What if your cat could actually tell you exactly what they think of you? Like, brutally honest, no filter, full disdain?
I stumbled onto this little gem while designing wedding invitations (the irony of listening to a snooty cat judge everyone while I arranged flower borders is not lost on me). Colette wrote this in the early 1900s, giving voice to a French Bulldog and a Maltese cat living their best bourgeois lives, and honestly? Kiki-the-Demure is the most accurate cat characterization I've ever encountered. That cat has OPINIONS.
The Voices That Made Me Pause My Work
Okay, so LibriVox is hit or miss sometimes - we all know this. But this production? These volunteers understood the assignment. Bob Gonzalez voices Kiki-the-Demure with this rich, smooth delivery that's so perfectly... cat. You know that tone cats would have if they could speak? That "I tolerate your existence but only because you feed me" energy? He nails it.
And Troy Bond as Toby-Dog brought genuine playfulness that made me smile at my screen like a weirdo. There's this moment during the storm episode where his voice gets all anxious and protective and I just - my heart. MY HEART. Sandra G ties everything together with this lovely accented narration that feels like someone's elegant aunt reading to you by a fire.
The whole thing is a dramatic reading, so you've got different voices for different characters, and it works beautifully for such a short listen. Two hours flies by.
When Dinner Is Late (A Crisis)
Here's the thing about this book - it's not really about pets doing pet things. It's about two animals observing their humans with the kind of sharp, slightly judgmental clarity that only pets possess. When the mistress is ill, both animals react so differently - Toby-Dog is all worried devotion while Kiki basically implies this is terribly inconvenient for her nap schedule.
Colette captures something real here. That ability to nail domestic dynamics—the small, true moments—reminds me of what Dutch House: A Novel does with family relationships. Anyone who's ever had both a dog and a cat knows this dynamic. The dog: "Are you okay?? I love you!! Should I bring you a sock??" The cat: "This disruption to my routine is noted and will be remembered."
I was working on a logo redesign during the train episode and caught myself laughing out loud at Toby-Dog's confusion about the moving landscape. Diego (one of my cats) looked up from his spot on my desk with such judgment. Very Kiki-the-Demure of him.
A Rainy Sunday Kind of Listen
The vibes are immaculate in a very specific way - this is cozy, charming, and surprisingly witty for something written over a century ago. Colette was apparently quite controversial in her time, but there's nothing scandalous here. Just two pets living their dramatic little lives through hot afternoons and autumn fires and household visitors who upset the natural order of things.
Abuela would have loved this one. She had a Chihuahua named Pepito who was absolutely convinced he was the most important being in any room, and she would've recognized him immediately in Kiki's superior attitude. (Miss you, Abuela. You would've laughed at the dinner being late episode.)
The production quality is clean - no weird audio glitches or background noise, which isn't always guaranteed with volunteer recordings. Someone put real care into editing this.
Who This Is (and Isn't) For
If you're expecting plot twists or dramatic arcs, this isn't that. It's seven little episodes, more mood than story. Life has that same episodic, mood-over-plot quality that I keep coming back to. Pet lovers will feel seen. Fans of classic literature who want something light will appreciate Colette's wit without the commitment of her longer novels. But skip it if you need action or if "slice of life from a cat's perspective" sounds boring to you. No judgment - we all have our things.
Diego Approves (Reluctantly)
I listened twice. Once while working, once while making dinner (Diego and Frida both staring at me, clearly identifying with Kiki's stance on delayed meals). At two hours, it's the perfect palate cleanser between heavier listens. Sometimes you just need a snooty cat telling you about her feelings regarding thunderstorms, you know?
