Mayumi Inaba (1950–2014)

I read a different author's cat memoir earlier in the year, and was upset by that writer's focus on her pets' ill-health and deaths, frequently caused by her own neglect.
This book is somewhat more balanced in following Mii's life from kittenhood, through 20 years of companionship, inevitably dealing with illness and death, so not for anybody likely to be distressed by such detailed descriptions.
What really distinguishes it from that other book is Inaba's ability to more clearly centre her show more cat's needs as distinct from her own, though I would have made different choices on several occasions.
Inaba also shares something of her own life, including the breakdown of her marriage, so it's a more rounded book, and is a bittersweet description of a life spent together. show less

Trigger Warnings: cat in distress, missing cat, aging cat

In 1977, Mayumi Inaba heard tiny cries carried by the breeze of the river. When she follows the sound she finds a small newborn kitten dangling high in the fence - clearly placed there by someone. Overcome with affection, Inaba takes the kitten back to her apartment, names her Mii, and thus the inseparable bond begins.

Over the next twenty years Inaba talked about her life as she goes through changes and compromises, but the one thing show more that is always there is her cat, Mii.

So, I have mixed feelings about this book. Some parts of it I absolutely loved and related to; like Inaba straight up buying a condo because finding one to rent with Mii was too hard, cause that’s something I would absolutely do, and the midnight walks through the hallway with her cat - I absolutely did that with my cat, Mushi, in college when I needed a break from homework.

Then when Inaba talked about Mii getting stuck up in a tree and how she let her be stuck there so she could hear her little cries slightly broke me, because I hear one off pitched cry from either of my cats, I’m running to them to see what’s going on. My heart also ached for Mii at the end of her life - her quality of life was horrible and as much as I desperately want my cats to be with me for as long as time allows, they shouldn’t be suffering like Mii. Oh - and not getting Mii spayed!

Overall I both enjoyed and had my heart break while reading this. I do understand this was Inada’s first cat and it’s also set in 80’s/90’s Japan, but some things I think she could have handled so much better.

*Thank you FSG Originals and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review show less

How can someone write an entire biography of a cat? I don’t know how she did it, but Mayubi Inaba wrote a whole book describing the life of her cat Mii, detailing every nuance of the cat’s experiences and personality. Many of this book’s chapters were followed by a brief poem, summarizing that chapter’s contents. The result was a tender story of the life of one animal that had all of the nuances of a biography of a human. It was amazing…and softly beautiful!

This book would not be a show more good fit for some readers, however I would highly recommend it to anyone who has had a cat from kittenhood through old age and death. This story will bring back sweet memories of the past. show less

A love letter to love and companionship. It makes me wish I could read Japanese better so I might enjoy it in it's original context.
The descriptions of the cat are also very similar to my own, so I am perhaps biased in that regard