Appearance of Cats in Murakami's Works

By Yiqin Zhang 

Haruki Murakami often involves cats in many of his works. In Kafka on the Shore, the old man Nakata has the ability to converse with cats. He becomes a finder of cats and partakes on a journey to find a Siamese cat named Mimi. In "Abandoning a Cat," the unexpected reappearance of the cat at the family's door upon an attempt to abandon it represents the memories and generation trauma of father being passed on to the son. In A Wild Sheep Chase, Boku asks the secretary to take care of his dying cat and uses it as a collateral when he embarked on his journey to finding the Sheep. Cats in Japan is no doubt the most popular household pet, even more so than dogs. The fondness of cats is common in Japanese households. The pet is often revered for providing good luck and bring blessings in Japanese folklore. 

In Murakami's works, however, cat symbolisms extend beyond the traditional folklore ideal of lack. Jay Rubin argues that animals fascinate the author because they lack rational thinking and are related to mysterious forces, making them similar to the subconsciousness of human psyche. The elusive presence of cats in Murakami's works often involve cats disappearing from the owner's lives. In an interview on Kafka on the Shore, when asked about why cats play such a memorable role in his characters' lives, Murakami replies "it must be because I'm personally fond of cats. I've always had them around since I was little. But I don't know whether they have any other significance." 

There are many interpretations of the cat symbolism, specifically the abandonment of cats. One of such interpretation is the connection of cats to children. Murakami's language associates cats with children. A lost/ stray/ missing cat is 迷子の猫 (maigo no neko). 迷子means 'lost child'. The word 'lost' is combination of 迷う(mayou) = to lose one's way and 子(ko) = child. A comparison is drawn between cats and naive, helpless children that can be easily led astray by evil characters such as Johnnie Walker from Kafka on the Shore.   

Sources: 

15 CAT IMAGERY IN HARUKI MURAKAMI'S FICTION 

http://aflls.ucdc.ro/en/doc1/15%20CAT%20IMAGERY%20IN%20HARUKI%20MURAKAMI.pdf 

Cats in the 20th Century (Cats in Literature - Haruki Murakami) 

https://www.thegreatcat.org/cats-20th-century-cats-literature-haruki-murakami/