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Mornings With My Cat Mii
The perfect gift for cat lovers: a beloved Japanese modern classic that chronicles the author's twenty-year bond with her cat, meditating on solitude, independence, companionship, the writing life, and how cats can change our lives.
For the last 20 years, Japanese readers have been falling in love with the late poet and prizewinning author Mayumi Inaba's story of life with her cat Mii, after she rescued her as a newborn kitten from a riverbank in Tokyo.
The book follows their everyday joys through the seasons, as Mayumi develops her career as a writer, and finds her feet in life, with her small feline always at her side.
Translated into English for the first time by world-renowned translator Ginny Tapley Takemori, Mornings With My Cat Mii is set to capture the hearts and imaginations of readers and booksellers everywhere.
For the last 20 years, Japanese readers have been falling in love with the late poet and prizewinning author Mayumi Inaba's story of life with her cat Mii, after she rescued her as a newborn kitten from a riverbank in Tokyo.
The book follows their everyday joys through the seasons, as Mayumi develops her career as a writer, and finds her feet in life, with her small feline always at her side.
Translated into English for the first time by world-renowned translator Ginny Tapley Takemori, Mornings With My Cat Mii is set to capture the hearts and imaginations of readers and booksellers everywhere.
180 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 367 reviews
October 20, 2024
First published in 1999, Mayumi Inaba’s memoir is a classic in Japan. A piece in which award-winning poet and fiction writer Inaba looks back over twenty years punctuated by life with her cat Mii. But, it’s not whimsical or conventionally sentimental, some scenes border on harrowing. There are lyrical passages and snippets taken from Inaba's poetry but this frequently leans towards austere, emotionally charged yet restrained. In 1977, when Inaba was still trying to establish herself as a writer, she found a kitten shoved into a high-up hole in a fence close to her home in western Tokyo. Inaba rescued the kitten and decided to keep her. She named her Mii. Soon Mii and Inaba became bound up with each other, Inaba slowly adjusting her rhythms to suit Mii’s – and vice-versa. From the chaos of the late 1970s onwards, through divorce, economic crises, job losses, momentary despair, and a search for a settled home, Mii was the only constant in Inaba’s life. Her chief companion in Inaba’s search for ‘meaningful solitude.’
As a representation of a single woman’s life in urban Japan, and a recreation of Inaba’s writer’s journey, this is quite arresting. But I found it most compelling in its later stages when Inaba’s concerns about Mii, directly and indirectly, raise important questions about the nature of bonds between humans and domesticated animals as well as the ethics of ‘pet-keeping’ in general. After her divorce, Inaba couldn’t afford somewhere with outside space, so ended up moving to a high-rise apartment. Although it was obviously a decent, safe building for a single woman, it was completely unsuited to a cat who loved to roam. It’s there that a bewildered Mii began her gradual decline. Inaba doesn’t shy away from documenting Mii’s depression or her increasingly-frail physical state – or the extreme measures Inaba took to keep her alive.
I found a number of Inaba’s decisions about Mii difficult to relate to or endorse. Inaba opted to prolong Mii’s existence well beyond the point where Mii was capable of functioning independently. It’s clear Inaba was very much a ‘bitter end’ person in relation to Mii, and I’m much less convinced by that stance. But Inaba’s account of her haphazard decision-making around Mii’s well-being could be impressively honest even when Inaba’s actual choices made me angry. For me, Inaba’s struggle to work out what to do for Mii underlined the need to confront how we approach pain and dying for companion animals. Although, there’ve been momentous shifts in thinking about the welfare of companion animals in the years since this was written, particularly in areas like pain management, those changes haven't automatically translated into better living conditions for individual animals.
What compromises between human and animal needs are reasonable? What level of animal discomfort is acceptable? What might constitute a ‘good’ or appropriate death for a companion animal? These are all questions that remain relevant and that Inaba grapples with here. Ones so often overlooked in books about life with a pet or in standard depictions of human-animal relationships. Inaba doesn’t reach any resounding concrete conclusions. As Mii continued to deteriorate it’s clear Inaba was essentially improvising, caught between wanting to do the right thing for Mii and an overwhelming fear of loss, of the beginning of mornings without Mii. Translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Harvill Secker for an ARC
As a representation of a single woman’s life in urban Japan, and a recreation of Inaba’s writer’s journey, this is quite arresting. But I found it most compelling in its later stages when Inaba’s concerns about Mii, directly and indirectly, raise important questions about the nature of bonds between humans and domesticated animals as well as the ethics of ‘pet-keeping’ in general. After her divorce, Inaba couldn’t afford somewhere with outside space, so ended up moving to a high-rise apartment. Although it was obviously a decent, safe building for a single woman, it was completely unsuited to a cat who loved to roam. It’s there that a bewildered Mii began her gradual decline. Inaba doesn’t shy away from documenting Mii’s depression or her increasingly-frail physical state – or the extreme measures Inaba took to keep her alive.
I found a number of Inaba’s decisions about Mii difficult to relate to or endorse. Inaba opted to prolong Mii’s existence well beyond the point where Mii was capable of functioning independently. It’s clear Inaba was very much a ‘bitter end’ person in relation to Mii, and I’m much less convinced by that stance. But Inaba’s account of her haphazard decision-making around Mii’s well-being could be impressively honest even when Inaba’s actual choices made me angry. For me, Inaba’s struggle to work out what to do for Mii underlined the need to confront how we approach pain and dying for companion animals. Although, there’ve been momentous shifts in thinking about the welfare of companion animals in the years since this was written, particularly in areas like pain management, those changes haven't automatically translated into better living conditions for individual animals.
What compromises between human and animal needs are reasonable? What level of animal discomfort is acceptable? What might constitute a ‘good’ or appropriate death for a companion animal? These are all questions that remain relevant and that Inaba grapples with here. Ones so often overlooked in books about life with a pet or in standard depictions of human-animal relationships. Inaba doesn’t reach any resounding concrete conclusions. As Mii continued to deteriorate it’s clear Inaba was essentially improvising, caught between wanting to do the right thing for Mii and an overwhelming fear of loss, of the beginning of mornings without Mii. Translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Harvill Secker for an ARC
September 13, 2024
Oof. This was one of my most highly anticipated books of 2024 and did it ever let me down.
Heavy content advisory for pet cruelty, pet illness, pet death, and posthumous observations.
At first, I found the writing style gentle and beautifully descriptive. I felt like I was experiencing the spring season in Fuchu, and the descriptions of the places were wonderful. I also liked the poems that concluded many of the chapters. Sadly, my enjoyment didn’t last long: the author subverts this beauty by using her skill at descriptive language cruelly.
This book isn’t the beautiful reflection on pet ownership that it’s billed as. It’s bleak and upsetting and almost devoid of emotion and warmth (no, writer, constantly saying you were sobbing isn't enough to convey emotion). It’s mostly about a self-absorbed woman (who has no business having a pet) whining about her life while self-destructing with the cat as a passenger (that’s sometimes at the sharp end of the author’s cruelty). While it was sad to watch the author unravel, it was tricky to empathize with someone so hellbent on self-destruction. This was compounded by her cruelty to Mii: not spaying her or taking her for routine vet care, transporting her to the ER vet in a paper bag, leaving her scared when she’d climbed too high because the author enjoyed the sound of the cat screaming, locking her in a cupboard, finding a fatal intestinal blockage “funny”, taking a dying, change-averse cat on vacation, even the cruelty in keeping such a sickly pet alive as her health began to dramatically fail. The absence of any reflection, development, or self-awareness about this underscored how unfit she was to care for a cat. Mii deserved a more dignified death than the author allowed her to die slowly and painfully over a two-week period. There’s no need to tell us in excruciating detail about the cremation how Mii’s posthumous body looked. It’s obvious that the author isn’t an animal lover and I can’t honestly recommend this to people who are. The upsetting parts of this 20-year relationship are the focal point: Mii’s emergency surgery, Mii getting lost, Mii’s death. I mean, around 35% of this book is the cat’s health failing and her death. We aren’t shown any sort of connection, love, or warmth between the MC and the cat.
The author is a skilled writer but not only is this not a good showcase of her talent, it also paints her as a bit of a villain.
Anyone who has loved and lost a pet does not need to put themselves through the trauma of this book. I’m deeply worried that this was translated ten years after it was published because healing cat fiction is making waves in the English-speaking readership at the moment. Don’t make the same mistake I did based on the sweet cover design and blurb: this is a bleak, upsetting story that contains subject matter that animal lovers and guardians might find distressing.
Technical things that bugged me:
➜ We’re told Mii is a calico. While the illustrations are beautiful, why aren’t they calico cats?
➜ Original Japanese title appears to be “Mornings Without Mii”. The French translation of this book is called “20 ans avec mon chat” (20 years with my cat). I have no idea why English language publishers changed it but it but the original title is so much more fitting: this is a book that mostly talks about pet health declination and death. Also, “Mornings with my Cat Mii” sounds so juvenile.
➜ This book takes place in the 70s-90s in Japan but we’ve got boop, paw beans (I think they mean toe beans), blep, etc. I also found all the Britishisms jarring as, to me, they dampen the authenticity for readers who aren't specifically from England.
I was privileged to have my request to read this book accepted by Random House UK, Vintage through NetGalley.
Heavy content advisory for pet cruelty, pet illness, pet death, and posthumous observations.
At first, I found the writing style gentle and beautifully descriptive. I felt like I was experiencing the spring season in Fuchu, and the descriptions of the places were wonderful. I also liked the poems that concluded many of the chapters. Sadly, my enjoyment didn’t last long: the author subverts this beauty by using her skill at descriptive language cruelly.
This book isn’t the beautiful reflection on pet ownership that it’s billed as. It’s bleak and upsetting and almost devoid of emotion and warmth (no, writer, constantly saying you were sobbing isn't enough to convey emotion). It’s mostly about a self-absorbed woman (who has no business having a pet) whining about her life while self-destructing with the cat as a passenger (that’s sometimes at the sharp end of the author’s cruelty). While it was sad to watch the author unravel, it was tricky to empathize with someone so hellbent on self-destruction. This was compounded by her cruelty to Mii: not spaying her or taking her for routine vet care, transporting her to the ER vet in a paper bag, leaving her scared when she’d climbed too high because the author enjoyed the sound of the cat screaming, locking her in a cupboard, finding a fatal intestinal blockage “funny”, taking a dying, change-averse cat on vacation, even the cruelty in keeping such a sickly pet alive as her health began to dramatically fail. The absence of any reflection, development, or self-awareness about this underscored how unfit she was to care for a cat. Mii deserved a more dignified death than the author allowed her to die slowly and painfully over a two-week period. There’s no need to tell us in excruciating detail about the cremation how Mii’s posthumous body looked. It’s obvious that the author isn’t an animal lover and I can’t honestly recommend this to people who are. The upsetting parts of this 20-year relationship are the focal point: Mii’s emergency surgery, Mii getting lost, Mii’s death. I mean, around 35% of this book is the cat’s health failing and her death. We aren’t shown any sort of connection, love, or warmth between the MC and the cat.
The author is a skilled writer but not only is this not a good showcase of her talent, it also paints her as a bit of a villain.
Anyone who has loved and lost a pet does not need to put themselves through the trauma of this book. I’m deeply worried that this was translated ten years after it was published because healing cat fiction is making waves in the English-speaking readership at the moment. Don’t make the same mistake I did based on the sweet cover design and blurb: this is a bleak, upsetting story that contains subject matter that animal lovers and guardians might find distressing.
Technical things that bugged me:
➜ We’re told Mii is a calico. While the illustrations are beautiful, why aren’t they calico cats?
➜ Original Japanese title appears to be “Mornings Without Mii”. The French translation of this book is called “20 ans avec mon chat” (20 years with my cat). I have no idea why English language publishers changed it but it but the original title is so much more fitting: this is a book that mostly talks about pet health declination and death. Also, “Mornings with my Cat Mii” sounds so juvenile.
➜ This book takes place in the 70s-90s in Japan but we’ve got boop, paw beans (I think they mean toe beans), blep, etc. I also found all the Britishisms jarring as, to me, they dampen the authenticity for readers who aren't specifically from England.
I was privileged to have my request to read this book accepted by Random House UK, Vintage through NetGalley.
May 5, 2025
I have to start by saying I don't like cats in general. In fact, I don't like animals in general. I know - I'm a monster! Actually, I'm not. I'm allergic to cats and cockroaches and dogs. I have a phobia of birds. I have horrible memories of the smell of horse poop in the NYC summers around Central Park. Etc. I have my reasons to prefer admiring, respecting, and fearing animals from a distance. I also will defend animal rights. I detest furs. I am saddened by zoos. I am angered by animal shows where bird wings are clipped or elephants are shackled. (See? I'm not a monster!)
This book is about the 20 years of love the author has for her cat from the time she finds it as a kitten to the time the cat takes its last breath. While I cannot imagine caring for a cat to the extent she did, I certainly can imagine doing that for someone I love (because I did - for my mom while she was receiving hospice care). In comparison to pet owners in the US, I think most of us would view her choices as cruel, but culturally speaking euthanizing pets is less common than in the US. So I urge US readers to refrain from judging the author but rather, reading the book with a heavy dose of compassion.
It's a beautiful story. I could never do it for a pet, but that's because of all the reasons stated above. However, I think pet owners, especially those who love their cats, will have a great appreciation for this book. (Thinking especially of you Autumn!)
This book is about the 20 years of love the author has for her cat from the time she finds it as a kitten to the time the cat takes its last breath. While I cannot imagine caring for a cat to the extent she did, I certainly can imagine doing that for someone I love (because I did - for my mom while she was receiving hospice care). In comparison to pet owners in the US, I think most of us would view her choices as cruel, but culturally speaking euthanizing pets is less common than in the US. So I urge US readers to refrain from judging the author but rather, reading the book with a heavy dose of compassion.
It's a beautiful story. I could never do it for a pet, but that's because of all the reasons stated above. However, I think pet owners, especially those who love their cats, will have a great appreciation for this book. (Thinking especially of you Autumn!)
January 4, 2025
Nothing in this is cute or wholesome, it's just a very self-absorbed woman -who happens to have a cat- talking about herself and she is NOT interesting. I didn't feel any connection between her and her cat, honestly half the time she was borderline abusive with Mî. The only nice thing were the poems, and the chapter about the upstairs neighbour. The last 40 pages are absolutely awful and I have my own death of a pet trauma thank you very much.
BIG BIG ON PAGE TRIGGER WARNING DEATH OF A PET.
BIG BIG ON PAGE TRIGGER WARNING DEATH OF A PET.
February 5, 2025
I thought Mornings With My Cat Mii was going to be a cute little story about living with a cat, how wrong was I. It absolutely shattered me.
It is a memoir by Mayumi Inaba, a Japanese writer and poet, with a heavy focus on her 20-years long relationship with her cat Mii. We learn a bit about the author’s life, but also we get to know when and how she found little Mii, their life together and challenges she had to face. The book also talks about Mii’s elderly life and, eventually, her passing. As you can imagine, there was no dry spot left on my cheeks by the end of the book…
I inhaled it within a couple of evenings, I just couldn’t put it down! As usual, I checked the GR reviewed after I finished it, only to discover how many people despised it! The reasons were all similar - people believe that Mayumi couldn’t have loved her cat. So in this place, I would like to remind everyone that we cannot view everything we read through the lenses of our own experiences or cultural upbringing. The 70s in Japan were wildly different to 2025 in the West.
I recommend this book to many, but not all. If reading about a pet’s passing is too much for you - don’t pick this one up.
It is a memoir by Mayumi Inaba, a Japanese writer and poet, with a heavy focus on her 20-years long relationship with her cat Mii. We learn a bit about the author’s life, but also we get to know when and how she found little Mii, their life together and challenges she had to face. The book also talks about Mii’s elderly life and, eventually, her passing. As you can imagine, there was no dry spot left on my cheeks by the end of the book…
I inhaled it within a couple of evenings, I just couldn’t put it down! As usual, I checked the GR reviewed after I finished it, only to discover how many people despised it! The reasons were all similar - people believe that Mayumi couldn’t have loved her cat. So in this place, I would like to remind everyone that we cannot view everything we read through the lenses of our own experiences or cultural upbringing. The 70s in Japan were wildly different to 2025 in the West.
I recommend this book to many, but not all. If reading about a pet’s passing is too much for you - don’t pick this one up.
August 11, 2024
Gentle and enchanting and had me in floods by the end. Have shared my life with many kitty companions and could see all of them reflected, and how much I’ve loved them.
December 7, 2024
DNF after 47%
Many thanks to the Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
It was a little bit my own fault, I missed that this was essentially a biography as opposed to a work of fiction. Nevertheless, Japanese culture is interesting and I was open to the idea of this book and seeing life in Tokyo around the 70s and 80s - all the better that there's a cat.
It initially started out well - I enjoyed the writing and felt it was well translated. It had the ability to make the mundane feel nostalgic and comforting - something I generally enjoy when it comes to Japanese literature. As I understand it, the author is a well known Japanese writer and poet and this particular book was written as a homage to her cat upon passing away. I don't quite see the connection though as this book very much centres around the author and the cat feels more like a plaything at the side.
I went into this expecting a slice of life style story - slow and not exactly exciting. The problem was that after the first chapter or two, I found the author borderline unlikeable. She wrote about various ups and downs in her life with only occasionally circling back to Mii the cat, and all her downs felt largely self inflicted and just not very considerate of those around her. But what really got me was her poor treatment of Mii. There were several things that I found rather appalling, for example when Mii had to have an emergency operation; we can't always tell when our pets are unwell but it sounded as though the author had noticed something was off. The awful thing was though that it was plain and simple the result of not taking proper care of the cat in the first place. And while I could have still passed that off as new pet owner learning as by doing, I found the root of the problem lay with the author's attitude. She believed her cat to be afraid of heights and when her cat got stuck on a tree crying for help, she deliberately left her there because she enjoyed the sound of her screaming - who does that to a beloved animal?
The author continuously surprised me by her treatment of Mii and only seemed to care about her own happiness. I also felt rubbed the wrong way about how she treated her husband. This is only a short book and I thought I could power through but the truth sadly is that there wasn't much for me to enjoy about it. Nonetheless, the translator did a fantastic job and I did appreciate the writing style - it's just the actual content that was a no no for me.
Read
February 2, 2025Kitten, tiny.
Claws, see-through, like egg white.
Ears, moving, listening.
Eyes, moist, limpid.
The faint smell of liquor in the neighbourhood night.
You’ve come from far away.
Welcome, hello.
Me human, you cat.
I cried.
Books rarely make me cry, but it was the mixture of raw lyrical prose, heartfelt poems, a sweet cat and her human being each other's life partners, and the fact that my cat is growing older and I live far from her.
I don't know if I'm in the right moment for books that make me cry... but this one was absolutely beautiful regardless. It made me reflect on grief, and love, and how to love is to feel intensely (for better or for worse).
It is important to cherish what we have in the present moment, whilst also knowing death is a part of life. Easier said than done, but... I want to live like that.
Thank you, Inaba-san.
February 26, 2023
Oh you mean, 20 years not caring for my cat? Got it.
Major TW for depiction of the agony of an animal. 1,75 🌟 because the poems were a really nice touch.
Major TW for depiction of the agony of an animal. 1,75 🌟 because the poems were a really nice touch.
December 28, 2024
Very hard to rate this book.
I love cats, we have four cats. I know how much hard work it is especially bringing kittens into a home.
I know how much you love them, and the worry and heartbreak when they are ill.
One of our kittens become unwell, with FIP, or covid as we know it, 3 to 4 years ago all kittens died from this, but now there is a pill, it costs a lot, but our kitten survived, and now is so precious to my wife and I.
So I know what this Japanese lady went through, her love of the kitten shows through, her life is for Mii, who is full of personality.
But a whole book becomes a struggle, when it is quite often the same thing every day.
You decide, did she let the cat live too long... I don't know. A hard read at the end..
Three stars
I love cats, we have four cats. I know how much hard work it is especially bringing kittens into a home.
I know how much you love them, and the worry and heartbreak when they are ill.
One of our kittens become unwell, with FIP, or covid as we know it, 3 to 4 years ago all kittens died from this, but now there is a pill, it costs a lot, but our kitten survived, and now is so precious to my wife and I.
So I know what this Japanese lady went through, her love of the kitten shows through, her life is for Mii, who is full of personality.
But a whole book becomes a struggle, when it is quite often the same thing every day.
You decide, did she let the cat live too long... I don't know. A hard read at the end..
Three stars
June 8, 2025
Sobbing my eyes out
June 10, 2025
Inaba (1950–2014) was an award-winning novelist and poet. I can’t think why it took 25 years for this to be translated into English but assume it was considered a minor work of hers and was brought out to capitalize on the continuing success of cat-themed Japanese literature from The Guest Cat onward. Interestingly, it’s titled Mornings with Mii in the UK, which shifts the focus and is truer to the contents. Yes, by the end, Inaba is without Mii and dreading the days ahead, but before that she got 20 years of companionship. One day in the summer of 1977, Inaba heard a kitten’s cries on the breeze and finally located it, stuck so high in a school fence that someone must have left her there deliberately. The little fleabitten calico was named after the sound of her cry and ever after was afraid of heights.
Inaba traces the turning of the seasons and the passing of the years through the changes they brought for her and for Mii. When she separated, moved to a new part of Tokyo, and started devoting her evenings to writing in addition to her full-time job, Mii was her closest friend. The new apartment didn’t have any green space, so instead of wandering in the woods Mii had to get used to exercising in the corridors. There were some scares: a surprise pregnancy nearly killed her, and once she went missing. And then there was the inevitable decline. Mii’s intestinal issues led to incontinence. For four years, Inaba endured her home reeking of urine.
Many readers may, like me, be taken aback by how long Inaba kept Mii alive. She manually assisted the cat with elimination for years; 20 days passed between when Mii stopped eating and when she died. On the plus side, she got a “natural” death at home, but her quality of life in these years is somewhat alarming. I cried buckets through these later chapters, thinking of the friendship and intimate communion I had with Alfie. I can understand why Inaba couldn’t bear to say goodbye to Mii any earlier, especially because she’d lived alone since her divorce.
This memoir really captures the mixture of joy and heartache that comes with loving a pet. It’s an emotional connection that can take over your life in a good way but leave you bereft when it’s gone. There is nostalgia for the good days with Mii, but also regret and a heavy sense of responsibility. A number of the chapters end with a poem about Mii, but the prose, too, has haiku-like elegance and simplicity. It’s a beautiful book I can strongly recommend.
Some favourite lines:
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
Inaba traces the turning of the seasons and the passing of the years through the changes they brought for her and for Mii. When she separated, moved to a new part of Tokyo, and started devoting her evenings to writing in addition to her full-time job, Mii was her closest friend. The new apartment didn’t have any green space, so instead of wandering in the woods Mii had to get used to exercising in the corridors. There were some scares: a surprise pregnancy nearly killed her, and once she went missing. And then there was the inevitable decline. Mii’s intestinal issues led to incontinence. For four years, Inaba endured her home reeking of urine.
Many readers may, like me, be taken aback by how long Inaba kept Mii alive. She manually assisted the cat with elimination for years; 20 days passed between when Mii stopped eating and when she died. On the plus side, she got a “natural” death at home, but her quality of life in these years is somewhat alarming. I cried buckets through these later chapters, thinking of the friendship and intimate communion I had with Alfie. I can understand why Inaba couldn’t bear to say goodbye to Mii any earlier, especially because she’d lived alone since her divorce.
This memoir really captures the mixture of joy and heartache that comes with loving a pet. It’s an emotional connection that can take over your life in a good way but leave you bereft when it’s gone. There is nostalgia for the good days with Mii, but also regret and a heavy sense of responsibility. A number of the chapters end with a poem about Mii, but the prose, too, has haiku-like elegance and simplicity. It’s a beautiful book I can strongly recommend.
Some favourite lines:
let’s sleep
So as not to hear your departing footsteps
She won’t be here next year I know
I know we won’t have this time again
On this bright afternoon overcome with an unfathomable sadness
The greenery shines in my cat’s gentle eyes
I didn’t have any particular faith, but the one thing I did believe in was light. Just being in warm light, I could be with the people and the cat I had lost from my life. My mornings without Mii would start tomorrow. … Mii had returned to the light, and I would still be able to meet her there hundreds, thousands of times again.
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
March 5, 2025
A moving and eloquently rendered memoir charting the author Mayumi Inaba's life from when she opened her home and heart to a kitten in 1977, to acting on her passion for writing, and years later with Mii's death..
The twenty years from Mi's adoption to the author's search for a place to write, and after Mi's death, are related in delicate, gentle prose. We share Inaba's delight and fascination with Mii's growth and antics, and fierce, independent spirit, while Inaba squeezes her writing around her work and home life.
After Inaba lost her job as an interior designer, the financial stresses fractured her marriage. Following a new job, she discovered that what she really wanted was a writing life, and had to figure out how to find the space and the quiet to create, whether novels or prose, even if it meant never reuniting with her husband. The one constant in her life for many years later, was Mii, stomping around and playing, or hanging about Inaba's legs while she was writing.
I was a little uncomfortable initially when Inaba related her early years with Mii and Mii's health issues, but I realized cat care and knowledge about cat health was different in the 1970s compared to now.
The prose is meditative, and I felt soothed while listening to this. I was in tears by the end, however, as hearing of Mii's failing body reminded me keenly of one of my cats, and her recent, sudden loss of life thanks to an aggressive cancer. Voice actor Nancy Wu conveys the author's emotions beautifully in the audiobook. I loved the way she inhabits Inaba's words, giving them life.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks for this ARC in exchange for my review.
The twenty years from Mi's adoption to the author's search for a place to write, and after Mi's death, are related in delicate, gentle prose. We share Inaba's delight and fascination with Mii's growth and antics, and fierce, independent spirit, while Inaba squeezes her writing around her work and home life.
After Inaba lost her job as an interior designer, the financial stresses fractured her marriage. Following a new job, she discovered that what she really wanted was a writing life, and had to figure out how to find the space and the quiet to create, whether novels or prose, even if it meant never reuniting with her husband. The one constant in her life for many years later, was Mii, stomping around and playing, or hanging about Inaba's legs while she was writing.
I was a little uncomfortable initially when Inaba related her early years with Mii and Mii's health issues, but I realized cat care and knowledge about cat health was different in the 1970s compared to now.
The prose is meditative, and I felt soothed while listening to this. I was in tears by the end, however, as hearing of Mii's failing body reminded me keenly of one of my cats, and her recent, sudden loss of life thanks to an aggressive cancer. Voice actor Nancy Wu conveys the author's emotions beautifully in the audiobook. I loved the way she inhabits Inaba's words, giving them life.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks for this ARC in exchange for my review.
April 21, 2025
This is not a wholesome book devoid of pain and suffering. there are wholesome moments and there are also painful and horrific moments.
This book is basically the author's experience raising and loving and living with one cat through almost the entirety of that cat's life. I know people like to judge others, especially when it comes to raising pets, I even found myself judging her with remakrs like, "she shouldn't let her roam around like that, the streets are dangerous" or "vet visits are necessary, she should take every month or two at least" or "that's not a suitable diet" or any other remarks. but in the end, that cat loved that woman, and you can't deny that woman loved that cat more than anything else, even if her inexperience showed sometimes.
People talk too easily about mercy killing, as soon as a cat shows some signs of sickness. And it's not easy, like it's not easy if that was a human child and you're being advised to mercifully kill it to spare it, that decision isn't easy, and anyone thinks that it's easy, has never been in that position. I have been in that position and I'm glad I went against mercy killing (5 years ago!), because that cat recovered and went on to live a happy life till now. of course, in this case, it's apparent that the cat wasn't on the road of recovery, but I'll never blame a person who refuses to let go os someone they love. she lived in pain and tears alongside that cat, every step of the way.
this book really made me sob. the author really let everyone go, except for her Mii. and it made me go and hug my mom's cats the deepest hugs despite my allergies. it's not for the faint hearted, and if you don't like reading about the pain and death of pets, I don't recommend it.
This book is basically the author's experience raising and loving and living with one cat through almost the entirety of that cat's life. I know people like to judge others, especially when it comes to raising pets, I even found myself judging her with remakrs like, "she shouldn't let her roam around like that, the streets are dangerous" or "vet visits are necessary, she should take every month or two at least" or "that's not a suitable diet" or any other remarks. but in the end, that cat loved that woman, and you can't deny that woman loved that cat more than anything else, even if her inexperience showed sometimes.
People talk too easily about mercy killing, as soon as a cat shows some signs of sickness. And it's not easy, like it's not easy if that was a human child and you're being advised to mercifully kill it to spare it, that decision isn't easy, and anyone thinks that it's easy, has never been in that position. I have been in that position and I'm glad I went against mercy killing (5 years ago!), because that cat recovered and went on to live a happy life till now. of course, in this case, it's apparent that the cat wasn't on the road of recovery, but I'll never blame a person who refuses to let go os someone they love. she lived in pain and tears alongside that cat, every step of the way.
this book really made me sob. the author really let everyone go, except for her Mii. and it made me go and hug my mom's cats the deepest hugs despite my allergies. it's not for the faint hearted, and if you don't like reading about the pain and death of pets, I don't recommend it.
September 28, 2024
Expected English publication: 3rd October 2024
I am so disappointed.
I requested this book thinking (because the book is being promoted in such a way) that I was in store for a sweet story of the relationship between the author and her cat over a 20 year period. And it started that way, but quickly got quite dark, in my opinion. This author went through a lot and it seems like she relied heavily on Mii as her emotional support kitty, but I don't know if Mii's best interests were at heart. It seems like Mii suffered quite a bit, especially towards the end, and this is explored in graphic detail. There comes a point where, very sadly, you just need to let go and let your furry friend move on, instead of keeping them alive when they're constantly having serious health issues. It's really unfair on the animal, as much as we never want to let them go. It just rubbed me the wrong way a bit, because I felt so sorry for Mii. Also, it was just so sad. Not the cozy, heartfelt story I was expecting.
Thank you to Harvill Secker for the ARC.
I am so disappointed.
I requested this book thinking (because the book is being promoted in such a way) that I was in store for a sweet story of the relationship between the author and her cat over a 20 year period. And it started that way, but quickly got quite dark, in my opinion. This author went through a lot and it seems like she relied heavily on Mii as her emotional support kitty, but I don't know if Mii's best interests were at heart. It seems like Mii suffered quite a bit, especially towards the end, and this is explored in graphic detail. There comes a point where, very sadly, you just need to let go and let your furry friend move on, instead of keeping them alive when they're constantly having serious health issues. It's really unfair on the animal, as much as we never want to let them go. It just rubbed me the wrong way a bit, because I felt so sorry for Mii. Also, it was just so sad. Not the cozy, heartfelt story I was expecting.
Thank you to Harvill Secker for the ARC.
March 5, 2020
Creí que este libro me llegaría al alma pero no fue así. Amo a los gatos y comparto mi vida con uno. Por eso se que las situaciones que se viven a diario con ellos muchas veces resultan ser casi místicas. Sin embargo la autora no logró transmitirme nada parecido. Quizá mis expectativas estaban demasiado altas, y aunque me sentí identificada en algunas de las situaciones, no me generó ninguna emoción profunda.
August 19, 2025
Here are a few important things to consider before picking up a copy of Mornings Without Mii to read:
•It is a memoir, not a cozy work of fiction about a cat.
•If you’re not Japanese, living in Japan, or extremely well versed in Japanese culture, you will be reading about a culture that is entirely different than your own. Certain beliefs and practices may not mirror your own ideas about what is right and what is wrong.
•As the title very clearly indicates, the cat will eventually pass away. Of course, if you read the synopsis, you’ll realize that a kitten found in 1977 is not going to be alive today.
I mention these points because of some of the negative reviews I read. I can understand where some of the reviewers are coming from, even though I did like this memoir. There were times when Mayumi Inaba offered suitable care to Mii, and other times I couldn’t help but scratch my head over her cluelessness. I tried to keep in mind the aforementioned cultural differences, as well as the fact that during Mii‘s lifetime, information wasn’t as easily accessible as it is now. There were some appalling moments, and it’s difficult to understand why Mayumi didn’t choose euthanasia for Mii‘s final days. Some information I’ve read suggests that it may not have been a widely accepted practice for pets back then in Japan, so I’d like to give Mayumi the benefit of the doubt. One thing I’m certain of, however, is that Mayumi truly loved Mii, regardless of the mistakes she made.
•It is a memoir, not a cozy work of fiction about a cat.
•If you’re not Japanese, living in Japan, or extremely well versed in Japanese culture, you will be reading about a culture that is entirely different than your own. Certain beliefs and practices may not mirror your own ideas about what is right and what is wrong.
•As the title very clearly indicates, the cat will eventually pass away. Of course, if you read the synopsis, you’ll realize that a kitten found in 1977 is not going to be alive today.
I mention these points because of some of the negative reviews I read. I can understand where some of the reviewers are coming from, even though I did like this memoir. There were times when Mayumi Inaba offered suitable care to Mii, and other times I couldn’t help but scratch my head over her cluelessness. I tried to keep in mind the aforementioned cultural differences, as well as the fact that during Mii‘s lifetime, information wasn’t as easily accessible as it is now. There were some appalling moments, and it’s difficult to understand why Mayumi didn’t choose euthanasia for Mii‘s final days. Some information I’ve read suggests that it may not have been a widely accepted practice for pets back then in Japan, so I’d like to give Mayumi the benefit of the doubt. One thing I’m certain of, however, is that Mayumi truly loved Mii, regardless of the mistakes she made.
June 12, 2025
This was a really beautiful book about end of life care the author gave to her beloved cat and the cat’s inevitable death. I thought the book was a really lovely glimpse into a real life going through an experience we all one day go through.
I especially admired how the author did the work of taking care of Mii when she was peeing everywhere, and having all those health issues. It wasn’t Mii’s fault and the author is proof that there are good humans out there who really care about animals rather than euthanizing them because they don’t want to deal with how messy the end of life can be.
I did feel like the author didn’t adequately describe that grief continues on - there really isn’t a “getting over it” though, it might have been too painful to write about.
I also disagreed with a small part where she talked about a cat who had been dumped at her apartment complex. She wrote how the cat’s family likely had no choice, but I disagree. The author, herself, made sure to relocate to a place where she could keep her cat. And if it truly isn’t possible to keep a family member, I think it’s the least a person can do to make sure to find a new home for the family member and not dump them.
Overall, this is a short but powerful story and I’m so glad I read it.
I especially admired how the author did the work of taking care of Mii when she was peeing everywhere, and having all those health issues. It wasn’t Mii’s fault and the author is proof that there are good humans out there who really care about animals rather than euthanizing them because they don’t want to deal with how messy the end of life can be.
I did feel like the author didn’t adequately describe that grief continues on - there really isn’t a “getting over it” though, it might have been too painful to write about.
I also disagreed with a small part where she talked about a cat who had been dumped at her apartment complex. She wrote how the cat’s family likely had no choice, but I disagree. The author, herself, made sure to relocate to a place where she could keep her cat. And if it truly isn’t possible to keep a family member, I think it’s the least a person can do to make sure to find a new home for the family member and not dump them.
Overall, this is a short but powerful story and I’m so glad I read it.
July 17, 2025
absolutely devastated.
November 5, 2024
Loved this! A poetric, beautiful ode to a cat that changed a woman's life.
It's sweet, sad, but ultimately a gorgeous little book that will make you appreciate the cat in your life all the more (if you have one). What I really admire is how the author captured how cat's have such different personalities. I also liked that she didn't shy away from the more challenging parts of pet ownership.
Our pets have such a huge imapct on what we do with our lives, and this story embodies that so well. A lovely little gem.
It's sweet, sad, but ultimately a gorgeous little book that will make you appreciate the cat in your life all the more (if you have one). What I really admire is how the author captured how cat's have such different personalities. I also liked that she didn't shy away from the more challenging parts of pet ownership.
Our pets have such a huge imapct on what we do with our lives, and this story embodies that so well. A lovely little gem.
February 9, 2016
Les animaux, c'est la vie !!
J'ai vécue cela une plusieurs fois avec mes animaux !
Ce livre est beau, poetique, émouvant, touchant !
Je le conseil à toute personne aimant les animaux !!
Superbe !
Bon je retourne avec mes mouchoirs parce que là ;-/
J'ai vécue cela une plusieurs fois avec mes animaux !
Ce livre est beau, poetique, émouvant, touchant !
Je le conseil à toute personne aimant les animaux !!
Superbe !
Bon je retourne avec mes mouchoirs parce que là ;-/
May 17, 2025
I actually don’t know why I did this to myself (3.5 stars rounded down)
Well-known Japanese writer Mayubi Inaba chronicles her decades-long relationship with her beloved cat Mii: from finding her as an abandoned and abused kitten to choosing the cat over significant others (hashtag relatable queen), to nursing Mii to her death through protracted health struggles. I was moved by this testament to companionship in all its forms—a life lived in relation to another creature, whether a pet or sibling or friend, that is not a romantic partner—though of course cat lovers are the target audience.
Other reviews have criticized some of the author's decisions in the book, namely to prolong Mii's life at the expense of her quality of life. My read on this, too, is that living a life alongside someone often involves selfishness and mistakes, and not every story needs to be a moral guide. But there are extensive and graphic descriptions of animal suffering, so cat lovers should not be fooled by the relatively innocuous cover. And if you're looking for a short and heartrending text about a woman's love for her cat, I would start with Lost Cat first, which is a masterpiece of the niche and in general.
Well-known Japanese writer Mayubi Inaba chronicles her decades-long relationship with her beloved cat Mii: from finding her as an abandoned and abused kitten to choosing the cat over significant others (hashtag relatable queen), to nursing Mii to her death through protracted health struggles. I was moved by this testament to companionship in all its forms—a life lived in relation to another creature, whether a pet or sibling or friend, that is not a romantic partner—though of course cat lovers are the target audience.
Other reviews have criticized some of the author's decisions in the book, namely to prolong Mii's life at the expense of her quality of life. My read on this, too, is that living a life alongside someone often involves selfishness and mistakes, and not every story needs to be a moral guide. But there are extensive and graphic descriptions of animal suffering, so cat lovers should not be fooled by the relatively innocuous cover. And if you're looking for a short and heartrending text about a woman's love for her cat, I would start with Lost Cat first, which is a masterpiece of the niche and in general.
July 19, 2022
Ce livre a été une réelle déception pour moi. Je m'attendais à une histoire mignonne et émouvante mais je n'ai pas réussi à ressentir la chaleur de la relation entre l'auteure et son chat. La façon dont elle parle de lui est, à mon sens, assez froide et il y a même des moments qui m'ont fait grincer des dents. Inaba raconte, par exemple, que cela la fait rire de voir son chat coincé en hauteur, apeuré et attendant que quelqu'un l'aide. En sachant qu'elle a fait sa connaissance alors que Mî n'était qu'un chaton coincé en haut d'une grille, je n'ai pas trouvé ça "rigolo". Ou encore les descriptions peu ragoûtantes des soins médicaux prodigués dans les derniers jours de vie de Mî, qui étaient assez perturbantes et manquaient de pudeur à mon goût. Bref, même si j'avais vraiment envie d'aimer cette histoire, je n'ai pas pu.
➡️ Lala's Little Lab on Instagram
➡️ Lala's Little Lab on Instagram
March 2, 2025
Short and sweet and lovely
A biographical / autobiographical account of the author's life with her cat, from finding a tiny fluffball stuck on a fence in 1977, to the elderly cat dying twenty years later.
In between is lovely modest prose (appreciation for both the author and the translator), some chapters ending in poetry, humor and beauty and simple enjoyment of moments.
Also, for this American, an interesting look at the familiar but unfamiliar settings in late-1900s Japan, with just the right number of words untranslated.
Highly enjoyable, and worth well more the time it takes to read.
A biographical / autobiographical account of the author's life with her cat, from finding a tiny fluffball stuck on a fence in 1977, to the elderly cat dying twenty years later.
In between is lovely modest prose (appreciation for both the author and the translator), some chapters ending in poetry, humor and beauty and simple enjoyment of moments.
Also, for this American, an interesting look at the familiar but unfamiliar settings in late-1900s Japan, with just the right number of words untranslated.
Highly enjoyable, and worth well more the time it takes to read.
September 17, 2021
Me ha faltado calidez y ternura. Su prosa no me ha hecho ‘sentir’. Me he quedado con la sensación que se ha quedado en la superficie de sus sentimientos.
February 9, 2025
Gostei de ler os primeiros 65% do livro, como a escritora encontrou e acolheu a gatinha, como ambas cresceram juntas, as memórias que criaram ao longo da vida.
Tornaram-se inseparáveis, melhores amigas. Mas depois tornou-se numa leitura agonizante e angustiante para mim, porque era notório que o animal estava a sofrer, mas o egoísmo da dona falou mais alto, prolongando o sofrimento e potencializando o decaimento da qualidade de vida da Mi. Não foi um final de vida digno para a gata, independentemente da dedicação que a autora sempre demonstrou para com ela.
Apesar de algumas escolhas indiscutivelmente irresponsáveis por parte da escritora, como não esterilizar a gata mal esta atingiu a idade devida, ou permitir que esta andasse dentro e fora do apartamento, não deixa de ser nítido o amor e a devoção que a mesma sentia pela sua querida Mi.
Acho que escrever um livro para recordar um animal de estimação, é uma boa prova de amor 💖
Gostava de referir que, por vezes, a autora fala do abandono animal como se fosse uma hipótese viável em certo tipo de ocasiões, chegando mesmo a pensar que o deveria ter feito porque acha que a gata não está tão feliz como outrora foi. Isto foi algo que me fez MUITA confusão, porque o abandono NUNCA é opção, em circunstância alguma.
Tornaram-se inseparáveis, melhores amigas. Mas depois tornou-se numa leitura agonizante e angustiante para mim, porque era notório que o animal estava a sofrer, mas o egoísmo da dona falou mais alto, prolongando o sofrimento e potencializando o decaimento da qualidade de vida da Mi. Não foi um final de vida digno para a gata, independentemente da dedicação que a autora sempre demonstrou para com ela.
Apesar de algumas escolhas indiscutivelmente irresponsáveis por parte da escritora, como não esterilizar a gata mal esta atingiu a idade devida, ou permitir que esta andasse dentro e fora do apartamento, não deixa de ser nítido o amor e a devoção que a mesma sentia pela sua querida Mi.
Acho que escrever um livro para recordar um animal de estimação, é uma boa prova de amor 💖
Gostava de referir que, por vezes, a autora fala do abandono animal como se fosse uma hipótese viável em certo tipo de ocasiões, chegando mesmo a pensar que o deveria ter feito porque acha que a gata não está tão feliz como outrora foi. Isto foi algo que me fez MUITA confusão, porque o abandono NUNCA é opção, em circunstância alguma.
March 19, 2025
It took me a while to pick up this book because I knew it would hit hard, especially after losing my own beloved pet not too long ago. Unlike She and Her Cat, this isn’t an anthropomorphic story—it’s told entirely from the owner’s perspective.
The book is based on the author’s real-life experience with her cat, Mii, whom she adopted as a kitten and lived with for twenty years. It’s an incredibly relatable journey for any pet owner—the constant worry for their well-being, the guilt of wondering if we’ve given them the best life, the ever-present fear of losing them, and the inevitable heartbreak when that time finally comes.
The last chapters completely wrecked me. Reading about Mii’s final days felt painfully familiar, mirroring what I went through with my own pet. Inaba-san’s life revolved around Mii—through job loss, a divorce, and life’s ups and downs, Mii was her constant. Her thoughts and emotions as Mii’s health declined resonated deeply with me.
The book also includes beautiful prose pieces she wrote for Mii, adding an even more intimate touch. This was a raw and emotional read, but I’m glad I picked it up.
The book is based on the author’s real-life experience with her cat, Mii, whom she adopted as a kitten and lived with for twenty years. It’s an incredibly relatable journey for any pet owner—the constant worry for their well-being, the guilt of wondering if we’ve given them the best life, the ever-present fear of losing them, and the inevitable heartbreak when that time finally comes.
The last chapters completely wrecked me. Reading about Mii’s final days felt painfully familiar, mirroring what I went through with my own pet. Inaba-san’s life revolved around Mii—through job loss, a divorce, and life’s ups and downs, Mii was her constant. Her thoughts and emotions as Mii’s health declined resonated deeply with me.
The book also includes beautiful prose pieces she wrote for Mii, adding an even more intimate touch. This was a raw and emotional read, but I’m glad I picked it up.
March 22, 2025
There are a lot of books out there dealing with stories of people and their pets.
This one however is the closest I've ever found that truly expresses what it is like to have a soul mate that just happens to be an animal. And what it's like to not only live with that animal, but also what you do at the end of their life.
The prose is beautiful, vivid, and perfectly describes the heart ache of losing your friend.
This one however is the closest I've ever found that truly expresses what it is like to have a soul mate that just happens to be an animal. And what it's like to not only live with that animal, but also what you do at the end of their life.
The prose is beautiful, vivid, and perfectly describes the heart ache of losing your friend.
January 19, 2025
“A Mi continuava a ocupar o seu lugar num casamento que já não funcionava, numa vida que estava prestes a termi-lar. Se fosse um ser humano, ter-se-ia queixado ou discutido comigo, mas ela não dizia nada e eu também não. Comunicáramos por instinto; como não tínhamos uma língua comum, a nossa relação não se deteriorou.”
“E um dia, a Mi desapareceu.”
«Nora» é o termo japonês para um gato errante, um gato livre que não tem casa, frequentemente um gato vadio. (N. do E.)
“—Mi — chamei-a. — Mi — repeti, mas não obtive res-posta. Não voltaria a ouvir a sua voz.
Tinha terminado. Estava tudo acabado. Os vinte anos que tinha partilhado com a minha gata tinham chegado ao fim.”
“E um dia, a Mi desapareceu.”
«Nora» é o termo japonês para um gato errante, um gato livre que não tem casa, frequentemente um gato vadio. (N. do E.)
“—Mi — chamei-a. — Mi — repeti, mas não obtive res-posta. Não voltaria a ouvir a sua voz.
Tinha terminado. Estava tudo acabado. Os vinte anos que tinha partilhado com a minha gata tinham chegado ao fim.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2025
I knew from the title that it was going to be a sad reading experience but still I’m really sad now.
I’m on a mission to read every Japanese novel about cats hence I found this book, which was a short and bittersweet story about a young woman and her cat Mii, and their relationship through the two decades. The last few chapters although were really depressing, they were also beautiful, with how devoted the narrator was to caring for her elderly cat.
I’m on a mission to read every Japanese novel about cats hence I found this book, which was a short and bittersweet story about a young woman and her cat Mii, and their relationship through the two decades. The last few chapters although were really depressing, they were also beautiful, with how devoted the narrator was to caring for her elderly cat.
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