Book Summary and Reviews of We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida

Reader Reviews

Write your own review

Terye

Let the Cats Heal You
This was a very enjoyable book. I've just recently started reading contemporary books from Japan. I loved the tone of the book, and the subject. There was intrigue as to do these health care workers really exist? How did they find them. All people seeking help were not especially keen on being prescribed a cat for their ailments, but eventually they start to pay more attention to the cat, and less to their problems. I enjoyed watching the patients learn to socialize with the cats, worry about them, and then thinking of them instead of their own problems. A great book.

Junko W. (Pahoa, HI)

Cats to the Rescue!
This is a delightful quirky book and not just for cat lovers. Cats are the prescription for what ails the patients who find Kokoro Clinic for the Soul in Kyoto, Japan. The patients are told that they are to keep the cats for a specific time. In that time, so much changes in the lives of the patients. Most of the cats in stories never make it back to the clinic. The Clinic can only be found by those who are guided to it and not by others who don't need the magical cat therapy. Once I got started, I had a difficult time putting down the book. Highly recommended,

Dee Dee K. (Incline Village, NV)

Is a Cat a Cure for All Illnesses?
What a delightful, unique book. As other reviewers have noted this is a book where a "mental health specialist" prescribes cats to help temporarily solve his patient's dilemmas. As a cat lover I loved how the author described each patient's confusion and surprised reaction to the cat that they were now responsible for, but how quickly the patient found the cat so adorable. As the specialist notes, "Emotional support? That's ridiculous. Cats don't provide emotional support. They just sit there and do whatever they like. But they do say 'A cat is the root of all illnesses'. Or wait, was it 'cure for all illnesses'?" The author has a sharp wit about her. This is a light, enjoyable book that touches on some serious topics. It also has some insight into the mythology of cats in the Japanese culture. For these reasons I will continue to follow this author.

Dianne S. (East Meadow, NY)

Cats are the best solution
We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida is a delightful and fanciful homily to the healing powers of cats. A "doctor" who might be a therapist with a receptionist, who might or might not previously be a cat, dispenses solutions to a variety of problems by prescribing each patient/seeker a cat. These cats are not permanent solutions and are to be returned in a week. Of course, they all bring solace to the parents lives and families and are never returned. The range of problems solves are often expansive, but the solution remains the same. The cat brings together families and friends to engage in their care and the delight they impart.

I too have a cat who is greatly loved. His healing powers are endless. But even a non cat lover will be touched by this book. It is beautifully written, weaving fantasy and true life together to craft a solution to serious life issues. If only everyone was so lucky to be prescribes a cat!

Mary B. (St Paul, MN)

We'll Prescribe You A Cat
As a cat lover, a book about cats, what's not to love?? Taking place in Kyoto Japan, several magical stories are told. Each story involves someone needing purpose and direction. Hence, a mysterious clinic found by those in need of it. The stories are magical, simply written but full of humor and warmth.. Having had cats all my adult life I loved the felines featured in the stories, all very relatable and precious. A very heartwarming book I heartily recommend to any animal lover, anyone with a cat or any special pet.

Jamie K. (Berkeley, CA)

The Cats at Play
We'll Prescribe You a Cat is a delightful, quirky, book about the special bond between people and their pets; in this case, unique cats, who may have more lives than the nine we already know about.

When people are beset with unsolvable problems, there's only one place to go—the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul where the strange doctor and his indifferent nurse prescribe the perfect solution for putting your life in order—a cat, yours for a specified number of days. Each cat prescription includes a name, instructions, carrier, leash, and collar. What happens next is up to you. While the learning curve is difficult, the rewards—both big and small, depending on the strength of the prescription, are unexpected and miraculous. These are no ordinary cats. Affectionate, aloof, intuitive, and fiercely independent, these pets burrow into their borrowers' souls, awakening forgotten memories and making them believe in things they never thought possible.

You don't have to be a cat lover to enjoy this book. You just need an open mind and the courage to enter the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul. Sounds easy, but there's a catch— It only opens its doors to those truly in need.

...29 more reader reviews