We’ll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida (translated by Madison Shimoda)
Pages: 297
Format: Hardback
Tucked away in an old building at the end of a narrow alley in Kyoto, the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul can only be found by people who are struggling in their lives and genuinely need help. The mysterious clinic offers a unique treatment to those who find their way there: it prescribes cats as medication. Patients are often puzzled by this unconventional prescription, but when they “take” their cat for the recommended duration, they witness profound transformations in their lives, guided by the playful, empathetic, occasionally challenging yet endearing cats.
Throughout the pages, the power of the human-animal bond is revealed as a disheartened businessman finds unexpected joy in physical labor, a young girl navigates the complexities of elementary school cliques, a middle-aged man struggles to stay relevant at work and home, a hardened bag designer seeks emotional balance, and a geisha finds herself unable to move on from the memory of her lost cat. As the clinic’s patients navigate their inner turmoil and seek resolution, their feline companions lead them toward healing, self-discovery, and newfound hope.
I picked up this book on an impulse during a birthday shopping trip back in January. There was something about the cover’s hand-painted aesthetic and pastel colors that drew me in. And as a certified Crazy Cat Lady, it’s hard to pass up any book that prominently features adorable cats.
We’ll Prescribe You a Cat is separated into a series of short stories named after the particular cat (or cats) being prescribed to the human narrators. I hesitate to call it a short story collection—while there are several separate narratives in the book, they are all connected by the actions and mystery of the Nakagyo Kokoro Clinic for the Soul (which does get revealed by the end, but I’m not going to spoil it for you). This is more of a narrative split into parts with an ever-changing cast of characters. None of the characters read as flat or uninspiring; despite the short length of time we see them, there are layers of complexity woven into their seemingly mundane problems in life. What is framed as frivolous trips to a near-hidden clinic becomes unexpected personal journeys, such as a search for a meaningful job, reconnecting with family, or overcoming the traumas of the past.
There is a twist at the end that might pull a few tears if you ever had a pet (again, I won’t spoil). But once all is revealed, you can trace the foreshadowing back through each of the individual stories. I try not to analyze foreshadowing too much when I’m reading—I enjoy the surprise element when all is revealed. That being said, the foreshadowing in this was at a happy medium. If you really try, you can probably figure out where Ishida is leading readers. But it’s also not so vague that the twist comes out of nowhere.
Based on the design and jacket description, I went into this book expecting a heartwarming, cozy fiction collection about cats being “prescribed” as medication for the disenchanted, the lonely, and the overworked. It certainly delivered. There are a lot of books out there that have cats as the protagonist’s sidekick, but you can tell that the author either: a) got lazy, or b) hasn’t ever owned a cat. This was not one of those books. Ishida includes a variety of (realistic) cat personalities to complement their temporary caretakers, and the budding relationships between cat and human bring the cozy element I was looking for. I couldn’t help but fall in love with their stories and growing bonds. The humans are relatable (or at least, believable in their struggles), and the cats bring out the brighter side of humanity that gets lost in the monotony of the everyday.
The pacing in this novel was well-balanced. The stories don’t linger beyond their natural conclusions, and the points of higher tension cut through the slower moments between cat and human. Overall, I foresee this being a book I come back to on a regular basis. It’s a lovely piece of cozy fiction for an evening in, and the relatively short length means it’s not a major commitment if you just want a comfort read or something to cleanse your palate.
AMBER BUDD - Author 