We'll Prescribe You Another Cat by Syou Ishida

 

I was a little apprehensive when I picked up We'll Prescribe You A Cat by Syou Ishida (you can find my review here) late last year but loved the slightly quirky, slightly mystical tale of the healing power of cats. I was overjoyed to discover there would be a sequel, We'll Prescribe You Another Cat.

The Nakagyo Kokoro Clinic For The Soul remains elusive, unless you really need it, and this time around, the people who need it the most don't realise that they do. Doctor Nikke continues to baffle patients with his disorganised thoughts and Nurse Chitose is as stern as ever. 

Being persuaded to care for a cat for a short period of time forces the patients who stumble across the Kokoro Clinic to examine their lives more closely. No doubt other readers will find different messages within the stories. For me, the messages that came across most clearly were, you get out of life what you put in, a work/life balance is essential and different generations can learn from each other. These messages probably seem very obvious, but sometimes we need a small reminder. It is also important to remember that the Japanese culture is vastly different and working long hours and social isolation are normal, and even expected.

Cats are adorable, and the ones featured in the book all have individual personalities, particularly Sasha, a Munchkin cat. The final story, featuring a cat called Nikke, is the one that filled me with trepidation, making me wonder if we were going to end on a sad note. Thankfully, the good news is that there will be another book in the series, Welcome To The Kokoro Cat Clinic, in 2026.

Author Details

Born in 1975 in Kyoto, Syou Ishida is an award-winning author. Her debut in the series, We’ll Prescribe You a Cat, has been a runaway international bestseller and has been the subject of numerous news articles, including in the Guardian and the New York Times. We'll Prescribe You Another Cat is the second volume in the series to be published internationally. Volume 3 has also been released in Japan and will be published in the English-language next year as Welcome to the Kokoro Cat Clinic.