Cat Got Your Tongue?: Curious Feline Phrases from Around the World

A vibrantly illustrated collection of cat-related proverbs and idioms collected from around the world—by the New York Times bestselling author of Tiny But Mighty and Cats of the World, beloved by millions online as the Kitten Lady.

There’s more than one way to get the job done, or as they say in Finland, “There are many ways, said Grandma, while wiping the table with a cat. . . .”

In this charming, gift-worthy collection, renowned kitten rescuer, humane educator, and author Hannah Shaw shares 60 feline-focused phrases gathered during her worldwide travels as an animal advocate. Perfect for cat lovers, language nerds, and avid travelers, Cat Got Your Tongue? presents each saying in its native language along with an English translation, a simple explanation of its meaning and use, and a delightful illustration by New Yorker cartoonist Sophie Lucido Johnson. For example:

• Portuguese: “Quem não tem cão caça com gato” or “One who has no dog hunts with a cat” (we must make do with the resources we have).
• Yiddish: “Vern zol fun dir a blintshik, un di kats zol dikh khapn,” or “May you turn into a blintz and be snatched by a cat” (a curse expressing ill will).
• Dutch: “De kat op het spek binden,” or “tie the cat to the bacon” (to forbid something that’s very tempting, like kids with a cookie jar).

Featuring proverbs from India, France, China, Malaysia, Türkiye, Holland, and many more—in languages from Arabic to Spanish—this enchanting little book reveals the central role that cats play in cultures everywhere, whether to impart a wise piece of advice, insult a rude neighbor, or as they say in Romania, to “look like the cat at a calendar” (appear very confused).