A new trend has emerged, and for cat lovers and those who wish to adopt cats and kittens, cat cafes blend the best of human relaxation with cat interaction. These places may just be the predecessor to what Kyoto-born author Syou Ishida had in mind with the fictional establishment Nakagyo Kokoro Clinic for the Soul. The Nakagyo Kokoro Clinic for the Soul is a special place, only found by those who are struggling in their personal and work lives and need help. For those who find their way through the clinic’s doors, the clinic’s staff has a unique, and at times baffling, prescription—endearing, empathetic cats who seem to know just what the doctor is ordering, even if the patients do not. Nonetheless, readers should not expect yet another kitsch take on cat ownership. Instead, what readers discover in Ishida’s writing is a deeply meaningful, vibrant celebration of the human-animal bond that speaks loudly in the modern world, where loneliness is an epidemic of its own.
Readers meet a unique cast of cats throughout the pages of We’ll Prescribe You a Cat. First, they meet Bee, who at first seemingly upends the life of Shuta Kugawa but then proves to be the life-changing cat Shuta needed as he leaves his high-stress, slightly corrupt business job and enters the muscle-wrecking world of physical labor. Next, Margot arrives just in time to save Koga, a disgruntled businessman who hates the new deputy general manager whose voice haunts Koga’s nightmares. Koyuki, like other cats, “can solve most problems,” and does for a mother struggling to understand her and her daughter’s generational differences. Tank and Tangerine open new emotional and professional doors for Tomoka, a fashion designer whose noncommittal boyfriend does not keep a job for very long. Mimita, a Scottish Fold leads a young woman to closure as she faces the loss of another of her beloved cats and navigates the meaning of attachment and family in a seemingly detached world.
We’ll Prescribe You a Cat offers readers many lessons about not only the human-animal bond, but also the human-human bonds that knit our world together. For example, Margot unites Koga and his family and brings laughter back into the empty rooms and spaces that once lingered between Koga, his wife, and his daughter. Margot’s story, too, is a story about sacrifice and commitment. Koga’s wife is allergic to cats, yet his wife acquiesces to Margot’s presence by agreeing to take allergy medicine. Meanwhile, Koga reestablishes a loving relationship with his daughter, Emiri, who teaches Koga about the unifying power of cats on social media. Margot also offers readers a wider lesson about animal adoption. After Koga returns Margot to the clinic, he, his wife, and his daughter refuse to buy a cat from a pet shop. Instead, they opt to adopt from a shelter after Emiri shares how her friend had a positive experience and gave an older cat new life after Emiri’s friend adopted it. Thus, Margot’s story offers readers a hopeful ending—and not only for the humans.
Mimita, the Scottish Fold’s story is possibly the most successful concluding story ever included in a short story collection. It offers readers positive philosophies about moving forward in one’s life after encountering terrible patches of grief and darkness. The clinic’s doctor asserts that in the human-cat relationship, “it’s only humans who become attached.” He continues, saying, “Cats, though small in stature, have their own worlds.” The cat’s forward movement is not only symbolic, but inspiring, because from the moment a cat steps “into a new world, they’re already looking toward the future” regardless of “how tough that world is.” Thus, as Mimita’s new, potential owner resists allowing Mimita to bring happiness into her life because she still mourns her previous cat, readers learn about the power of letting go of the past and embracing the future. Mimita’s story also testifies to how “looking forward toward the future” helps one determine their path so that they won’t “get lost.”
We’ll Prescribe You a Cat might just possibly be what the doctor should order. Ishida’s stories are vibrantly written and real, and Ishida’s attentive prose captures cats’ eccentricities, majesties, and quirks that make them some of the best companions a person can have. Therefore, the collection is not simply a call to action regarding ethical cat adoption or a book that raises awareness about corporations’ cruelty to their employers—yes, those lessons also exist in the book! Instead, it is a book that draws attention to the fine line humans walk with the natural world and the healing effects nature—and one of nature’s creatures—can offer humans at a time when so many live severed from the natural world. Ishida’s playful, heartfelt stories are about interconnectedness, and they testify as to why it is important to love and respect all living creatures. After all, one never knows what animal will change their lives forever, for the best.
Nicole Yurcaba (Нікола Юрцаба) is a Ukrainian American of Hutsul/Lemko origin. A poet and essayist, her poems and reviews have appeared in Appalachian Heritage, Atlanta Review, Seneca Review, New Eastern Europe, and Ukraine’s Euromaidan Press. Nicole holds an MFA in Writing from Lindenwood University, teaches poetry workshops for Southern New Hampshire University, and is the Humanities Coordinator at Blue Ridge Community and Technical College. She also serves as a guest book reviewer for Sage Cigarettes, Tupelo Quarterly, Colorado Review, and Southern Review of Books.