To fully enjoy this trans-Atlantic "pen-paw" relationship, you need to know about the friends:

Tahash (it’s pronounced Ta’ha sh) is an American cat living in New Jersey.
Ioda (sounds like "Yoda") is a French cat (le chat) living in France.
Kallie is Ioda's adopted sister.
Bastet is Ioda's and Kallie's adopted little sister.
Susan is Tahash's servant - from and living in New Jersey.
Louise, Ioda's and Kallie's keeper, is from New Jersey, but lives in France.

Dear Ioda,

I am conflicted ! It is time for my morning nap, but the window just opened. What shall I do? Sleep or go to my windowsill perch? Sleep or go to my windowsill perch? Sleep or go to my windowsill perch? Susanlady is laughing at me.

Catlove, Tahash

Chère Tahash,

The answer to your conundrum is very simple: sleep on the windowsill. You CAN have your Purina and eat it too! If a songbird wakes you up, so be it! Something nice to look at, to listen to, and to drool over.

Ioda

Dear Ioda,

I am too well fed. I cannot sleep comfortably on the windowsill. I might even roll off it as I dream. If I hear a bird, I’ll jump up right away and go to the window. All of life is about compromise. A cat’s life too.

What I like about the window perch is that I can easily view the stray cats trying to grab dinner from the dumpster. I have a much better life here with my food dish in the kitchen, a few cat paces away. I feel sooo lucky.

Tahash

Chère Tahash,

Did you say compromise or compro-mice? I prefer the latter myself. As for sleeping on a perch, I would prefer to eat one, ha ha (since we are having fun with words!). And now I must leave you, because Madame L wants to turn off the computer. Some nerve! What can I do about it?

Ioda

Chère Ioda,

If you bonk your head hard enough on the on/off button, perhaps you can turn the computer back on!

Do you think there is perch in my cat chow?

Sweet catdreams, my friend,
Tahash

Dear Tahash,

Bonk my head? What does zees verb mean, to bonk? To go boing boing avec la tête? Merci, chère amie, I’ll give it a try!

Ioda

Dear Ioda,

Oui, oui. Boing boing avec la tête ! Did you also know that head bonks are our best sign of affection ? When we bump someone with our forehead? I think you truly love your computer! Susanlady and I love ours for sure, plus Susanlady watches another screen that has pictures moving on it. Or so I guess, because mainly all I can see is light on it. She sits there like a dummy staring at this shining box. I cannot even write to you on it. What good is it?

Tahash

Chère Tahash,

In my opinion, the shining box has one advantage. One can find a set of laps to choose from in our home, once it has been turned on. But a computer definitely has an advantage—not only can I use it to bring our column up to date, but it gives off light; it is warm…I tan my fur lying in front of it! Mme L has been looking into something called Facebook on it, but I don’t see much interest in that. Now, if there were cat pictures on it, that might be different!

Catlove, Ioda

Dear Ioda,

But there are cat pictures, dear friend! Susanlady is on Facebook, and she put me on Catbook! If you want, you can see me there. I saw lots of cats on it who look just like me, so I joined the Tortie group!

Tahash

Chère Tahash,

Mais comment? Lots of cats that look like you? But it’s not possible. There is only ONE Tahash in the Bible. And you have been named after its beautiful colors. The others must be knockoffs! Hmm, so I shall see if I can find any black cat as chic as I, although I thoroughly doubt it. Anyone can wear her basic black, but I have that je ne sais quoi of the well bred French allée cat!

Bons baisers de Ioda

Chats with Le Chat Gourmet (click here), by Susan Marx and Louise Thunin-Domaratius, is a cross-cultural cat book cum easy-French-cookbook (for people!) all in one. Feline penpals exchange e-mails across the Atlantic: Ioda, born in Paris, is a black "allée" cat, while Kelly Kat Katz is a Jewish-Irish (vive la diversité!) American cat in New Jersey.