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“Cats are more effective than any other medicine out there.”

Author: Syou Ishida

In five interconnected narratives five down-and-out people, each suffering from acute mental distress, find themselves in the magical Nakagyo Kokoro Clinic for the Soul, consulting the disconcertingly laid-back Dr. Nikké and his irritable nurse, Chitose. You only find this clinic from rumor – the recommendation of a friend’s brother’s babysitter’s aunt, for example. It’s down a difficult to navigate alley, it appears like magic, and no matter what you are suffering, they will cure you. The cure, however, is just as unexpected as it is delightful and adorable. The cure, obviously, is a dose of cat. Just be sure to follow the instructions and take your cat as directed!

Shuta Kagawa is distressed over his job. The yelling, the accusations, the funny business. It’s really getting to him, and so he finds the Clinic for the Soul, desperate for anything that will help. He goes home with a cat named Bee, and through a magical mishap, finds his true calling.

Koga feels alienated by his family and by his unnecessarily cheerful boss. He’s worked hard for years; he earned the promotion, but instead it was given to a newbie. He hates this woman, and her cheerful accolades to everyone are ringing in his head and keeping him from sleeping. Dr. Nikké sends a surprised Koga home with a cat named Margot, and through his connection with Margot, he rediscovers how to interact with his family and even finds common ground with his boss.

A mother and daughter squabbling over generational differences go home with Koyuki, a cat that helps them understand and reconnect with one another. A grieving handbag designer, haunted by her past and grief, finds new opportunities to embrace life and her work when she takes Tank and Tangerine home. And finally, a woman who cannot stop grieving her cat finds new hope and a way to move on with Mimita.

The stories start long and in-depth. We spend a lot of time with Shuta Kagwa and Koga as both interact with their feline prescriptions and find a new, fresh way to look at and approach life. After these first two stories, the others are much shorter, going by rapidly. It’s a bit unbalanced, and because of this, it’s the earlier stories in the collection that resonate the most.

Image by Bianca Van Dijk from Pixabay

The stories also start cheerful, but the rest of the book has a darker edge – a hint about this magical clinic and its resident staff. The backstory is briefly touched on, and it is disturbing to imagine, especially in a book that is about the cozy.

There are brief mentions of animal violence in the history of the haunted clinic, and we do get a long reminiscence of a woman who finds a kitten that will freeze to death and is forced to leave it. These darker moments ruin the warm and fuzzy feel. We’re coming to a collection like this for light-hearted animal love, to think more deeply about the bond between cats and people, and to reflect on how this bond teaches us about true, unselfish love.

Of course, We’ll Prescribe You a Cat still does this. Despite the few off-key moments, the narrative is mostly charming, the cats themselves adorable and precocious. The drawings that come along with each new story also add an adorableness that enables us to envisage the beautiful feline companions that teach their broken humans how to love and connect again.

The book is obviously a love letter to cats, and the author’s affection and understanding of the creatures is clear. While it’s not perfect, it is nevertheless charming and has made me curious to further explore this new Japanese genre of magical realism and feline companions. I’ll be back for more! Recommended.

– Frances Carden

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Frances Carden
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