We'll Prescribe You a Cat

A cat a day keeps the doctor away…

Hidden within an old building at the end of a narrow Kyoto alley, the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul reveals itself only to those who are truly struggling—and ready for help. This enigmatic clinic offers an unconventional form of treatment: it prescribes cats. Though many patients are baffled by the idea, those who spend the recommended time with their feline “medicine” quickly discover that these playful, perceptive, and occasionally mischievous companions have a remarkable ability to transform lives.

Across the story’s interconnected chapters, the healing power of the human-animal bond unfolds. A dispirited businessman finds unexpected purpose in hands-on work; a young girl learns to navigate the shifting tides of elementary school friendships; a middle-aged man grapples with feeling outpaced at home and in the office; a driven bag designer searches for emotional equilibrium; and a grieving geisha struggles to move beyond the memory of a beloved cat she lost too soon.