We'll Prescribe You a Cat

Name: We'll Prescribe You a Cat
Brand: Penguin Random House
Availability: InStock
Author: Syou Ishida
ISBN: 9780593949764

Author: Syou Ishida, E. Madison Shimoda

Narrator: Naruto Komatsu, Natsumi Kuroda

Unabridged: 7 hr 8 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 09/03/2024

Categories: Fiction, Animals, Family Life

Synopsis

A USA Today Bestseller

A cat a day keeps the doctor away…

Discover the award-winning, bestselling Japanese novel that has become an international sensation in this utterly charming, vibrant celebration of the healing power of cats.

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.

About The Author

Born in 1975 in Kyoto, Syou Ishida began writing fiction while working at a telecommunications company. We’ll Prescribe You a Cat has been a runaway bestseller in Japan and is due to be published in seventeen languages.

Reviews

Goodreads review by emma on December 11, 2024

my kind of medicine. i've read a lot of japanese literature about cats since i discovered how much it rocks, but this didn't hit the same. this was similar to what you are looking for is in the library and the travelling cat chronicles in that it's about people's problems being solved by a mysterious......more

Goodreads review by Liong on September 16, 2024

The book contains five heartwarming, interrelated short stories. Syou Ishida's writing is both poetic and engaging, creating a captivating reading experience. After reading this book, I felt happy, relaxed, and healed. The stories illustrate how cats can bring comfort and joy to people’s lives. It may r......more

Goodreads review by Jayme on September 03, 2024

Winner of the 2023 Kyoto Book Prize Written by Syou Ishida, translated to English by E. Madison Shimoda-A bestseller in Japan, due to be published in seventeen languages 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 w......more

Goodreads review by Mai on March 31, 2025

Blog Tour - 9/22/25 1. Bee ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Shuta wants to quit his corporate job. There appear to be some shady occurrences in his sales department. A friend of a friend of a friend recommends Nakagyō Kokoro Clinic. In Kyoto, directions are not given by street name. This particular clinic's address is the inter......more

Goodreads review by *TUDOR^QUEEN* on August 01, 2024

This was a unique and delightful book translated from the Japanese. I do love that style of writing which is concise and to the point. The book is comprised of several vignettes which follow the same theme: a person is going through a stressful time and is in need of medical therapy; friends or acqu......more

Quotes

"Be prepared for six imaginative and whimsical stories about the animal-human bond. These stories need telling. … Cat lovers must read this heart-warming book of the power of pets to heal and to achieve self-discovery and hope."—New York Journal of Books

"A heartwarming testimony to the power of the human-animal connection, best read with your own pet (stuffed works too, in a pinch) snuggled up by your side."—People

"...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. … 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.”—Tupelo Quarterly

"Heartwarming, hopeful, uplifting, sometimes thought provoking, you will no doubt recognize elements of your own connections with your cats, both past and present."—Purrs of Wisdom

"These stories not only express hope, self discovery and healing, but it also showcases just how special and 'magical' the bond between a human and cat can be (or any other animal for that matter)."—She Scribes

'The book is onto something—sometimes people need connection in their lives, and an animal can fulfill that... Written almost as a simple set of offerings or recipes for changing perspectives...Ishida’s novel honors pets for the comfort they offer."—ZYZZYVA