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Let Sleeping Cats Lie - Pet Poems: a very funny poetry collection, the perfect gift for animal lovers
A hilarious collection of pet poems by wordplay wizard Brian Bilston. When you've got a bad case of the 'mews' and are in desperate need of a 'pup'-lifting read, this book is the 'ulti-mutt' remedy. The perfect gift for a dog person, cat person and every pet lover in between.
Please don’t think me lazy,
I’m not trying to slack –
it’s just that I’m stuck, you see,
under this cat.
Let Sleeping Cats Lie is a collection of poems following the funny lives of our furry – and not so furry – friends. Stars include Wilf, the hypnotist Labracadabrador, a philosophically inclined goldfish penning a profound haiku, a hen named Barbara receiving an adoring tribute, and an 'octopussy' cat that seems to have all its paws in plenty of odd little pies.
Please don’t think me lazy,
I’m not trying to slack –
it’s just that I’m stuck, you see,
under this cat.
Let Sleeping Cats Lie is a collection of poems following the funny lives of our furry – and not so furry – friends. Stars include Wilf, the hypnotist Labracadabrador, a philosophically inclined goldfish penning a profound haiku, a hen named Barbara receiving an adoring tribute, and an 'octopussy' cat that seems to have all its paws in plenty of odd little pies.
103 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 26, 2024
16 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
About the author
Brian Bilston
17 books157 followersBrian Bilston is a poet whose work has been shared widely on social media over the last few years. He has been described as the 'unofficial Poet Laureate of Twitter'.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
September 25, 2024
In a Nutshell: A paw-some package of poems focussed on pets and pet parents. (That’s a plethora of Ps!) Mostly funny, sometimes emotional. I’m not a poetry fan, but I am a Brian Bilston fan. So if you like his works, you know what to expect. Much recommended!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Poetry, especially in free verse, isn’t my cup of tea. But somehow, this poet named Brian Bilston entered my life (or rather, entered my social media feeds) and eroded my resistance to this format of verse. I adore the way he threads humour into serious content, though sometimes, his works are just plain wacky. I picked this collection up mainly for him.
The other reason for bravely attempting a poem compilation despite my lack of poetic knowhow is that I love animals, especially dogs and cats. Seeing that cute little cover pic and the funny title reminded me of all the time my grandma’s cats slept on me during the summer vacations, thereby blocking me from any movement. I used to relax in her veranda and read my books while they (she had five!) took turns snoozing comfortably on my lap. This was thus a nostalgia-inducing read.
If you follow Brian Bilston on Twitter or Instagram, you already know what kind of poetry to expect in this collection. These poems are a combination of humour and sentimentality. They are fun, they are intelligent, they are heartfelt. Some are written from the pet owner’s perspective while others are straight from the pets. A few are from a child’s point of view; these are especially hilarious.
As my friends know, my DNA doesn’t include any gene sequence for poetic understanding. So don’t expect any sensible poetry appreciation in this review. All I can tell you about the poems is that most of them weren’t in traditional rhyme, as is common with this poet’s works. I read free verse poems the way I read prose, and that works well for me. But I must confess that a couple of the “poems’ quite stumped me as they didn’t even resemble free verse but big blocks of paragraph. However, as I have no sense of lyrical understanding, maybe they were poems? 🤔
Regardless of whether they were traditional poems or contemporary verse or neither, there’s no denying that the author’s wordplay is beyond par. I always love how he takes the simplest of ideas and adds a dollop of something unexpected. His prowess over words shines in his writing, even when the verse might be something as simple as a cat’s musings over what to eat.
Though the title and the cover art depict a cat, the poems cover all pets. And when I say all, I mean (almost) all. The only pet I truly missed seeing an ode to was the axolotl. (Maybe next time eh, Mr. Bilston?) Of course, as in the real pet world, the dominant voices belong to the two popular favourites: cats and dogs. And some poems even pit the two against each other. These were so funny!
The lengths of the poems vary. Some are just one stanza long while others span multiple pages. A few of the poems are formatted as per their content. My favourite was the one with the snail, though it was mighty tough to read it on my computer. (Not because of formatting issues. The font went up and down and all around, so I had to swivel my neck like an owl’s to read the whole thing! This won’t be a problem in the physical book or on the Kindle.)
I enjoyed most of the poems in this book. But a special shoutout to ‘Hay dude!’: I loved this pet retelling of the Beatles classic, ‘Hey Jude’. It was brilliant!
The only thing that would have offered me greater pleasure from this compilation is the addition of graphics. The nature of the rhymes is such that some cute doodles would have complemented them perfectly. Seeing such humorous content without an accompanying funny illustration feels incomplete.
Overall, I am more than satisfied with this lovely little book. It is such a pup-lifting read that I am not going to pussyfoot around my recommendation.
Definitely recommended to all pet parents and animal lovers. Even if you are not poetry fans, you will strongly connect with the emotions behind the words. The book would be a great gifting option as well. It might work for kids too, though younger ones might not understand every poem.
4 stars.
My thanks to Macmillan Children's Books for providing the DRC of “Let Sleeping Cats Lie - Pet Poems” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Poetry, especially in free verse, isn’t my cup of tea. But somehow, this poet named Brian Bilston entered my life (or rather, entered my social media feeds) and eroded my resistance to this format of verse. I adore the way he threads humour into serious content, though sometimes, his works are just plain wacky. I picked this collection up mainly for him.
The other reason for bravely attempting a poem compilation despite my lack of poetic knowhow is that I love animals, especially dogs and cats. Seeing that cute little cover pic and the funny title reminded me of all the time my grandma’s cats slept on me during the summer vacations, thereby blocking me from any movement. I used to relax in her veranda and read my books while they (she had five!) took turns snoozing comfortably on my lap. This was thus a nostalgia-inducing read.
If you follow Brian Bilston on Twitter or Instagram, you already know what kind of poetry to expect in this collection. These poems are a combination of humour and sentimentality. They are fun, they are intelligent, they are heartfelt. Some are written from the pet owner’s perspective while others are straight from the pets. A few are from a child’s point of view; these are especially hilarious.
As my friends know, my DNA doesn’t include any gene sequence for poetic understanding. So don’t expect any sensible poetry appreciation in this review. All I can tell you about the poems is that most of them weren’t in traditional rhyme, as is common with this poet’s works. I read free verse poems the way I read prose, and that works well for me. But I must confess that a couple of the “poems’ quite stumped me as they didn’t even resemble free verse but big blocks of paragraph. However, as I have no sense of lyrical understanding, maybe they were poems? 🤔
Regardless of whether they were traditional poems or contemporary verse or neither, there’s no denying that the author’s wordplay is beyond par. I always love how he takes the simplest of ideas and adds a dollop of something unexpected. His prowess over words shines in his writing, even when the verse might be something as simple as a cat’s musings over what to eat.
Though the title and the cover art depict a cat, the poems cover all pets. And when I say all, I mean (almost) all. The only pet I truly missed seeing an ode to was the axolotl. (Maybe next time eh, Mr. Bilston?) Of course, as in the real pet world, the dominant voices belong to the two popular favourites: cats and dogs. And some poems even pit the two against each other. These were so funny!
The lengths of the poems vary. Some are just one stanza long while others span multiple pages. A few of the poems are formatted as per their content. My favourite was the one with the snail, though it was mighty tough to read it on my computer. (Not because of formatting issues. The font went up and down and all around, so I had to swivel my neck like an owl’s to read the whole thing! This won’t be a problem in the physical book or on the Kindle.)
I enjoyed most of the poems in this book. But a special shoutout to ‘Hay dude!’: I loved this pet retelling of the Beatles classic, ‘Hey Jude’. It was brilliant!
The only thing that would have offered me greater pleasure from this compilation is the addition of graphics. The nature of the rhymes is such that some cute doodles would have complemented them perfectly. Seeing such humorous content without an accompanying funny illustration feels incomplete.
Overall, I am more than satisfied with this lovely little book. It is such a pup-lifting read that I am not going to pussyfoot around my recommendation.
Definitely recommended to all pet parents and animal lovers. Even if you are not poetry fans, you will strongly connect with the emotions behind the words. The book would be a great gifting option as well. It might work for kids too, though younger ones might not understand every poem.
4 stars.
My thanks to Macmillan Children's Books for providing the DRC of “Let Sleeping Cats Lie - Pet Poems” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
December 28, 2024
Great stocking filler - thanks Father Christmas!
September 12, 2024
Another brilliant collection from Brian Bilston, this about pets in all their forms. My favourite is "a leisurely walk", a poem about a pet sloth. Laugh out loud funny, and coming from a dog and cat owner, also full of truisms! Thank you #Netgalley for this ARC
June 23, 2025
Ha, ha, ha!
May 31, 2025
Very fun for children to read aloud.
February 12, 2025
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
I am very picky about poems, so when I say that this book was okay, it's actually high praise. This is a longer book of poetry (over 60 poems), and is quite varied in both content and format. A wide range of animals, from cats, dogs, snakes, and hamsters to the more imaginative blue whale, sloth, chicken, and tarantula, are described in a style that can best be described as Robert Frost meets Ogden Nash. There are some concrete poems, some with standard rhyme and meter, some free verse, and some that are innovative, like the poem "written" by a cat getting on a keyboard!
There are some stand outs, like ACROSSTICK, about a dog with a tick, Pet Peeve, about a chameleon, and Love Poem to My Dog. All are interesting, and show a great love of pets. There is plenty of humor, some puns, and the poems read well out loud. There is an index of first lines that is particularly helpful.
This author also has a book about football called 50 Ways to Score a Goal which was momentarily exciting, until I realized it was not about US football, but rather about soccer. He is also apparently very active on social media. I'm debating whether or not to buy the book. It's an impression collection, even if some of the poems are a bit lengthy (my middle school readers prefer shorter poems), and the meter could use some work, but if I had to buy one collection this year, this would be the one. Sadly, none of the language arts classes cover poetry now, and I have a decent collection of poetry books that don't circulate.
Larger libraries with more budget or more interest in poetry should definitely take a look, since pet themed poetry books are usually in demand with young readers.
I am very picky about poems, so when I say that this book was okay, it's actually high praise. This is a longer book of poetry (over 60 poems), and is quite varied in both content and format. A wide range of animals, from cats, dogs, snakes, and hamsters to the more imaginative blue whale, sloth, chicken, and tarantula, are described in a style that can best be described as Robert Frost meets Ogden Nash. There are some concrete poems, some with standard rhyme and meter, some free verse, and some that are innovative, like the poem "written" by a cat getting on a keyboard!
There are some stand outs, like ACROSSTICK, about a dog with a tick, Pet Peeve, about a chameleon, and Love Poem to My Dog. All are interesting, and show a great love of pets. There is plenty of humor, some puns, and the poems read well out loud. There is an index of first lines that is particularly helpful.
This author also has a book about football called 50 Ways to Score a Goal which was momentarily exciting, until I realized it was not about US football, but rather about soccer. He is also apparently very active on social media. I'm debating whether or not to buy the book. It's an impression collection, even if some of the poems are a bit lengthy (my middle school readers prefer shorter poems), and the meter could use some work, but if I had to buy one collection this year, this would be the one. Sadly, none of the language arts classes cover poetry now, and I have a decent collection of poetry books that don't circulate.
Larger libraries with more budget or more interest in poetry should definitely take a look, since pet themed poetry books are usually in demand with young readers.
June 2, 2025
Have you ever been pinned by your cat? If so the poem in the blurb makes perfect sense. Once a cat chooses your lap for a nap, who are you to decide how long it will take?
This little book of poems brims with good humor about the animals in our lives. It is not all dogs and cats. There are some fabulous fish poems like Memory of a Goldfish:
If only I could just forget,
what excitement would ensue--
with each circuit of my bowl,
to find everything is new!
Some are very silly like Four-Legged Friend:
Although walks in the park with you are, frankly, no walk in the park.
They are, in fact, complete disasters--how I wish that you had castors.
Some are long like Do the Cat (Yeah, do the cat!)
Others are very short like Rough! Rough!
she bought
A posh set of pencils
and after a quick bowl of noodels,
sketched some pictures of her dog
nothing much,
just a few labradoodles.
Never fear, more exotic pets like snakes, elephants, leopards, and even a budgerigar.
I found this collection to be utterly charming. There is a handy Table of Contents in the front and an Index of First Lines at the end of the book. So helpful for looking up those favorites. Enjoy!
Thank you to MacMillan Children's Books and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. A new hardcover edition comes out on June 3, 2025.
This little book of poems brims with good humor about the animals in our lives. It is not all dogs and cats. There are some fabulous fish poems like Memory of a Goldfish:
If only I could just forget,
what excitement would ensue--
with each circuit of my bowl,
to find everything is new!
Some are very silly like Four-Legged Friend:
Although walks in the park with you are, frankly, no walk in the park.
They are, in fact, complete disasters--how I wish that you had castors.
Some are long like Do the Cat (Yeah, do the cat!)
Others are very short like Rough! Rough!
she bought
A posh set of pencils
and after a quick bowl of noodels,
sketched some pictures of her dog
nothing much,
just a few labradoodles.
Never fear, more exotic pets like snakes, elephants, leopards, and even a budgerigar.
I found this collection to be utterly charming. There is a handy Table of Contents in the front and an Index of First Lines at the end of the book. So helpful for looking up those favorites. Enjoy!
Thank you to MacMillan Children's Books and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. A new hardcover edition comes out on June 3, 2025.
February 3, 2025
This was a Christmas present which I’ve only just got round to reading, but what a little treat! While it’s only small, the 65 or so poems made a me laugh out loud several times, frequently marvel at Brian Bilston’s way with words and once burst into tears. That was What’s In A Name, a poem about Buttons, the cat to whom the book is dedicated. I particularly enjoyed Three-Line Poem about the Sounds Coming from Upstairs:
You keep loft pigeons?
That explains what the noise is -
Must be a high coo
There’s great rhymes like these from Penguin Awareness:
For he moves in the shadows, like Tony Soprano
I am forever stepping in guano
The poems are about a variety of animals, though mainly cats and dogs. They deal with the care of pets, but also about the unconditional love that exists for most pet owners. Be warned - there are sad poems, such as Meanwhile… told from the point of view of a pet in a shelter. The whole book is like owning a pet: there are sad bits, but much outweighed by the good times.
You keep loft pigeons?
That explains what the noise is -
Must be a high coo
There’s great rhymes like these from Penguin Awareness:
For he moves in the shadows, like Tony Soprano
I am forever stepping in guano
The poems are about a variety of animals, though mainly cats and dogs. They deal with the care of pets, but also about the unconditional love that exists for most pet owners. Be warned - there are sad poems, such as Meanwhile… told from the point of view of a pet in a shelter. The whole book is like owning a pet: there are sad bits, but much outweighed by the good times.
September 24, 2024
Like most people, I discovered Brian Bilston on social media through his Refugee poem. Since then I've become a big fan of his unique, witty and highly intelligent way of playing with the meaning of words and idioms. This is a great collection of animal poems. They're highly accessible and this is a wonderful collection to lose yourself in. The poems have his trade mark warmth and humour and I often laughed out loud with these poems. My favourites were the poem composed by a cat on the computer (I'm not even going to attempt the title) and Haiku composed by my dog while looking out of the window at a passing cat. Clever,, funny and entertaining. This is a wonderful collection perfect to use with children.
Thank you so much to netgalley and the publishers for providing an arc in return for an honest review.
Thank you so much to netgalley and the publishers for providing an arc in return for an honest review.
September 17, 2024
I’m a big fan of Brian Bilston’s poetry online so was very happy to see this book and not at all disappointed.
Centred around pets and suitable for children, these are also great fun for adults with his usual wonderful word play (my personal favourite is from a poem about a budgerigar:
Cos my little feathery geezer
Is a dedicated, staunch trapezer,
More implacable than Julius Caesar –
Weeny, beady, beaky”)
This is a lovely and very funny collection and perfect as a Christmas present for any animal lovers.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
Centred around pets and suitable for children, these are also great fun for adults with his usual wonderful word play (my personal favourite is from a poem about a budgerigar:
Cos my little feathery geezer
Is a dedicated, staunch trapezer,
More implacable than Julius Caesar –
Weeny, beady, beaky”)
This is a lovely and very funny collection and perfect as a Christmas present for any animal lovers.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
September 17, 2024
This lovely book of poems contains all the wit and humour of Brian Bilston's previous work.
I read selected poems to my 4-year-old and 9-year-old and they were in hysterics (they were particularly fond of the love poem written by a dog!). My favourite poem is a literary criticism of a poem written by a cat walking over a keyboard.
A recommended read for fans of Brian Bilston, Michael Rosen, and humorous poetry.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Books for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I read selected poems to my 4-year-old and 9-year-old and they were in hysterics (they were particularly fond of the love poem written by a dog!). My favourite poem is a literary criticism of a poem written by a cat walking over a keyboard.
A recommended read for fans of Brian Bilston, Michael Rosen, and humorous poetry.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Books for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 28, 2024
Once again I've picked up a children's book, not realising it is. To be fair, I've gone through a lot of Bilstons stuff, and with a few exceptions, it can work for both.
This then is a collection of poems based around pets. Not just cats and dogs, the whole menagerie is here, from Dinosaurs to Tarantulas. The majority of them are humorous, some of them are really quite silly, and all of them are worth reading.
A lovely little collection for anyone who has, has had, or wants an animal companion.
This then is a collection of poems based around pets. Not just cats and dogs, the whole menagerie is here, from Dinosaurs to Tarantulas. The majority of them are humorous, some of them are really quite silly, and all of them are worth reading.
A lovely little collection for anyone who has, has had, or wants an animal companion.
September 29, 2024
Purrrfect!
I absolutely loved this book. I laughed out loud and even read some poems out loud. The humor is spot on and brings chuckles on. I brought the kindle to my coffee group and read some aloud. The people in the coffee shop applauded and I happily gave them the author's name and the book title.
I absolutely loved this book. I laughed out loud and even read some poems out loud. The humor is spot on and brings chuckles on. I brought the kindle to my coffee group and read some aloud. The people in the coffee shop applauded and I happily gave them the author's name and the book title.
November 16, 2024
Bilston’s entertaining approach to poetry has brightened up many a miserable day, and I’m glad to see that his latest collection continues with his usual flair. You know that you will end up giggling when you tuck into one of his books. I love that he sometimes makes the space of the page an essential part of the poem, with the form of the text being tailored to the subject in poems instead of a standard verse format. This is particularly delightful when the animal in question is a snail or a snake. My favourite poem in this collection was Penguin Awareness, probably because I’d love my own!
You’ll chuckle, you’ll nod sagely and have a smile on your face after finishing Let Sleeping Cats Lie.
I received an early copy from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
You’ll chuckle, you’ll nod sagely and have a smile on your face after finishing Let Sleeping Cats Lie.
I received an early copy from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
September 11, 2024
This is a pretty funny, varied collection of poetry and prose about the madness that is taking care of a pet. I really loved it and laughed out loud at some poems, reading them out to my mum.
I'd recommend this to any animal and poetry lover. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC
I'd recommend this to any animal and poetry lover. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC
March 28, 2025
3.5
This was really adorable and now I really want to hug my cats and feed them an immortality (+ infinite health) potion.
This was really adorable and now I really want to hug my cats and feed them an immortality (+ infinite health) potion.
April 27, 2025
Brian Bilston turns his attention to the world of pets for this poetry collection, written especially with younger readers in mind. It's still Bilston, but not as engaging as his other collections.
June 13, 2025
Hilarious, charming, touching poems. I love Bilston's work, and this is a delightful collection.
July 8, 2025
Some clever rhymes but few are Brian Bilston at his best.
November 17, 2025
Very fun book filled with cleaver poetry about animals, dogs included.
December 23, 2025
Made me laugh, made me cry, and everything in-between. A beautiful ode to pets and pet owners ❤️
December 31, 2025
Not my favorite of Bilston's books of poems.
July 28, 2025
I accidentally bought a book of poems for children. Most were quite funny.
June 3, 2025
I miss my cat
I don’t have one, but reading these poems made me miss my cat.
I miss my cat so much.
Cat.
Favourite poems:
• The News Where I Am (A Love Poem to My Dog)
• Let Sleeping Cats Lie
• Requiem for a Vanished Rabbit
• A Short Introduction to the Doggish Language
• Hay Dude
• Three-Line Poem about the Sounds Coming from Upstairs
Favourite quote:
Overall, meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow.
I don’t have one, but reading these poems made me miss my cat.
I miss my cat so much.
Cat.
Favourite poems:
• The News Where I Am (A Love Poem to My Dog)
• Let Sleeping Cats Lie
• Requiem for a Vanished Rabbit
• A Short Introduction to the Doggish Language
• Hay Dude
• Three-Line Poem about the Sounds Coming from Upstairs
Favourite quote:
‘Because
– did I mention this? –
you’ll be there when I get home.’
Overall, meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews