“Cats can solve most problems.”

• We’ll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida, translated by E. Madison Shimoda
• Published on September 3, 2024 by Berkley
• Genres: Fiction, Adult, Contemporary, Magical Realism, Self-Help-Ish
• Tropes: Things Happen For A Reason, Personal Growth, Room of Requirement
• Spice Level: No Spice Detected
• Anne’s Rating: 7.7 out of 10

At the Nakagyō Clinic for the Soul, they treat all kinds of problems. Depression, lack of direction in life, having trouble connecting to others, generational trauma, festering resentments, perfectionism, a lack of creativity, inability to let go of what you’ve lost. Only the most in need of treatment are seen – or can even find the clinic to begin with. A kind of Room of Requirement for your mental health, if you will. Their no-fail cure? They’ll prescribe you a cat.

This story follows 5 different humans as they are prescribed a cat to help overcome the difficulties they face. Shuta is prescribed Bee, who helps the young man to leave his toxic workplace and find a life better suited for him. Koga has neglected relationships with others until he’s prescribed Margot, who opens the door for him to be able to meaningfully connect with the world. Koyuki – a fast-acting prescription – takes Megumi back to her childhood, enabling her to better see how her treatment of her daughter – Aoba – mirrors the harshness she received from her own mother. Tomoka is a type-A designer in a creative rut whose inability to communicate her needs has wound her so tight that it takes a prescription of Tank AND Tangerine to break her loose. Finally, Abino – a geisha who has held on tightly to the memory of the cat she lost – is prescribed Mimita, who teaches her that letting go is necessary, even if it is also painful.

The clinic – and the surly nurse and good-natured doctor who run it – is shrouded in mystery. How did the practice start? Who are the people running it? Why are they prescribing cats as treatment? Where do the cats come from? Do their “scheduled” patients even exist? With each cat’s story we learn a little bit more about the Nakagyō Clinic for the Soul – and of course, all is not as it seems. But while every patient starts out feeling like they’re being Punk’d, the cat always has the needed effect.

Ishida has written a love letter to our pets. The impact that these small, furry creatures leave on who we are – whether we have them for just a short time or for their entire lives. Pets can bring softness, tenderness, and devotion out of even the most difficult of people. They can also frustrate us to a breaking point, but in the end we would move heaven and earth to keep them in our lives.

I teared up a few times while reading this one, and was full-on silently crying in jury duty as I finished this book. Shimoda has done a wonderful job in translating the emotion of Ishida’s novel so that a wider audience can enjoy the tales of these wonderful cats (hahahaha I had to). There is so much heart put into these stories, and I recommend you pick it up if you’re in need of a reminder of the goodness in the world.