a GOOD laugh!

Basically, it's like a dictionary and mini phrase book on all things cat, with English and French given for each item. The adorable illustrations by Gary Zamchick add another layer of humor to each entry. Examples:

-I do not like the cat carrier – Je n’aime pas le porte-chat

-I also like to scratch the handmade silk drapes – J’aime aussi griffer les tentures desoie faites a la main

-I wish the lawnmower would run over the neighbor’s cat -- Je voudrais que latondeuse a gazon ecrase le chat du voisin

You get the idea. French cats sound remarkably familiar.

Thanks dear Jane!

[Margaret]

I saw this at a library sale and had to get it - just too cute & too funny!

This book is all the French your cat will ever need, and includes (among others) the phrases:

"Je vous en prie, tuez le chien de la maison d'a cote" (Please kill the dog next door)

"Les jouets de chats sont ennuyeux"
(The cat toys are boring)

and "Je n'attrapt pas les Frisbees dans ma bouche"
(I do not catch Frisbees in my mouth)

I'll be giving this book to a cat lover with a sense of humor (or is that a prerequisite to loving a cat?!)

[Brooke (B for Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mon chat parle déjà couramment le français (mieux que mois).

[Gerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, an amusing insight into cat's behaviour and the French that they would speak (!) if they knew the language; no doubt fine if the cat is francais!

We now know what 'I sit and stare at nothing for hours on end' translates to and also what toys, cat ones and others, that le chat likes to play with.

Nicely illustrated and a little bit of frivolous fun.

[Ella j · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Je ne veux pas être châtré”

[Kalista May · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much, it’s the cutest thing ever and I could read it over and over again 🥰🤭

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: The Cat Le Chat

Premise/plot: Love cats? Want to learn French? Want to remember the French you learned in school? French for Cats is a phrase book for cat lovers. It is an illustrated phrase book with clever moments.

I meow
Je miaule

I purr
Je Ron Ronnie

I sleep
Je dors

Some phrases are short and very practical. Others are much more complex.

I wish that the lawn mower would run over the neighbor's cat.
Je voudrais que la tondeuse a Gabon ecrase le chat du voisin.

My thoughts: I like this one. I do. I had French in high school and college, but it's been twenty years. This book is a quick, cute read!

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a slow day at work and I'm laughing my head off reading this book. I can't wait to share it with my husband, son and in-laws! After that I'll release it because it's just too damn funny to leave on a shelf. Then after that, I'll have to find a copy for myself. LOL!!!!!!

[Laura Morrigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny little book. I had this as a kid. When I get a cat, maybe I will get a copy to teach it French. A good book for petlovers or just for a laugh.

[Kaethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

C'est drôle.

Personal copy

[Randolph King · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes the form of a normal phrasebook as intended for cats. Or at least what humans would expect a cat to say in various situations. It is a light and quick read and the French itself is accurate and useful, but knowing some French is useful, as a few of the "translations" are jokes in themselves.

Mon dieu! Un petit livre pour des chats! Maintenant il peut miauler en deux langues! Aucune paix pour l'homme.

[Lynn Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful little book! The title captured my attention, since I speak French and I have cats. Knowing Henry Beard's sense of humor, I knew it would be a fun read. Naturally, it had to become a part of my library. And, oh, the truths about cats that it conveys! It's a tiny book, but if you like cats or the French language, you'll love it!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A most excellent little book which teaches a cat the most essential phrases in French, such as ‘I am going to cough up a fur ball’ (‘je vais cracher une boule de poils’ since you ask).

[Kat Ryker · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for the greatest gift for a cat lover, this would be it. If my cats could read French, or speak it, this would be their bible. Just adorable and entertaining.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sent to me by a cousin. Grew up in a French speaking family and have cats.

[BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) · Rating 5 out of 5]

So very funny 😁

[Shanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute and funny. Mignon et drôle.

[BeesReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amusing little book.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this years ago. It is absolutely hilarious

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty darn cute.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief, witty, and true to the feline kingdom! An amusing 15 minutes, for sure . . . bien sûr!

[Kayoc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute read with great illustrations.

[Mathieu Archambault · Rating 5 out of 5]

C'est la vie

[Peggah Ghoreishi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very mignon and adorable.

[frogfairie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick, fun read.

[Mac Daly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did you know that cats are tri-lingual? They can ignore us in three different languages. French for Cats teaches some very important phrases to use with your cat. They won't get any results, but you will sound very cosmopolitan using them.

[Courtney Kleefeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun and different book. Laughed quite a bit while reading it but that’s partly because I was reading it with a friend and we were making it more funny and it was late.

[Ciel M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Such a cute book; I especially liked some of the illustrations, and the sentences themselves were funnier than I expected.

[Imaginarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered what “meow” means? Chances are, it's French for something. This little book is packed with all of the answers and necessary translations that you will ever need to know in order to live with your cat (because aren't all cats French?). This little gem contains English phrases and French translations regarding every aspect of cat politics, from appropriate items you must agree to furnish for playtime (read the fine print!) to names they will and will not answer to.

You simply must have a copy of this book in your collection, if you are owned by at least one cat... but having two copies of this book is highly suggested, because this book holds within it all of the secrets of the cat, and we know how plausible it would be to find ourselves in immediate need of this book and to discover that its conveniently tucked beneath the sleeping cat...

[Dana Cordelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd completely forgotten about this book until last night, when I pulled it off the shelf and read a few pages to my own cat. He was enthralled, especially by the clear and concise grammatical demonstration of "please kill the dog next door" and "remove yourself from my napping place at once." I'm brushing up on my own French skills after years of neglect, and I've promised the cat his own beret and tout des poissons if he can assist me in conversing on topics such as birds, his toys, his litter and how awesome he is.

This is a very sweet book; my mom gave it to me when I was in grade school and first learning French as a second language. Highly recommended for Francophiles and cat-lovers alike!