Cat Chat: How cats tell us how they feel

by Jess French, Penelope Dullaghan

'Say hello' cat or 'let me go' cat? Learn exactly what your favourite feline is trying to tell you in this friendly and funny first book about cats and their chat.

In this beautifully illustrated board book, vet and CBeebies presenter Dr. Jess French provides the perfect introduction to living with cats for young children. In charming rhyming text, she shows exactly how to read a cat's body language and what your cat might be trying to tell you through her tail waves, ear twitches, meows and more! The book also provides tips for children on how to interact with their newest member of the family.

The perfect gift for the new young pet owner and their parents.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Cats, Childrens, Nonfiction

24 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Kitty G Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I bought for my son (age 2 months) to teach him about cats and their body language and behaviour. It’s a clear and concise book which details different poses cats typically adopt at different times and it’s well illustrated. There’s not much text on the page which means it works well even for the youngest of children. We’ve read this multiple times through and it’s rhyming and easy which means we don’t mind rereading time and time again. Highly recommended if you have cats and want to teach children about interacting with them. 5*s.

[Ronan Crutchfield]

I liked learning about all the emotions that my kitty big sister can show!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many of us who love cats often wish those feline friends of ours could talk. As experience and this book show, they can, but their humans just need to learn their language. Expressed through their sounds, eyes, and body posture, cats let others know when they want to be alone, when they want to be touched, and when they want to be fed. No two cats are alike, but most cats like quiet voices and run away from loud, sudden noises or movement, especially being chased. Youngsters need to learn to touch them gently, give them space, be patient, and let them approach at their own pace. Luna, one of my cats absolutely adores when I hold her in my arms and slowly blink my eyes. Other cats such as Mazoo loved to hear me sing, and all of my cats have liked listening to me read picture books out loud. What none of them seem to like, though, is nail clipping, a necessary evil when it comes to long-haired cats. But this book doesn't suggest that youngsters be responsible for that; instead, they should leave grooming to adults. All the cats in this book, an accessible primer for future cat owners, are expressive and beautiful. If someone doesn't already have a cat or two or ten in their home, they'll probably want one after finishing this book.

[Bailey Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Puppy Talk and Cat Chat are meaningful, delightful, precious, and exciting stories for children. They are fun books that show the reader how to look for cues when around  dogs and cats. These books use rhymes to show kids how animals might be feeling and how to appropriately meet and play with them. I love that children are taught to consider animals feelings! Being respectful not only helps the animal, it keeps children safe. The illustrations also add the overwhelming cuteness factor! I highly recommend buying these books as a duo! I adore this valuable book series!

[V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cat Chat and Puppy Talk - I recommend both! These are cute but clear introductions to reading cat and dog body language. Short rhyming lines that flow smoothly when reading aloud accompany illustrations showing the animals in easily recognizable postures, which will easily foster discussion. Each of these is an excellent tool to use when teaching youngsters about interacting with animals. Mom approved!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple book, perfect for young or beginner readers. Similar to 100 Cats: Cute Kittens to Count in that Cat Chat includes a different “type” of cat (I.e. sleepy, leave me alone, pet me more, etc.) on each page. Cat lovers/owners, or even those without cats, will find something worth reading and learning.

[Leo]

14 month old Leo was interested enough to sit through a reading of this and occasionally open it up himself. He especially seemed interested in the endpaper pattern. Mom thought it was a sweet book that could be helpful for teaching children about cat's body language (probably more useful as Leo gets older, but not bad to start planting the information now).

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A picture book with a few words "Angry Cat." "Play with toys cat" accompanied by painted, blocky pictures of a cat doing the thing. I loved the way the illustration captured the emotions of the cats, and cat obsessed kids will love this. Has more info about how to approach in back.

[Sinead Gately · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book for children. Easy to follow and understand for younger children and the five golden rules at the end are great for slightly older children and gives a good level of reasons.

[christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome 😻

[Meghan Bohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does a fantastic job of teaching little ones how to read feline body language. Highly recommended.

[Kelli]

Saw a cat on the cover. Read about cats. Win win.

[Alex Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had great art, taught great lessons about being empathetic towards animals, and was fun to read

[Jimmy Gresham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was going to teach my cat how to verbally communicate through English. I want a refund

[jellyttea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book my 17 month old has been asking to read every time we visit a friend. This is a lovely little book that teaches small children different feline behaviours. There are large illustrations and easy to read text, which is great for developing vocabulary.

Rating based of mine and my daughter’s personal experience and taste. We may revisit in the future with an updated rating and review.