Companionship with Animals: Coping with an Isolated Life

In a world where isolation is no longer viewed as an illness, or as a peculiar condition, people find companionship in unexpected places, fields, and creatures. Solitude may occur in various ways. In the midst of crowds, no matter how many friends we have, we can feel lonely. Alternatively, we can turn loneliness into a way of life. We can completely cut off communication with people and find happiness in the world we create for ourselves. Or we may not have the skill to communicate with them at all, find ourselves in awkward conversations, and deal with this hopeless fate of ours. We can also form friendships that don’t require verbal communication, like we do with animals. With them, we can heal our loneliness and build the close friendships we couldn’t before. In fact, a study conducted by Harvard Health Publishing concluded that animals can help create companionships and social support. (Skerrett) 

This is precisely what She and Her Cat, a short story collection written by Makoto Shinkai and Naruki Nagakawa, focuses on. It explores the emotional bond between the characters and their pets, and how it positively influences their lives. The authors portray in a deeply touching way how a woman, who is completely incapable of communicating with people – so much so that she believes a man she met but never spoke to is her boyfriend – improves her communication skills after adopting a cat, to the point of encouraging and helping those around her, and finds happiness in her own loneliness. You can feel the themes of coping with loneliness and solitude profoundly in this collection. 

Pets can also serve as listeners and supporters for people in silence, like the character Reina in the book. She can comfortably share her fears and anxieties with her cat Mimi, whom she found amidst a torrent of complex emotions. She can also add new lonely people to the solitude she has chosen and be lonely together. This loneliness doesn’t necessarily have to stem solely from the lack of people or choosing a life away from them. People like Reina, who cannot bear the burdens of adult life and struggle to adapt, may also find themselves in the depths of loneliness. Stress, fear, and difficulty adapting to life can be factors that distance us from others. 

In a book about lonely people with cats, it’s only natural to include an elderly woman. Typically, people refer to older women with cats as ‘cat ladies’ due to their marital status. But we might not consider that the loneliness they share with their cats could be the loneliness that comes with old age. Cats provide comfort in the absence of family or close social circles. Or they might prefer interacting with cats over people. Let’s face it, who wouldn’t?

Is loneliness always caused by people? Of course not. Who isn’t lonely in the busy modern urban life? After intense hours, we realise how lonely we are in the moments we finally rest. We might not find anyone to call, or those we are calling might be too busy. A furry, four-legged friend is never that busy. 

She and Her Cat is a short story collection that explores the impact of cats on human lives, how they become companions in people’s solitude, and how they help their owners improve their human-to-human relationships. Additionally, it also portrays the world from the perspective of cats. Their affection for their owners, their relationships with other cats, their fears, and their humorous dialogues will both entertain and warm your heart, as well as make you tear up. 

I know that people with cats sometimes wonder, “What are they thinking right now?” If you’d like to get some insight, I highly recommend reading She and Her Cat. And of course, if you haven’t encountered them yet, seeing different kinds of loneliness will be an added bonus. 

Works Cited

Skerrett, Patrick J. "Pets Can Help Their Humans Create Friendships, Find Social Support." Harvard Health Blog, Harvard Medical School, 6 May 2015, www.health.harvard.edu/blog/pets-can-help-their-humans-create-friendships-find-social-support-201505067981. Accessed 19 Sept. 2024.