Picture scene

French pet-shop vocabulary: explore the animal-care aisle

Find twelve pet-care objects in a French shop scene, from a lead to cat litter, then match customers’ requests to the right item.

In short

A pet shop is une animalerie. Ask for une laisse to walk a dog, une gamelle for food or water, and de la litière for a cat’s tray. Explore twelve objects, then find what each customer is asking for.

A sparse attractive pet shop display of a coiled blue dog lead, red collar, ochre ball, pet carrier and empty feeding bowl, absolutely no packaging or labels.
A visit to une animalerie brings pet-care words together. Illustration: Atelier

Twelve things in the pet-care aisle

A bright pet-supply shop aisle with no live animals. The left wall has a red dog collar hanging above a blue coiled lead and a green dog harness on separate hoo
Name the item and its animal
FrenchEnglish
une laisse pour mon chiena lead for my dog
des croquettes pour mon chatdry food for my cat
une brosse pour mon lapina brush for my rabbit

Le bac à litière is the tray; la litière is what goes inside it. Les croquettes is plural, so a request uses des croquettes. A pet’s bed can be un panier, even when it is made of soft fabric.

Trois clients dans le rayon

Julie entre dans l’animalerie. « Bonjour, je cherche une laisse bleue pour mon chien. » Le vendeur montre le mur de gauche. La laisse est sous le collier rouge1. Julie prend aussi une balle jaune.

Karim a un chat. Il cherche un bac à litière et un sac de litière. Ils sont sur l’étagère du bas2, à droite. Enfin, Léa regarde la caisse de transport. « Mon chat va chez le vétérinaire demain. Je voudrais cette caisse, s’il vous plaît. » Le vendeur la pose près de la brosse3.

Read it in English

Julie enters the pet shop. “Hello, I’m looking for a blue lead for my dog.” The shop assistant points to the left wall. The lead is below the red collar. Julie also takes a yellow ball.

Karim has a cat. He is looking for a litter tray and a bag of litter. They are on the bottom shelf, on the right. Finally, Léa looks at the pet carrier. “My cat is going to the vet tomorrow. I’d like this carrier, please.” The shop assistant puts it near the brush.

Question 1No account needed
Julie wants the blue item for walking her dog. Which is it?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

la laisse. Julie asks for une laisse bleue, the lead hanging below the red collar.

Question 2No account needed
Which object will Karim fill with litter?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

le bac à litière. The container is le bac à litière; la litière is the material put inside it.

Question 3No account needed
What does Léa buy for the trip to the vet?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

la caisse de transport. Léa chooses la caisse de transport to carry her cat on the trip.