The heartwarming, magical Japanese bestseller about grief, love and a cat who will do anything to see his beloved owner again
After a long and happy life with a loving human family, tabby cat Fuuta has passed into the afterlife. But he is not as far from his owner Michiru as it seems. Sometimes the divide between the lands of the living and the dead can be traversed.
Eager to see Michiru again, Fuuta interviews for a position at Cafe Pont, which sits in the liminal space between the two worlds. The cafe is known for its unique service- its living customers can request meetings with the person they’d most like to see again, through the specially selected spirits of messenger cats.
Fuuta must investigate and deliver his messages without unnerving the living, or worse, upsetting the balance of the universe itself. It is a weighty task for a tabby cat, but Fuuta rises to the challenge. After all, the job offers a special reward- he will get to see Michiru again. And he’ll do anything to reunite with his family.
Review: I’d like to think that a messenger cat brought the book to me, giving me a much-needed dose of comfort and positivity — Shanna Tan, translator of WELCOME TO THE HYUNAM-DONG BOOKSHOP
A gentle, tender story that quietly settles into your heart and stays there. Softly magical and deeply comforting, this book… explores grief, love, regret and healing with remarkable tenderness… Fuuta’s perspective is especially charming and heartfelt, filled with warmth, loyalty and a quiet wisdom that only comes from love freely given… A beautiful meditation on love that never truly ends * Reader Review *
I’m so glad I picked up this short, heartwarming piece of Japanese literature. It’s cute, a little bittersweet, and surprisingly touching all at once — Reader Review
This book is so sweet. I loved all the little ways it reminds you to live, to love, and to stop regretting things that you cannot control or change — Reader Review
What an absolutely gorgeous read this was! — Reader Review
A delightful escape, proving that sometimes, the most important messages are delivered on four paws! — Reader Review
This book is so heartwarming… delightful! — Reader Review
Messenger Cat Cafe is exactly the kind of delightful escape we need right now, and such a charming, effervescent novel that even a dog person like me is recommending it to everyone I know — Lauren Grodstein, New York Times bestselling author of A DOG IN GEORGIA
Charming… skilfully balances the idealistic worldbuilding and lighthearted perspective of its cat narrator with emotional encounters and the bittersweet reality of life and death. Heartwarming without shying away from serious issues, Shimeno’s book is a welcome addition to the growing ranks of healing fiction * Library Journal *
Format: Hardback
Pages: 256
Imprint: Harvill Secker UK
Publication date: 19/02/2026
