Translated by E. Madison Shimoda
Until now I seem to have avoided the current trend for Japanese novels with cute cat pictures on the cover. It wasn’t a deliberate decision to avoid them – that sort of book just doesn’t usually appeal to me. When I was looking for ideas for cat-related books to read for this year’s Reading the Meow, though, I thought this one sounded intriguing.
We’ll Prescribe You a Cat begins with Shuta Kagawa visiting the Nakagyō Kokoro Clinic for the Soul in Kyoto. Shuta’s unhappiness at work is causing him to suffer from stress and insomnia and he has decided to consult a psychiatrist. However, he quickly discovers that this is no ordinary clinic – first, it proves extremely difficult to find, hidden away down a narrow alleyway; then, instead of prescribing medication, Dr Nikké says something completely unexpected: “We’ll prescribe you a cat”. And with that, Shuta becomes the temporary owner of Bee, an eight-year-old female mixed breed – but will he manage to complete the course of ‘medication’ without any side effects and what will happen when it’s time to give the cat back?
Shuta’s story is the first of five that make up this novel, each one following a similar format with a character entering the Kokoro Clinic and, regardless of their symptoms, being prescribed a cat. The cat is a different one each time, each with his or her own personality and characteristics. Sometimes the cat is compatible with the client; sometimes it seems to cause more trouble and disruption, but in each case, when the prescription comes to an end, the person finds that their life will never be the same again.
Animal-assisted therapy is a legitimate form of therapy used by charities and mental health groups to treat a range of issues, allowing people to spend time with animals in a controlled environment. That’s what I had assumed this book would be about, so I was surprised to see Dr Nikké and his nurse, Chitose, simply handing the clients a cat in a carrier with some food and written instructions – no checks done to make sure the person had a suitable home for the cat, no questions asked about allergies or the needs of other family members. Then, at the end of the week or two week period, the cat is going to be handed back to the clinic and passed on to the next person. It seemed cruel and irresponsible. However, I quickly discovered that the book has a fantasy element – which grows stronger and more bizarre as it progresses – and I was probably taking things too seriously!
You may be wondering what the fantasy element is. Well, to begin with, the clinic itself is very unusual – sometimes it can be found and sometimes it can’t, depending on the person looking for it and how desperately they need to find it. There’s also something strange about Dr Nikké and Chitose, but I’m not going to say any more about that except that each of the five stories adds a little bit to our understanding of what is going on. Still, when I finished the book I felt that a lot of things were left unexplained or only partly answered. There’s a sequel, We’ll Prescribe You Another Cat, which will be available in English in September, but I’m not sure whether it will provide any more clarity or if it’s just another collection of similar stories. I don’t think I liked this one enough to want to read the sequel, but I did find it interesting and I enjoyed taking part in this year’s Reading the Meow with this book and Paul Gallico’s Jennie!
She Reads Novels 
I think I’ve just assumed that this was whimsical/fantastical, so the general lack of background checking wouldn’t have surprised me, but it is the sort of thing that tends to annoy me. The relative realism of going to a clinic and the relative surrealism of just being handed a cat clash too much in my head; it’s why I (usually) prefer books that are either full-on fantasy or committed to a largely realist mode. Splitting the difference often means writers can get away with incoherence.
I agree with what you say, Elle, and I suspect Helen will too. It’s why not all magic realist novels work with me, the disconnection between the fantasy and the realistic sometimes offers too wide a chasm.
I definitely agree with both of you! I tend to avoid magical realism novels for that reason – there are a few that I’ve enjoyed, but in general I also prefer books to commit to either fantasy or realism and not a mixture of both.
I like the premise but the clinic’s irresponsibility would bother me too!
The owners were all decent people and did their best to care for the cats, but it really bothered me that they were being treated like commodities, being passed around from one temporary home to another. I think I was reading too much into the book, though – it was obviously just meant to be a bit of light-hearted fun!
Thank you for this review, Helen. I agree this one gets stranger as one reads on and like you I was left with plenty of unanswered questions at the end. But I did like the premise and the individual stories and truth be told, didn’t even take in the lack of background checks because I assumed there will be some sort of magical element involved. Though I didn’t realise what direction the book would take. Glad you enjoyed both your picks for Reading the Meow, and very pleased you could join in.
I did enjoy it overall – I think I just wasn’t prepared for it being such a strange book! I found the individual stories interesting and loved meeting each of the cats.
I’ve heard both good & interesting things about this one. As a cat lover (obviously!) I think I’ll pick it up next time I come across it.
I think it’s definitely worth reading, even though I didn’t particularly love it. It’s entertaining and very unusual!
I read this one last month and liked some of the stories more than others, but like you, not enough to want to read the sequel. Though I thought it was a fun idea. 😀
Yes, it was fun! I think the sequel could be too much of the same thing, though.
I just read the second book, prescribing a second cat, and it is cute. It also explains more about the strange doctor and his nurse who prescribes cats to troubled individuals. This time, the cats are all Bengal cats with different personalities. I enjoyed the magical elements of the stories.
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I’m glad you enjoyed the second book! I’m not sure if I’m going to read it, but I’m pleased to hear we do learn more about the doctor and nurse.
These books are such a strange hype, aren’t they? My boyfriend received one of them (I think When the coffee gets cold) as a gift and he started it but didn’t finish it (and it’s a small book), so I might try it one day and see what I think about it.
I haven’t read that one, but yes, that’s another Japanese book with a cute cat on the cover! I hope you like it if you do decide to try it.
I like the sound of this book! I read “Before the Coffee Gers Cold: Tales of the Cafe” this June and this book sounds similar, so I have added it to my TBR. Thank you for the review 😊🐱
I haven’t read Before the Coffee Gets Cold, but I’ve heard about it and it does sound like the same kind of book. This one is interesting, particularly if you like cats!
I would recommend “Before the Coffee Gets Cold”, though I did read the second book by accident (Tales of the Cafe) instead! 😯 It was a cosy, enjoyable read. 📚✨️