WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GET YOUR CAT

Two children demonstrate the responsibilities of a caring for new kitten in this rhyming picture book.

Following their previous collaboration, What to Know Before You Get Your Dog (2021), Strohmaier and Gadotti prepare young readers for adopting a pet. Two siblings—a taller one with blond hair and peachy skin and a smaller one with black hair and tan skin—walk together to a pet rescue. They play with several kittens and observe their behaviors before bringing home a brown and tan tabby. As the children play with and care for their new pet, the narrator describes a cat’s needs: “You’ll have to learn just how / to scoop the litter tray. / Since kitty likes it clean, / you’ll do that every day!” The book celebrates the delight of cat ownership without skipping over the more challenging aspects, and the simple language and short rhyming phrases make the advice accessible to younger readers, encouraging them to really consider their own readiness to care for an animal. Gadotti’s watercolor and pencil illustrations tell the story, as the characters and their new pet are never directly mentioned in the text. While the book is instructive—depicting the necessary equipment and chores—the main characters still show a great deal of personality when, for example, hanging upside-down from a bed to watch their kitten or turning up their nose at the litterbox.

A well-directed description of the real responsibilities—and joys—of adopting a cat.