Mayumi Inaba was a prize winning and well respected poet and author in Japan. In Mornings with my Cat, Mii we follow her 20 year companionship with her cat, from rescued kitten to the deteriorating end.

Inabas’ writing is beautiful and calming throughout which makes this a joy to read but can make her appear somewhat detached from the situations she is describing. As a memoir, Inaba also describes her marriage and its breakdown, her life as a writer and its ups and downs, and all the while Mii is there to be her comfort and focus.
 
As a pet owner, she makes many decisions that I don’t think I would make regarding Mii and her quality of life, especially towards the end. This shouldn’t be read by anyone where the death of an animal will be a problem or too uncomfortable. To me though, the inclusion of the end of Miis’ life added a sense of realness and intimacy that other stories or memoirs may prefer to skip over.