We’ll Prescribe You a Cat was such a pleasant find a couple of months ago, that I was thrilled to learn Syou Ishida made a sequel to it. I didn’t realize how new We’ll prescribe You Another Cat was at my local library, but I snatched it up right away.
And I finished it almost as quickly! Typically I’m one to only read twenty to fifty pages in one sitting, but this is such a breezy read, that I was easily getting through fifty pages every time I sat on my recumbrant bike to read. While this novel, like it predecessor, clocks in under 300 pages, doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s a solid collection of short stories. What I found even more neat this time around was that more of the characters were connected to each other, but it also connected the stories and characters from the first novel.
The first two stories are seemingly unrelated, though they are like nice appetizers to get familiar with the cadence of these stories. The first is about a woman who seems a bit fed up with her boyfriend, but the cat helps her see that he loves her deeply and is willing to put in the work. The second story covers an old widow who seems to be watching his own clock run out of time until a cat adds some spark to his life. It also helps him connect with his grandson, who operates a little but unconventionally due to his studies and job. This particular tale seems to involve cats the least, but it was a neat deviation from what’s been written in all of the other ones.
Then we meet two siblings with a decent age gap between them. The younger sister learns of the clinic through a friend who recently had a perscription from them. And while initially reluctant since she has her own cat at home with her family, she grows attached to this new kitten almost immediately. It seems to help lubricate conversations with her parents that she didn’t even bother having before. She was especially bitter towards her mother who seems to only think of and care about her older brother who works for a cat rescue organization.
Given that he has his own cat, Nikke, you wouldn’t think he’d be in need of any additional perscriptions, but he’s been feeling stressed and depressed for quite some time. It’s this last story that ties everything together. For as light as the stories are, they do touch on deeper mental issues, as well as a devestating reality for some animals. I honestly hate this part of the book because it makes me pretty teary, but I do think this tie-in is so real and expertly crafted.
It looks like there might be a third book in this series, though I might have to wait to get my hands on an English translation, as it was only released earlier this year. But stay tuned!