First the dog, then the cat

Whether it's a cat, a dog, or someone else's child,
once an emotional bond is formed, they become "family."

Renowned Japanese manga artist Jiro Taniguchi meticulously portrays the daily interactions between humans and animals, as well as the feelings of parting with beloved pets, through his ordinary yet sincere personal experiences of raising cats and dogs.

If "A Journal of My Father" explores "death" through a dog's final year before old age, and "The Times of Botchan" depicts "life" through an unexpectedly adopted pregnant cat, then "Landscape with a Pond" and "The Walking Man" tell stories of "separation" and "encounter." Through the companionship and healing found between people, between people and animals, and between animals themselves, a new definition of "family" emerges.
Furthermore, the book addresses many animal care issues that modern people are concerned about, including long-term care for elderly cats and dogs, pet abandonment due to newborns, and adopting instead of buying. It is believed that in today's heightened awareness of animal welfare, readers will be able to empathize even more.
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"Two years ago, my fifteen-year-old dog died. Witnessing its death from old age, the small cells of creative desire within me underwent a slight change. I felt an intense desire to draw the life and death of this dog." — Essay "Recollection"
Jiro Taniguchi loved dogs deeply, and his works often featured dogs as protagonists. The first manga, "A Journal of My Father," transforms his personal experiences, using a diary-like narrative to describe the process of a protagonist couple caring for their nearly 15-year-old beloved dog, "Tom," during its final year before passing away. In this work, Jiro Taniguchi addresses the issue of long-term care for elderly pets, subtly portraying the owner's emotional shifts, from meticulous care to anxious impatience to heartbroken letting go. The simple illustrations and text are imbued with strong emotions. The actual sketches of his beloved dog's final moments are particularly heart-wrenching. Even though nearly 30 years have passed since its publication in 1991, the intricate descriptions and overflowing emotions in the work continue to move readers deeply.

"If pets didn't entrust their lives to us, perhaps they wouldn't be able to survive. Therefore, they forgive our selfishness. And then, quietly, they reveal the purity that we have long forgotten. These may be trivial things, but our hearts become soft because of them." — Manga "And Then... I Raised a Cat"