My household of pets

In this charmingly eccentric memoir, a narrator recalls a childhood steeped in the company of cats, dogs, and other curious creatures. From Turkish‑styled caricatures to Byron’s own Newfoundland, the prose celebrates the tender, almost reverent bond humans forge with their animal companions. The story begins with a young exile in Paris, haunted by homesickness for the French countryside and, most of all, for a beloved dog named Cagnotte left behind in Tarbes.

The narrative takes a playful turn when a nurse, hoping to soothe the child’s grief, purchases a look‑alike pup on the bustling Pont Neuf. Convincing the child that travel can change a dog’s appearance, she presents the “new” Cagnotte, whose initial charm soon fades into awkwardness. A gentle, comic revelation unfolds as the narrator discovers the dog’s true, humble origins, setting the stage for a series of amusing observations about the quirks and personalities of the household’s furry residents.