COLETTE and the birth of her cat Péronelle.

Sidonie Gabrielle Colette, known as COLETTE (1873-1954)

Autographed letter signed to Hélène and Philippe Berthelot.

Three large quarto pages on blue paper with the letterhead of the Claridge Champs-Elysées hotel.

[Paris. September 1931]

"That's how we mother cats are."

Colette, recovering from her broken leg, rejoices in the presence of her daughter and the birth of a young cat, which allows her to maintain a valiant spirit.

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"Dear friends, what a lovely letter, and written for my pleasure! Do you want me to break my other leg? Yes, if you promise to write to me again. I rejoice in the thought that three human beings – or those considered human – truly know what is serious and what is not: the two of you, and me."

I still need weeks of patience; the fracture is very good, but I tore all the ligaments in my foot by twisting it, and they tell me it takes a very long time to heal. I don't want anyone to pity me too much; there's sunshine in this little room where they brought me back five days ago. On my bed, I have a table, a cat, and her six-day-old kitten… Yes, dear Hélène, another kitten that's probably blind—like all kittens, for life—and besides, it drags its hindquarters in a worrying way; won't it have a malformation of its lower jaw that will prevent it from eating? That's how we mother cats are.

I regain my composure when it comes to my charming two-legged girl [his daughter, Colette de Jouvenel], who brings me her freshness every day, stories from the studio where she works, news about "her" car. No, don't pity me too much. Thanks to a broken fibula, I have a foretaste of what I'll be like in a few years. It's not bitter.

 If you happen to be passing by, please come up for a moment? I would be so happy. I send you both my warmest regards, Maurice Goudeket [her husband] is your very devoted Maurice. And the new little kitten will be called "Péronelle. " Your Colette. 

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There is no need to elaborate further on Colette's love for cats. Let us simply note that Philippe Berthelot gave her, in 1921, a female serval from Chad, named Bâ-Tou.