Tutto sui gatti: All about cats! Learn how to say cat in Italian (gatto and gatta), how to use it, and how to pronounce it. Find out about an important Italian Cat song, and Italian cat-related words, like kitten, kitty, scaredy cat and more. Find out what names Italians choose for their cats, as well as Italy’s most popular cat breed. There are also Italian sayings about cats, so you’ll know what Italians really mean when they talk about quattro gatti, or four cats.
Table of Contents
HOW TO SAY CAT IN ITALIAN
The Italian word for cat depends on whether the cat is male or female. Gatto means male cat in Italian, and gatta means female cat. If you don’t know the sex of the cat, the default word for cat in Italian is gatto.
Mio figlio vorrebbe un gatto per il suo compleanno.
My son would like a cat for his birthday.
There are two ways to say my cat in Italian: il mio gatto means my (male) cat, and la mia gatta means my (female) cat.
La mia gatta è bianca e grigia.
My cat is white and grey.
To talk about a beautiful cat, say un bel gatto, which means a beautiful (male) cat, or una bella gatta, which means a beautiful (female) cat.
C’è un bel gatto che abita qui vicino.
There is a beautiful cat that lives nearby.
The Italian way to say the cats is i gatti for a group of male cats (or a group of female cats with a minimum of one male), or cats in general. Use le gatte for an all-female group of cats.
I gatti sono animali affascinanti.
Cats are fascinating animals.
Babbo fai rientrare le gatte prima di andare via. Daddy, let the cats in before you leave.
HOW TO PRONOUNCE CAT IN ITALIAN
The pronunciation of gatto, gatta, gatti and gatte is: GAHT-toh, GAHT-tah, GAHT-tee and GAHT-teh
Listen to how to pronounce gatto, gatta, gatti and gatte here:
In Italian, double consonants are pronounced differently than single consonants, so saying them correctly is important for Italians to understand you. As you listen to the audio, notice how the double tt is pronounced almost like a pause.
LA GATTA
The song La Gatta, or The (female) Cat, is a well-loved classic from 1960 by Italian singer-songwriter Gino Paoli. It begins:
“C’era una volta una gatta che aveva una macchia nera sul muso . . . “
Once upon a time there was a cat who had a black spot on her muzzle . . . “
La Gatta – Gino Paoli
HOW TO SAY KITTEN IN ITALIAN
The Italian word for kitten is gattino, which literally means little cat. Use gattina for a male kitten, and gattina for a female kitten.
Abbiamo Fluffy da quando era un gattino.
We’ve had Fluffy since he was a kitten.
The pronunciation of gattino is: gaht-TEE-noh
Listen to how to pronounce gattino here:
HOW TO SAY KITTY CAT IN ITALIAN
The Italian name for kitty cat is micio (for a male kitty), and micia (for a female kitty). Italians use micio for talking to or about cats in a cute way. To make it even cuter, you can say micino (male) or micina (female) which are Italian for little kitty. You can also use gattino/gattina (Italian for kitten).
Vieni qui micino! Come sei bellino!
Come here little kitty! How cute you are!
The pronunciation of micio and micia is: MEE-chee-oh and MEE-chee-ah
Listen to how to pronounce micio and micia here:
ITALIAN FOR BIG CATS
If you are talking about a large domestic cat, use the word gattone, which literally means big cat.
However, to talk about big cats like tigers, cheetahs and leopards in Italian, don’t use the word gatto or gattone. The correct Italian word for a big cat, or member of the cat family, is felino (like the English word feline). The felino family also includes domestic cats as well.
Il leopardo è il mio felino preferito.
The leopard is my favorite cat.
CAT WORDS IN ITALIAN
Here are some words to help you talk about cats in Italian.
A domestic cat is un gatto domestico
A stray cat is un gatto randagio
A cat lover is un amante dei gatti
A scaredy cat is un fifone
A pet is un animale domestico
To miaow is miagolare
To purr is fare le fusa
HOW ITALIANS CALL THEIR CATS
According to a 2022 Focus Junior magazine article, some of the most common Italian cat names are Romeo and Minù (both of which are characters from the Italian version of Disney’s Aristocats, Gli Aristogatti), Micio, Trilly, Chicco, Birba, and Briciola.
ITALIAN CAT BREEDS
The closest thing to an Italian cat breed is the European shorthair, which is the most common cat breed in Italy, and in Europe. A gatto rosso is a ginger cat (also called a red, orange or marmalade cat). A soriano or gatto tigrato is a tabby cat in Italian.
ITALIAN SAYINGS ABOUT CATS
There are many Italian proverbs and sayings about cats. Here are a few that I hear Italians use all the time:
C’erano quattro gatti. Direct translation: There were four cats. Meaning: Hardly anyone was there.
Quando manca il gatto i topi ballano. Direct translation: When the cat’s away, the mice dance. Meaning: When the cat’s away the mice will play.
Essere come cane e gatto. Direct translation: To be like cat and dog. Meaning: to fight like cats and dogs.
THE CATS OF ROME
Rome is famous for its stray cats, i gatti randagi, who live among ancient ruins throughout the city. At souvenir stands you’ll even see calendars devoted to i gatti di Roma (the cats of Rome).
The most famous Roman cats sunbathe and lounge at Largo di Torre Argentina, the ancient site of Julius Caesar’s murder. There is even a shelter there, the Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary, where gattare, or cat ladies, volunteer to make sure cats are fed and taken care of.