“Mr. Nakata, this world is a terribly violent place. And nobody can escape the violence. Please keep that in mind. You can't be too cautious. The same holds true for cats and human beings.”

“Things change every day, Mr Nakata. With each new dawn it's not the same world as the day before. And you're not the same person you were, either.”

“It was the kind of promise a father makes easily and sincerely, knowing at the same time that it will be impossible to keep. The truth of some promises is not as important as whether or not you can believe in them, with all your heart. A game of baseball can't really make a summer day last forever. A home run can't really heal all the broken places in our world, or in a single human heart. And there was no way that Mr. Feld could keep his promise never to leave Ethan again. All parents leave their children one day.”

“You can keep a dog; but it is the cat who keeps people, because cats find humans useful domestic animals.”

“If one is forever cautious, can one remain a human being?”

“The human mind is not a terribly logical or consistent place.”