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, 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 Johnon. 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, Turkey, 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).

Hannah Shaw, also known as Kitten Lady, is an award-winning kitten rescuer, humane educator, and unwavering animal advocate who has dedicated her life to innovating kitten care and protecting the most vulnerable felines. She is the New York Times bestselling author of Tiny But Mighty, Cats of the World, Kitten Lady’s Big Book of Little Kittens, Kitten Lady’s CATivity Book, and the Adventures in Fosterland series. She is also the founder of Orphan Kitten Club, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization saving the lives of neonatal kittens throughout the nation. She lives in California with her husband, Andrew Marttila, their cats and chihuahua, and an endless rotation of foster kittens.

Sophie Lucido Johnson is a cartoonist for the New Yorker, and has been published in The New York Times, The Guardian, Bon Appétit, The Chicago Reader, The Believer, McSweeney's, and lots of other places. She lives in Chicago and teaches at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.