If Cats Disappeared From The World By Genki Kaw Top May 2026

The story follows an unnamed protagonist—a 30-year-old postman living a quiet, unremarkable life in Japan. His only true companion is a scruffy, philosophical cat named Cabbage (a name chosen for its ordinariness).

One day, the postman collapses and receives devastating news: he has a malignant brain tumor. He has only days to live. As he grapples with the void of his impending death, he is greeted by a doppelgänger. But this is no savior. It is the Devil—dressed in a flamboyant, shimmering outfit that looks exactly like the protagonist himself.

The Devil offers a Faustian bargain:

“For every single thing you make disappear from the world, I will extend your life by one day.” if cats disappeared from the world by genki kaw top

There is a catch, however. The Devil does not want to erase mountains or nations. He wants to erase abstract or sentimental things—starting with the telephone, then movies, then clocks, and finally... cats.

The protagonist must decide, day by day, whether the world is better with or without these objects. And more importantly, whether his life is worth living if these treasures cease to exist.

The protagonist is a young postman who receives a devastating diagnosis: he has a terminal brain tumor and has very little time left. Just as he is coming to terms with his end, the Devil appears (looking suspiciously like himself) with an offer. “For every single thing you make disappear from

For every one thing the protagonist allows to disappear from the world, he gets to live one extra day.

The catch? Once something disappears, it is gone completely. Not just from his life, but from history, from memory, and from the fabric of reality.

The novel follows him through a week of impossible choices. He begins with things he thinks he can live without: phones, movies, and clocks. But the narrative crescendos when the Devil targets the thing the protagonist loves most: his cat, Cabbage. There is a catch, however

Genki Kawamura, better known internationally as a film producer (for hits like Your Name), proves with this novel that he is a storyteller of the highest order. The book is heartbreakingly sad, yet it leaves you feeling lighter. It is a love letter to the everyday, wrapped in a feline package.

So, what if cats disappeared from the world?

The book argues that the world would lose its color. We would lose a source of unconditional love. But more importantly, we would lose a part of ourselves that knows how to be gentle.

If you have a cat, go hug them. If you don’t, hug whatever you hold dear. Because as Kawamura shows us, the world is only as rich as the things we are brave enough to love, knowing we might one day lose them.

Have you read If Cats Disappeared from the World? What would you trade for an extra day of life? Let me know in the comments below.