I Am a Cat

About “I Am a Cat”

Written between 1904 and 1906, I Am a Cat is a satirical novel by Natsume Sōseki. It offers a critical look at upper-middle-class Japanese society during the Meiji era through the eyes of a stray kitten. The cat observes the behaviors of the people around him with wit and irony, highlighting their flaws and absurdities. The New Yorker described the work as a series of anecdotes and wisecracks told by a nameless cat that is not skilled at catching mice but enjoys watching humans. The novel uses the cat’s perspective to mock the pretensions and foolishness of human behavior.