My Private Menagerie

In these affectionate, whimsical recollections, Théophile Gautier turns his lifelong devotion to animals into a series of witty, intimate portraits. He begins with childhood memories of Paris homesickness eased by a dog named Cagnotte, then moves through a gallery of memorable cats and companions, from a loyal old gray cat to the stylish Childebrand, the elegant Madame-Théophile, and the white favorites Don Pierrot of Navarre and Séraphita. Cats emerge as intelligent, independent presences, even comic commentators on human behavior, while the unforgettable stalking of a parrot becomes a playful contest of instinct, voice, and imagination. Gautier also delights in a colony of white Norway rats, gentle household pets whose sudden death by lightning gives their shared life a strangely unified, ironic ending. A final reflective essay on horses—tiny Shetland ponies, then the well-matched mares Jane and Blanche—blends self-mockery with tenderness before ending in loss, as revolution and financial hardship force him to part with the animals he loved. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.