The Kilkenny Cats — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

There were once two cats of Kilkenny.
Each thought there was one cat too many;
So they fought and they fit,
And they scratched and they bit,
Till, excepting their nails,
And the tips of their tails,
Instead of two cats, there weren't any.

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Learning from "The Kilkenny Cats"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Kilkenny Cats" uses 7 lines to create a memorable verse — proof that effective poetry doesn't need to be long. Pay attention to the meter: the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables is what makes the rhyme stick in your head.

Songwriters and poets can borrow these patterns. Try writing your own lyrics using the same rhyme scheme and line length as this nursery rhyme. You can also use words from the poem above as starting points — click any word to find rhymes or look up its definition, then build from there.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the words to The Kilkenny Cats?
The lyrics to The Kilkenny Cats are: There were once two cats of Kilkenny. / Each thought there was one cat too many; / So they fought and they fit, / And they scratched and they bit, / Till, excepting their nails, / And the tips of their tails, ... Read the full 7-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does The Kilkenny Cats have?
"The Kilkenny Cats" has 7 lines of verse.

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