If Cats Disappeared From The World - Kawamura Genki

Sometimes it’s only when something begins to end that we truly see how much it meant.

The protagonist — a young postman living alone with his cat — learns that his days are numbered. The doctors leave no doubt. And just when everything seems to lose its meaning, a strange offer appears: he can gain one more day of life… for every thing he agrees to remove from the world forever.

At first, it sounds like a fairytale bargain. But every choice comes with consequences — and with questions that go far deeper: What truly matters? What could you live without?
And would a world without cats still be a world worth living in?

This isn’t a story about the devil or a deal with death. It’s a story about us — about the choices we make every day, about the relationships we neglect, and about the small gestures that mean far more than we admit.

This book is the essence of what I deeply believe in. It reached right into the quietest part of me and stayed there.It’s a reminder of what truly counts — that the people we love can disappear at any moment, and that relationships are not something we’re given once and for all. They are built every day — through care, attention, and presence.

“Family is not a constant that exists on its own.
It must be cared for to survive. (…)
We thought the relationship would sustain itself,
that we didn’t have to do anything —
and before we knew it, we’d reached a point of no return.”

I see this everywhere — crowds of acquaintances, hundreds of followers — and yet, when things get difficult, silence. Because closeness isn’t born from likes, but from time and presence.

“But have I ever really done what mattered?
Have I seen the people I truly wanted to see?
Told my loved ones what they mean to me?
I was too busy returning calls to those who filled my call history —
instead of making that one call to my mother.”

This wasn’t a quote that “hit me hard.” It’s something I keep telling everyone — and myself. You can’t do everything. You can’t be everywhere. Life is short, and you have to choose what’s truly worth your time. Because if you spend it all on what’s trivial, there won’t be any left for what really matters.

Often, we make these choices unconsciously — shaped by what the world expects of us.
We live in societies that teach us safety over freedom, predictability over risk.

“Rules exist to limit freedom. (…) Freedom brings anxiety.
Humanity has lost its appetite for freedom, but gained the illusion of safety that rules provide.”

“Simply being alive doesn’t mean much. What matters is how you live. (…)
Was I happy or not? I had no idea. I only knew one thing — that humans,
through their own thoughts, can make themselves the happiest or the most miserable creatures alive.”

That’s one of the most beautiful messages of this book. Your life belongs to you. Your choices, your failures, your happiness. What’s important to you doesn’t have to be important to anyone else —but living in harmony with yourself brings a peace nothing else can replace.

Kawamura reminds us that happiness isn’t something you find — it’s something you create. Out of small things, daily gestures, love, and gratitude.

🐈 Who is it for?

For those who enjoy quiet, reflective stories with a touch of everyday magic. For animal lovers. For anyone who seeks books that soothe and stir at once —gentle in form, yet carrying weight and meaning.For everyone who sometimes forgets that to live and to exist are not the same.

✨ Final thoughts

If Cats Disappeared from the World is a warm, empathetic story that reminds us
even the smallest gestures can change a life. It’s not a book about death — it’s a book about living.About love, gratitude, and not missing those we love most while they’re still here.

Throughout the novel, Kawamura leaves us with a quiet invitation to reflect: make a list of ten things you’d want to do before you die.
What would be on it?
What’s holding you back?
Are those dreams truly yours — or ones whispered by Instagram, by expectations, by someone else’s idea of what a “good life” should look like?