3 jours et 2 nuits avec un chat

by Kiyoshi Shigematsu, Déborah Pierret-Watanabe (Translator)

２泊３日、毛布付き。レンタル猫が我が家にやってきた。リストラされた父親が家族のために借りたロシアンブルー、子どものできない夫婦が迎えた三毛、いじめに直面した息子が選んだマンクス、老人ホームに入るおばあちゃんのために探したアメリカンショートヘア――。「明日」が揺らいだ人たちに、猫が贈った温もりと小さな光を描く７編。

Genres: Fiction, Cats, Short Stories, Contemporary, Japan, Cozy, Japanese Literature

352 pages, Paperback

First published February 7, 2008

About the author

重松 清, Shigematsu Kiyoshi
Shigematsu Kiyoshi is a contemporary Japanese writer. He is one of the best-selling authors in Japan, and the major theme of his novels is about family. His most notable works include Naifu (ナイフ) (1997), Eiji (エイジ) (1999) and Bitamin F (ビタミンF) (2000).
Shigematsu’s works in other genre including journals, editorials and critics are highly commended. He also worked in novelising screenplays.

Reviews

[emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

being a blanket cat sounds pretty good right about now.

or so i thought.

(review to come)

[Bloss ♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5

Review of Overall Book
Friends, this cover is designed to appeal to cat enthusiasts, but if you’re looking for whimsy, healing, or uplifting, you will not find it here. This is a short story anthology about super annoying, whining, and sometimes cruel humans. The cats aren’t the focal point and the whole book has a strong depressing undercurrent. I was kind of appalled by this, to be honest.

The “blanket” part of blanket cats is never really explained. They have little blankets that stay with them on assignments for similar reasons that puppies have blankies that smell of their litter with them when they go to their forever homes but it feels more like a gimmick than anything of consequence in the book. Why call them blanket cats unless the blanket part is somehow important?

Characters are all objectively awful. Barring the two MCs in The Cat No-One Liked, they’re all mean or cruel to the cats and unfit to be pet guardians in any capacity which makes for upsetting reading. There’s very little growth or development in the human characters which compounded my frustration.

The stories are boring: people whining about mostly self-inflicted problems largely revolving around jobs or relationships. The writing is mechanical and lacks heart. The sense of place was largely MIA.

I really noticed Britishisms in this book: car park, “pop” out, letterbox, peckish, [what do you/I] reckon, cheeky, satnav, banknotes, motorway, number plate, housing estate, letting (for rental), rubbish (trash, garbage), “Oi.”, lad, “trying it on” (a sexual harassment), crisps (potato chips), junction, “doing a runner”, and schlep (which may not be British but felt strange in the context of this book). I struggle with all of this in translations because I like to immerse myself in the culture and place of the story, not be wrenched to England periodically through jarring Britishisms. It makes me question the accuracy and authenticity of the translation too.

So yeah, I really didn’t like this. Japanese cat healing cat fiction has captured the hearts of many English-speaking readers but that doesn’t mean that all are equal. I’d strongly recommend passing on this one, especially if you love cats or are looking for healing fiction.

Individual Story Reviews: May Contain Spoilers
Individually star rated and emoji rated!
(😾 = made me angry | 😿 = depressing | 😸 = not bad)


The Cat Who Sneezed: 1/5 😾
Cali gets five stars but I hated this story and these characters.
Shouldn't a sneezing cat go to the vet?! She could have a respiratory infection! UGH.
Imagine changing a calico’s name from “Cali” to “Anne”. These humans are boring! The man is passive aggressive with toxic masculinity (refusing to be happy about the cat and linking ability to reproduce to “manliness”) and the wife is also passive aggressive with an entitled/selfish streak (detailed below). There was far too much whining, mopey, and obsessing about kids and not enough cat.
I didn’t love the ghostly-existence-because-we-don’t-have-kids vibe and the wretched emptiness, bleak future depressive energy. It’s possible to be happy, fulfilled, and lively without kids. There’s also a gross commentary that marriages without kids aren’t valid “we’ll never be connected by blood”. Then, the wife seems to unilaterally nullify the marriage and move into her own room, separate their finances, demand they only call each other by their first names, and sets out a bunch of co-habitation “rules”?! This is extreme, ridiculous, and emotionally abusive. Instead of punishing the guy for being infertile, if you’re that pedantic about it, just divorce?!
They’re also clueless about cat care: letting Cali run off in the park because the wife is obsessed with (marital) “freedom” and projects this into a cat, then the wife loses her shit when the cat catches a mouse and starts obsessing about how “dirty” Cali is (fleas, bacteria, FUR). Like I’m sorry, are you new here? What the heck did you expect?! These people have no business being pet guardians at all. They don’t need a cat, they need a therapist. This was a surprisingly infuriating read with unlikeable characters and an unsatisfactory conclusion.

The Cat in the Passenger Seat: 1/5 😿
The page and a half we spend listening to superstition about name strokes was… a choice. Most of the travelling sequence was basically an advertisement for Mercedes. Some of the word choices are making the woman seem a big unhinged: why’s she “giggling” as she’s asking a cat if they’d been abused? She keeps laughing at nothing and waffling on about complete nonsense to this poor elderly cat. The woman is obsessed with luck, men, and a job she stole money from and it’s just so boring. She’s got a victim mentality that’s exhausting and how cruel is it to take a rented cat along to kill yourself? How will the elderly cat get home? Is he supposed to die too? Ugh. The supernatural element to this one was cool but not enough to save it. Again, it didn’t end so much as stop.

The Cat with No Tail: 1/5 😾
The father is a nightmare! He’s so rude, entitled, aggressive, and violent. This obviously isn’t a safe situation for the cat yet the owner just… lets them take a cat. The father is raging like the whole car ride threatening everyone under the sun with violence. The kid, a burgeoning bully, projecting the father’s violent personality onto the cat was kinda gross. The kid naming the cat after himself was plain confusing. The dialogue between the kids discussing whether to bully the other kid was absurd; surely kids don’t debate whether to bully another kid and reach some sort of official agreement about it?! The dad lecturing the kid on bullying was hard to stomach. Then he switches gears to defending the horrible kid saying he couldn’t possibly be the ringleader. The mental gymnastics! I think I mentally checked out of this when the kid was projecting the father onto the cat and starting to physically hurt the cat as a result. Then the father hurts the cat. I just can’t with these horrible people… At least the cat got back home where he’s safe.

The Cat Who Knew How to Pretend: 1/5 😿
These folks want to rent a cat to trick their elderly Grandma into thinking their family pet was still alive. What is this book, the terrible people olympics? They’re making huge bones about how this is Grandma’s last visit but can’t be bothered to take time away from jobs to see her. There’s also a really weird vibe with the kid not admitting they’d broken up with a boyfriend and forcing him into this charade too.
These folks are quite cruel toward Grandma and the use of “senile” feels derogatory and reductive. The whole toxic family ethos here is depressing. So is the creepy transactional “relationship” between the granddaughter and the boyfriend.
There’s a continuity issue here, it seems too. In all the other stories, we’re told the cats must not eat anything except their prescribed food yet this one is being egged on to eat human food?

The Cat No-One Liked: 3/5 😺
Slumlord rents cat to suss out tenants who are keeping pets. Did this cat consent to being a NARC?!
I liked the storyline with this one. Etsuko’s idea is quite smart. The MMC annoyed me with his constant whining but Etsuko was likeable! Even the slumlord had some redemption.

The Cat Who Went on a Journey: 4/5 😺
This one is from the cat’s perspective which was interesting as I’d been grappling with the ethics of renting living creatures out for temporary human enjoyment. While it was nice to have Tabby’s perspective, it highlighted another horrible human who has no business having guardianship of a cat. This story, similar to the first, had “the only legitimate children are ones with my blood” rhetoric too. This gets extra points for being most about the cat and introducing a more interesting narrative perspective than we’ve had so far. It also stands on its own merits as a story with a conclusion and everything.

The Cat Their Dreams Were Made Of: 1/5 😾
Another whining job-centric MMC. Job culture in Japan is soul destroying and unreasonable and made for grim reading. His kids are frustratingly dense too: THREE PAGES forcing them to guess what was in a cat carrier and these elementary school age characters can’t figure it out. The adults make such boneheaded decisions: why not call your mortgage provider and ask what your options are rather than selling your house at 50% less than you paid for it? They can’t pay a mortgage but think they’ll manage rent? Why are they moving so hastily with this sale when they haven’t thought anything through? The obnoxious kids compound the frustration further. The kid throwing away the cat’s blanket was just too much. It’s hard to summon sympathy for such unsympathetic characters.

I was privileged to have my request to read this book accepted through NetGalley. Thank you, Quercus Books.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bloody Hell.

Right.



I added this book to my to be read pile after seeing the cover that is default here on the goodreads page. A sweet little calico cat wrapped up in a blanket, set against a soft blue background. The cover gets an ever cuter illustration in my opinion if you peek at the audible audio cover, which is how I ended up reading the book.

These covers as well as the synopsis put me in mind of a cosy read, a gentle and easy book. I imagined stories filled with people who need the sweet company of a fluffy friend to give them a gentle push into learning a valuable lesson about themselves.

Actual examples I considered were 'oh this person who rents a cat is a bit lonely' and 'this person who rents a cat is overworked', vague ideas but reasonanable ones for a book of this nature. Something light enough that we see the hardships and needs of the characters but that also draws smiles from the reader and fills you with warmth once the cats and their blankets get to work. Maybe twinges of bittersweet but enough warmth to soothe any sting of the actual bitter part of that aforementioned sweetness.

I was about as wrong as I could possibly have been. This book in fact deals with a whole catalogue of subjects which could trigger a whole manner of different people. It really covers the board in upsetting experiences and life events.

This isn't a book that has the main objective of focusing on the cats and how their behaviours and general existence bring changes for the people who rent them. The main objective is the human dramas of the people who rent these cats who are all absolutely miserable for a multitude of reasons and then the cat and their blanket is inserted into the stories with a varying percentage of how much the animal actually matters.

Out of the seven stories, I'd say two actually intergrate the cats into the storylines and make them matter. The connection of humans and cats that I wanted and expected is used well and I genuinely enjoyed both of these stories. Sad and bittersweet in multiple ways but also gave some of that warmth I had also been expecting.

The other five stories are about people who are so absolutely full of deeply unhappy emotions such as sadness, fear, alienation, dispondency, shame, guilt, anger- and the reasons they are all feeling these things so deeply ranges from the likes of infertilty to attempted suicide of a bullied 12 year old to violent fantasies/inclinations of harming animals to terminal illness to dementia and it's just very heavy subject matter. Everyone is so miserable. And while some of these tales are given a little room to breathe by the end, inviting a possibility of future positive change or actions, none of the five are particularly happy. It's more a sort of 'Ah right then, well let's just grit our teeth and keep going, eh?'

There are words and lines that offer a flicker of hope now and then but it's so greatly overpowered by all the Misery that came before it and possible will come after it.

The Cat No-One Liked and The Cat Who Went on a Journey are the two stories I enjoyed. I admit that while neither are what I had expected to find going into the book, they are both heavily about the cats and the relationships they build with humans they meet. The Journey story is in fact from the POV of a blanket cat! (One we met in an earlier chapter)

I would say out of the five I didn't enjoy...It's hard to say which I enjoyed the least. I found that characters in all seven stories acted in unreasonable and baffling ways at least a little ranging to A LOT which could be quite maddening but the Misery was overiding my rage (..Most of the time).

I would pick The Cat With No Tail as the most miserable for me personally. It particularly troubled me and it might just have been the general fact 'It's A Lot' but add on the fact I had also spent 4 hours 40 minutes or something at that point listening to the book without a break so it felt even more miserable to sit through. I'm leaning towards both being true at the same time.

I imagine you are at least fond of cats to pick up this book. Well here is a warning to you that in that story entitled The Cat With No Tail, the poor manx cat is abused numerous times by two different characters. There is a particularly disturbing scene where the boy's violent urges to hurt/kill the animal are bubbling to the surface when he is in a moment of severe emotional distress. It certainly isn't the only reason I was so perturbed during this chapter but as someone who adores cats, it didn't feel fantastic hey hey hey hey to put it lightly.

May I suggest a different cover to perhaps evoke the feeling of the book as I experienced it for the most part? How about a hanging body, a cat in a blanket playing with the laces of one of the corpses' shoes. That feels MUCH more appropriate to the vibes I felt.

To all the cats in the seven chapters, every single one: 10/10

To 98% of the humans, adult or child: -100/10

[ไม้ไต่คู้ · Rating 3 out of 5]

- ใครจะอ่าน ���็ขอให้อ่านโดยคิดว่ามันเป็นหนังสือที่เล่าเรื่อง "คน" ละกัน เพราะถ้าหวังว่าจะได้อ่านเรื่องแมว (แบบผม) เดี๋ยวจะผิดหวัง (แบบผม) เพราะแมวในเรื่องนี้มันจืดจางมากเลย มีก็ได้ แต่ไม่มีก็ไม่เห็นเป็นไร เหมือนใส่ๆ มาเพราะตลาดแมวกำลังเฟื่องฟู

- ใครคิดว่ามันจะเป็นเรื่องแนวปาฏิหาริย์แบบ "กาแฟยังอุ่น" หรือ "ศูนย์รับฝากความเสียใจ" ก็ต้องเสียใจด้วย (กูนี่แหละครับ) ร้านเช่าแมวในเรื่องนี้ค่อนข้างหลักลอย ไม่มีปูมหลังหรือปาฏิหาริย์ที่จะมาฮีลใจแต่อย่างใด มันโผล่มาเป็นเซตติ้งให้ลูกค้าเช่าแมวแล้วไสหัวออกจากร้านไป แค่นั้นแหละ

- แต่จาก 7 เรื่อง ก็มีเรื่องที่ชอบอยู่ 2 เรื่อง (เพราะแมวเยอะดี) คือเรื่อง 5 กับเรื่อง 6 คิดว่าถ้ามันเป็นแบบ 2 เรื่องนี้ได้หมดก็คงจะดี

- บ่นเยอะ แต่หนังสือไม่แย่ แค่มันผิดจากที่คาด เพราะตอนแรกคิดว่าจะมีแมวเยอะ แต่ 90% บวกๆ คือเรื่องคน ผมไม่ชอบคน ไม่ชอบคน

[Orsolya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am unapologetically obsessed with cats from house cats to mountain lions and everything in between. Felines are Gods, in my eyes, and from another plane entirely. This is a fitting declaration as yesterday (at the time of this review – April 19th) was Cat Lady Day and I wear the title proudly. Sharing my love for cats; are the Japanese whose culture also puts cats on a pedestal and views felines as magical and lucky. The viewpoint extends this to their writings via the genre of “Japanese Cat Lit”. This genre has become increasingly popular stateside as of late; as more and more of these popular novels are translated into the English language. Adding to this growing list is the highly publicized and much awaited translation of the 2008 Japanese bestseller, “The Blanket Cats” by Kiyoshi Shigematsu (translated by Jesse Kirkwood).

“The Blanket Cats” is a collection of seven short stories threaded together on the concept of a pet store that ‘rents’ out roster of cats on a three-day basis alongside their trusty blankets. As long as the cats have their blankets – which are NEVER to be washed! – they will always feel safe. This premise sounds like it can open the door to the magic that is Japanese Cat Lit, touch upon deeper philosophies of why these cats are rented and how the renters are changed from this experience, or if nothing else: humor/entertainment. Sadly, “The Blanket Cats” fails to deliver on any level, is absent of the amazing aura present in other novels in the genre and is bluntly: not very good. It is possible this is a result of a loss in translation but whatever it is… it is a terrible shame.

Each story in “The Blanket Cats” features terribly unlikable characters which are a subjective opinion and not the direct reasoning behind a poor rating; but these characters are indescribably undeveloped with no character arc or standout features. Readers can barely recall one from another upon book completion. It would be excusable if this was solely one or two stories; but this is evident in each of Shigematsu’s stories. The plot arc within each story is also lacking any ‘oomph’ and is quite basic, superficial and uneventful. There is so much potential within “The Blanket Cats” but Shigematsu held back on execution. To add further insult to injury, the stories of “The Blanket Cats” end very abruptly and without complete resolution making them unmemorable and not capable of rousing any emotion from readers.

Other reviews touched upon the key note that “The Blanket Cats” never fully explores the angle of the cats” the blankets, the renting process, the outcomes expected from renting, etc; and this is confirmed upon reading. Again, this is a missed potential and is precisely where the magic in other Japanese Cat Lit models deliver conceptually. There is only one story in “The Blanket Cats” (“The Cat Who Went on a Journey”) that is told from the cat’s perspective (this is typical in Japanese Cat Lit) that even attempts to touch upon the actual blanket-cat angle and even this doesn’t answer all questions as the cat is disengaged from his blanket and he’s fine even though Shigematsu continues to emphsize that they can’t be separated from the blankets. This is the best story within “The Blanket Cats”, however, and had the entirety of the short story collection been this strong; then this would be a different review, entirely.

Unlike most Japanese Cat Lit, “The Blanket Cats” have no elements of folklore, origin stories or heroes which would be fine if there as an entertainment value but the absence of story development means there is simply little to gain from “The Blanket Cats”.

I am an avid reader of the Japanese Cat Lit genre but “The Blanket Cats” is a poor addition to the shelves even though it was one of the first to be published. Sharing a similar premise is 2024’s “We’ll Prescribe You a Cat” which is exponentially better than “The Blanket Cats” (please see my review) and will be followed up in September 2025 with “We’ll Prescribe You Another Cat”. I certainly recommend the latter over “The Blanket Cats”. “The Blanket Cats” is only suggested if you MUST read all Japanese Cat Lit translations; otherwise it can be skipped.

[hans · Rating 4 out of 5]

7 stories in total ranging from day-to-day incidents to familial, work and relationship stress; an interconnected cat-to-rent premise centered in a unique pet shop that let its customers to rent their ‘blanket cats’ for three days and stories of the humans these cats came to live with— slightly emotional on the writing but I liked how each represents one’s concern, loneliness, struggles and their healing process to move on.

I loved most of the stories for how diversed the setting and its conflicts explored, and I think the writing style and way it was executed really tempted me too; it can be dull or nothing that depth on the characterization part yet the pleasant comforting hue enchanted me to dive into the characters’ backstories and their train of thoughts. Some stories really struck me with its engaging plotline like The Cat With No Tail (a school bullying scene with an attempted suicide plot), The Cat Who Know How To Pretend (household drama with a sick dementia grandma, a broken relationship and a hurtful familial decision), The Cat Dreams Were Made Of (a father’s concern after losing his job and need to sell the house, afraid that he has failed the family) and The Cat Who Went On A Journey (told from the cat-to-rent POV who accidentally help a journey of a runaway siblings).

Quite poignant and heartwarming in between, empathetic with that perspective of how these cat-to-rent acted as a side like nothing too important character yet still enthrallingly managed to spark a change in those journeys of their temporary owners. A light, reflective read rather than a whimsy or twisty plot overall; a great catch if you appreciate healing related fiction!

(thank you Pansing Distribution for the gifted proof copy!)

[Mai H.]

Japanuary TBR

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons

[Lilainthehauntedlibrary · Rating 2 out of 5]

ถ้าใครที่กําลังคิดจะซื้อเพราะแมว อย่าเสียเงิน 355 บาทเลยค่ะ เพราะไม่มีเนื้อเรื่องตรงไหนเกี่ยวกับแมวสักนิด มีแต่ปัญหาน่ารําคาญของคนน่ารําคาญ อ่านไปไม่มีความสุขเลยค่ะ ที่อดทนอ่านจนจบเพราะเสียดายเงินมาก ชื่อเรื่องและหน้าปกคือดึงดูดให้ทาสแมวซื้อแต่ไม่เกี่ยวข้องกับเนื้อเรื่องสักนิดเลยค่ะ ทาสแมวซื้อไปผิดหวังแน่นอนค่ะ

[Jeremy Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

For fans of Japanese literature, Blanket Cats may initially seem like just another addition to the familiar theme of shops, cafes, or spaces where characters gather to find solace, reconnect with others, or heal from past wounds. However, while it certainly falls within this category, Blanket Cats distinguishes itself with a deeper, more poignant exploration of its characters’ journeys through its seven diverse stories.

Each narrative centers around the renting of a 'Blanket Cat' for a period of three days. While books like I Will Prescribe You a Cat often offer a sense of comforting warmth and gentle escapism, Blanket Cats leans into the more somber aspects of its characters’ lives, grounding the stories in realism rather than lighthearted coziness. For me, this shift in tone was refreshing. Though the tales don’t always focus directly on the cats themselves, these rented felines are pivotal in sparking the emotional transformations that allow our cast to confront their pasts, grow, and ultimately heal.

[Bella Azam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blanket Cats was a cozy, heartwarming read but at the same time, its also depressingly sad. With seven short stories of various characters renting the cats for three days, we encountered many situations of humans faced in their life. From a married couple unable to borne a child, a woman running away after comitting a terrible crime, a demanding father & his son that turned into a bully, a family renting a cat to tricked their dementia elderly grandmother, a fussy landlord with no cats rules in his apartment, a cat went on a journey and a family struggle to move out of their house after the father lost his job. With each stories, we glimpsed into these miserable life & how each cats brought a certain sense of answers or a catalyst to their own situations be it trying to distract themselves from their own hardship, to escape & to just needing a companion.

The concept of renting a cat for three days seems a bit absurd to me initially because the rules of these older cats must have their blankets with them wherever they go so they are able to sleep anywhere is interesting but also kinda weird? The premise was fascinating & I do like some of the stories in here & relate to a couple of them but the last story was not to my liking at all as it just fell flat and irritating. I wished I like this book better but towards the end especially on the last story, the translation felt off & too clunky for my taste as it doesnt seem to translate well? Somehow, it just felt rushed by the end. That is one of the perk why I'm not enjoying this book as much

Although, I appreciated that these stories doesnt gloss over these real situations that we human go through, everyone is different and can be frustrating when our opinion doesnt align but thats how humans are. The stories in here ultimately look at the core of humanity & how we reflected on ourselves as we compared our own life to the life of these felines. My favourite stories in here would be the first one, the grandma and the story from the cat's POV. Blanket Cats is flawed but it doesnt shy away from depicting the imperfections & the ugliness of the people because that is how life is! Its never sunshine & rainbows, it can be dark & cruel but we all try our best to survive & find little things to appreciate about

Thank you to Definitely books for the review copy. The copy I received was an uncorrected proof so my review is based on this.

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Blanket Cats is a book of short stories about trained cats that people can rent. They have their own special blankets, and as long as they have their blankets, they can sleep in a new place with no problems.

Every short story is about every new person who rents a different cat as they navigate through their own issues.

It's an adorable concept, and I see that the author wants each story to be meaningful. I can't say that I like it that much, though.

Perhaps it is just me and my high expectations towards Japanese literature, but the book was disappointing. A lot of the characters in the story are unlikeable and irritating. Each story ends with an open ending, so you just have to assume that the unlikeable character will somehow grow out of it and become a better person, but I don't like that. I don't mind open endings - I am familiar with such endings with short stories, but I think it only works for stories that are hopeful, so the readers are left with the imagination that everything will be okay in the end.

Out of all the stories in the book, I have only enjoyed one short story where the old woman rented a cat after she was diagnosed with cancer. Aside from that, I did not like the others.

If you've never read any book in Japanese literature before, I recommend trying a different book. If you love Japanese literature, I recommend the same because you will not miss out much.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kat Sira · Rating 3 out of 5]

เจอปกหลอก!!!!

หน้าปกมุ้งมิ้งมากค่ะ เลยคิดว่านี่คงเป็นหนังสือ feel good happy ending ปาฏิหาริย์น้องแมว บลาๆ... อ่านไปได้ครึ่งเล่มถึงตระหนักได้ว่ามันไม่ใช่!!! 😂

เป็นหนังสือที่ดีเล่มหนึ่งนะคะ ตัวหนังสือบอกเล่าเรื่องราวต่างๆของคนที่เช่าแมวน้อยทั้ง 7 ตัวไป บางเรื่องก็หนัก บางเรื่องก็เบา แต่ไม่มีเรื่องไหนที่ทำให้เรายิ้มตอนจบเลยค่ะ...

ชอบเรื่อง ตัวแทน มากๆค่ะ อ่านแล้วน้ำตาไหลตั้งแต่กลางเรื่องยันหน้าสุดท้าย คิดถึงอาม่า คิดถึงอนาคตด้วย ถ้าฉันแก่ตัวลงไปจะเป็นยังไงนะ

ปล. ถ้าไม่คาดหวังอะไรคงจะสนุกกว่านี้

3.5 ดาวค่ะ (ธรรมดา 3.5 เราจะกด 4... แต่กด 3 ดาวให้เรื่องนี้เพราะผิดหวังล้วนๆค่ะ 😭)

[Simone McCue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished in a day and absolutely loved and adored every minute of this book.

The Japanese have such a beautiful relationship with their feline companions which is shown throughout this book. The impact a cat can make on someone’s life in a short amount of time is just beautiful and I honestly feel like it’s true (I recently adopted a cat and from day one my life has changed for the better).

I also love the hidden meanings behind each small adventure in this gorgeous book. A must read for any fan of Japanese fiction

[Charles Edwards-Freshwater · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as cosy as I expected, but quite an interesting exploration about how cats can make all the difference to people's circumstances. Some of the tales are better than others, but it's an easy, pleasant read.

[lysareading · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Blanket Cats gives a mysterious concept where we could rent certain cats for only three days max. Some rules need to be followed which must be returned after three days and the cats must sleep with their familiar blankets.

We got seven short stories and among them, I love:
• The Cat Who Sneezed
• The Cat With No Tail
• The Cat Who Knew How To Pretend

Those three stories: I could get to see a couple struggling with infertility, a young boy who was bullied, and a family who sought joy and tried to make memories with the senile grandma.

I don't know how to describe the storyline but it was somehow too bland for me to get through as some parts just left me hanging. Although I know the concept is kinda of intriguing perhaps the translation makes this book a little off.

When I see the translator's info, no wonder the translation seems familiar as he has translated The Kamogawa Food Detectives before. This time around the translation unsatisfied me, I was expecting lots of deep motivational/therapeutic words but guess shouldn’t have ‘expectation’ much.

However, big thanks to Pansing @definitelybooks for giving me this review copy <3

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this Japanese translation of a bestseller about a unique pet shop that rents out cats for a few days. Told in a series of short stories each of which feature a different breed of cat, we get to know different people grappling with tough times, from infertility, early terminal cancer diagnoses, bullying, loneliness and more. I liked it a lot and would recommend to fans of books like We'll prescribe you a cat. Many thanks to @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

[Martina Petrova · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

cozy book that includes cats and makes you think about life?? heck yes. 🐈

[Maven_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Blanket Cats by Kiyoshi Shigematsu

The Blanket Cats is a linked short story collection built around a quaint, magical‑realist premise: in a peculiar Tokyo pet shop, customers can rent one of seven special cats for just three days, along with a distinctive blanket they must keep with the animal throughout its stay. Each of the seven tales follows a different renter from a couple grappling with infertility to families seeking comfort or escape, whose ordinary struggles intersect with the silent, enigmatic presence of these feline visitors. Rather than a plot‑driven narrative, the book uses the cats as gentle catalysts for introspective moments and subtle shifts in perspective. Throughout the stories we see how each human character’s hopes, fears, loneliness, and longing are mirrored in quiet, thoughtful vignettes about companionship and the frailty of life.

What I felt most strongly was how the novel resists easy emotional payoff. Instead inviting you to sit with imperfect, unresolved lives in which a cat’s soft presence nudges people toward moments of clarity or compassion that feel quietly earned. Some stories linger in sadness and ambiguity, and the cats often act more as observers than saviors, which may surprise readers expecting a whimsical feline tale, but I found that emotional honesty, even in its restraint, gave the book a deep, lingering warmth.

Rating: 4 out of 5
Because its gentle insights into human vulnerability and connection, tied together by these peculiar feline guests, left a thoughtful, heartfelt impact.

[THEOENG · Rating 5 out of 5]

เป็นเรื่องสั้น 7 เรื่อง ของ 7 สถานการณ์ในชีวิตของคนหลากหลายกลุ่ม ที่แต่ละเรื่องมีจุดร่วมกันคือบริการเช่าแมวจากร้าน เพื่อไปเติมเต็มจุดประสงค์บางอย่างในชีวิต การดำเนินเรื่องก็ตามสไตล์งานเขียนญี่ปุ่นเลย เนิบๆช้าๆ มีสเปซให้ฉุกคิด สำนวนแปลดีมากเลยค่ะ ไม่ย้วย ไม่น้อยเกิน

ตอนเห็นชื่อเรื่องและคำโปรยด้านหลัง ทำให้ไม่คิดว่าเป็นเรื่องของแมวล้วนๆอยู่แล้ว น่าจะเป็นหนังสือแนวสะท้อนชีวิตเพื่อปลอบประโลมมากกว่า แล้วก็เป็นแบบนั้นจริงๆ ส่วนตัวเป็นทาสแมว (ที่ไม่มีแมวของตัวเอง) อ่านหนังสือเล่มนี้แบบไม่ผิดหวังเลยค่ะ แถมรู้สึกอยากให้มีธุรกิจนี้จริงๆบ้างเลย 555

บางเรื่องอ่านแล้วเฉยๆ บางเรื่องอ่านจบถึงกับน้ำตาซึมเลยก็มี ชอบเรื่องแมวพันธุ์ผสมมาก ซึ้งมากๆ ㅠㅡㅠ เรื่องแท็บบีก็ชอบ เป็นเรื่องเดียวที่เขียนจากมุมมองของแมว น่ารักมากกกกกกก เจ้าแมวคู่หูนักเดินทางอย่างอเมริกันช็อตแฮร์นี่มีเรื่องราวต้นกำเนิดที่เท่มากๆจริงๆ

ถ้าดูจากชื่อเรื่อง เราว่าหนังสือเล่มนี้บรรลุจุดประสงค์ของมันอยู่นะ สำหรับคนที่อาจกำลังเจอเรื่องสับสนในชีวิต กำลังมองหาพื้นที่ปลอดภัยเพื่อจะไปอยู่ตรงนั้นสักพัก แต่ละเรื่องในเล่มนี้มันพูดถึงสถานการณ์ของคนหลายๆคน ที่ต่างก็เจอปัญหา และได้แมวเช่าเข้ามาเป็นส่วนเติมเต็ม ถึงแม้ว่าแมวไม่ได้ช่วยแก้ปัญหาอะไร จนวันที่คืนแมวไปแล้วปัญหาในชีวิตของทุกคนมันก็ยังอยู่ แต่แมวก็คือแมวอ่ะ มันเป็นไปของมันแบบนั้น มันแค่เข้ามาอยู่ข้างๆเราเมื่อมันอยากมา ไม่มีใครจะไปคาดหวังหรือกะเกณฑ์ได้ว่าแมวจะต้องเป็นแบบนั้นแบบนี้ ก็เหมือนชีวิตเราเองไม่ใช่เหรอ

[Michelle Graf · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Publishing Group for the ARC.

Man, I am so disappointed. The people in most of these stories are awful and have no business caring for a cat, even in a temporary situation. Asking for the cats to cure them of their selfish tendencies is a hard ask, when so many are neglectful of the cats themselves if not outright putting them in harms way. The one story I liked was the one from the cat's perspective with the two runaway children. The children weren't insufferable, and the cat was a funny narrator. That chapter at least had a novel spin to the style of cozy literature that this falls under. It's the only thing saving this from being a one-star book for me.

[Mary_ame · Rating 4 out of 5]

1- Le chat qui ne supportait pas le pollen : 5⭐️
2- Le chat qui était assis sur le siège passager : 5⭐️
3- Le chat qui n’avait pas de queue : 4.5⭐️
4- Le chat qui en remplaçait un autre : 3⭐️
5- Le chat de celui que personne n’aimait : 5⭐️
6- Le chat qui voyageait : 5⭐️
7- Le chat qui réalisait un rêve : 3⭐️

[Soňa · Rating 4 out of 5]

PODCAST is here :)
Seven struggling customers are given the unique opportunity to take home a “blanket cat” . . . but only for three days, the time it’ll take to change their lives.
A peculiar pet shop in Tokyo has been known to offer customers the unique opportunity to take home one of seven special cats, whose “magic” is never promised, but always received. But there are rules: these cats must be returned after three days. They must eat only the food supplied by the owner, and they must travel to their new homes with a distinctive blanket.
In The Blanket Cats, we meet seven customers, each of whom is hoping a temporary feline companion will help them escape a certain reality, including a couple struggling with infertility, a middle-aged woman on the run from the police, and two families in very different circumstances simply seeking joy.
But like all their kind, the “blanket cats” are mysterious creatures with unknowable agendas, who delight in confounding expectations. And perhaps what their hosts are looking for isn’t really what they need. Three days may not be enough to change a life. But it might just change how you see it.

I wouldn't call this a healing fiction, or at least not in the same way as other books I had read in this category so far. This book was more of an open slap in the face, let's call it bluntness, with a human self-centred mind at the centre of it. The author did a great job in depicting humans sometimes in their worst moments of behaviour, in crisis or not, with an honest 'what's going on' in the mind.

And cats? As they should be on the centre stage... In reality, this book is not about them. They are the canvas/mirror to humans' actions.

4 Japanese kittens for reading as I can't say I've enjoyed it... I was more sad about the behaviour of the human characters😥

First sentence: Two nights, three days. That was how long you could keep them.
Last sentence: He closed his eyes and watched as blurry constellations formed on that inner night sky, pale streaks against the dark.
Goodreads Challenge 2025: 76. book

[Dona's Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grabbed a copy of this one from Libby.

This book was only okay for me. I thought it was a novel, to begin with, but it's a collection of short stories with a unifying theme. Blanket cats are cats rented out by a special pet store, for only three days, at which point the humans must return the cats. It's a compelling form and could have made a good book, but I wasn't impressed with the executions.

In all but one, the stories did not center the cat. Many times I felt the cat had been written in after the fact, perhaps as a device to unite a set of stories to appeal to more readers. But honestly, I feel like most of these stories had nothing to do with cats.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy Japanese contemporary fiction, themes of personal and professional drama, and themed short story collections.

Content warnings: cruelty to animals, animal death, death of family, grief and grieving, bullying, eviction

[Tanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

ตอนได้ยินชื่อหนังสือครั้งแรกรู้สึกเฉย ๆ อ่านไปได้กลางเรื่องชักอยากตั้งชื่อว่า #ขอให้ตัวประกอบโอบกอดคุณ แต่พออ่านจบ รู้สึกว่าชื่อนี้กินใจมาก เรื่องราวของแมวเช่า ที่จะได้อยู่กับผู้เช่าเป็นเวลาสามวันสองคืนด้วยเงื่อนไขบางอย่าง เงื่อนไขที่ไม่ได้สลักสำคัญอะไรกับเนื้อเรื่อง...เช่นเดียวกับแมวที่ไม่ได้สลักสำคัญอะไรกับเนื้อเรื่องนัก

.
แต่แมวมีพลังเยียวยา

.
แมวทั้งเจ็ดตัวในเรื่องได้ไปอยู่กับผู้เช่าแตกต่างกันไป แม้น้องจะเป็นองค์ประกอบเล็ก ๆ แต่ก็มีพลังบางอย่างช่วยเยียวยา และทำให้มนุษย์ลุกขึ้นยืนได้ใหม่อีกครั้ง

.
ไม่ว่าจะเป็นคู่สามีภรรยาที่มีบุตรไม่ได้, หญิงผู้ยักยอกเงินบริษัท, เด็กชายที่พ่อทุ่มเทปกป้อง, ครอบครัวที่จำต้องส่งคุณย่าไปสถานสงเคราะห์, คู่รักที่วางแผนแอบเลี้ยงแมวในห้องเช่า, พี่น้องที่หนีออกจากบ้าน และครอบครัวที่พ่อโดนให้ออกจากงาน

.
ทุกความสัมพันธ์ ทุกเรื่องราวมีแมวเป็นตัวประกอบ แต่ตัวประกอบก็ช่วยเยียวยาได้นะ (อาจจะยกเว้นบางตอนที่น้องรับบทเด่นเป็นเวิร์คกิ้งแคตส์ผู้รู้งาน🙂)

.
แม้จะเป็นเรื่องสั้น แต่เรื่องราวแต่ละตอนเล่าได้ราวกับมีชีวิต มีสมหวัง มีผิดหวัง มีสุข มีเศร้า เรียบง่าย และมันคือชีวิต

.
ในบรรดาทั้งหมด ผมชอบตอน "แบล็งเก็ตแคตส์ -ที่ใคร ๆ ก็ไม่รัก" ที่สุด เป็นเรื่องสั้นที่ออกขำขัน แต่ตอนจบฟิลกู๊ดชวนน้ำตาคลอ อบอุ่นกับบรรยากาศในฉาก...ที่มีแมวเป็นตัวประกอบ (อีกตอนที่ชอบไม่แพ้กันคือ แบล็งเก็ตแคตส์ - ออกเดินทาง ใจอยากให้ตอนนี้เป็นเรื่องสุดท้ายด้วย)

.
ทั้งหมดทั้งมวลในเรื่อง นักเขียนอยากให้เห็นภาพว่าแมวเป็นสิ่งแปลกปลอมที่เรียกว่า #ความหวัง ส่วนนักแปลเองนิยามสิ่งแปลกปลอมทั้งเจ็ดตัวนี้ต่อว่า #ตัวจุดประกายความคิด พร้อมตั้งคำถามให้ผู้อ่านด้วย ซึ่งก็ขอตอบคำถามของนักแปลไว้ตรงนี้เลย
.
ผมเรียกสิ่งแปลกปลอมนี้ว่า #นักเยียวยา ครับ

[nahla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not that praise from a cat would mean much to them. (p. 251) If I would receive any sort of compliment from a cat, I believe all my self-doubt would instantly vanish.

A negative aspect–resulting in this rating–would be the lack of focus on the cats. Except for one story from a cat's perspective (which I was absolutely delighted by), the cats do not receive as much of the spotlight as they would have deserved. Certain chapters fulfilled my expectations of the cat having an impact on the human(s) as you learn about their inner battles or external challenges. But others conveyed the impression that the cat was almost irrelevant. I, in particular, did not consider 'The Cat with No Tail' or 'The Cat Dreams Were Made Of' to be adequate additions to this book as I do not think the cats serve as much of a poignant purpose to these stories as they could have.

Nonetheless, The Blanket Cats was a delightful, fast-paced read. Its writing is simple yet whimsical and beautiful, perfectly befitting a novel about cats. 'The Cat No-One Liked' and 'The Cat Who Went on a Journey' sparked every sentimental, warm, and content emotion. I consider this a fond read that found me when I needed it the most. (3.5 stars)

[Rhi’s Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deceptively emotional and heartbreaking

The Blanket Cats by Kiyoshi Shigematsu is a Japanese translated fiction comprised of 7 short stories written in different narrative styles.

Seven customers, all living in different circumstances visit a Tokyo pet store, all seeking happiness in the form of a cat companion.

But there are rules: the cat must be returned after three days, and each cat must sleep in their own blankets.
——————————————————————————
This books cover is deceptive. You imagine a cute little story about a cat seeking a new home.

However, this is not the case. The Blanket Cats covers heavy and mentally draining topics, though I will not go into detail so as not to spoil the book.

I found it well written, powerful and eye opening and worth a read if you enjoy this style of book!
——————————————————————————

Thank you to the publisher quercusbooks and the author for providing me with this ARC

[Moo Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

ummmm this was not the cosy read I thought it was gonna be….. why are the poor cats being forced to deal with these people :S and why did they come with blankets???

[Sarah Clement · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think Japanese cat fiction should be a whole genre of book by itself. And I also would like to read all of them. This is a mostly sad set of stories, and the chapter featuring the 12 year black cat hit the hardest, with my ill, 12 year old black cat by my side. I never really have high expectations for books in this genre, but I always find them worth reading, as this one was. My main issue with it is that the concept of the blanket cats wasn't really developed much, and several of the cats are barely described (such as the last one in the book), so it's not quite what you expect. I realised that the blanket cats were mostly a device to introduce us to disparate characters and tell their sad stories, as those characters tend to be well developed, unlike the cats, even though apparently only the smartest cats could become blanket cats, so you'd have thought we would get a better glimpse into who they were. I feel strange sitting here as an adult woman complaining that the blanket cats aren't featured enough in a book about blanket cats, so I will leave my review there. Not an amazing book and not a bad one, but there are better in this genre.

[Lina Lindhout · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute boek met ook wel diepere boodschappen. Nadeel is dat het uit 7 delen bestaat met elke keer een nieuwe klant die een kat komt lenen dus het zijn eigenlijk 7 short stories waardoor je niet echt in het verhaal kan komen of een band kan voelen met de karakters maar als je dat van tevoren weet kan je verwachtingen bijstellen want ik wist dat niet :) ohja deel 6 is geschreven vanuit de pov van de kat en dat heeft de beoordeling van 3 naar 4 sterren gebracht want ik genoot zo erg

[Padmaja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where do I get a cat rental service like this?? 😭😭���