Pet King

Chapter 1321: Exotic Shorthair’s Health Problems

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The more they listened to Zhang Zian, the faster Zhou Jiena and Wang Yan’s hearts beat. The Exotic Shorthair seemed to be the cat for them.

Generally speaking, single people were more suitable to raise cats than dogs, but the Exotic Shorthair was an exception. Due to the need for people to come together and help clean their tears every day, this cat was more suitable for families to rear.

“Meow!”

As if it had heard their discussion, the kitten cried out.

“Wow! It sounds really nice! I am smitten with this good sound! Can you meow again?” Wang Yan asked with a fascinated look.

She looked at Zhang Zian, who did not object. She then reached her hand out and tried to rub its chin. It got comfortable and snorted quietly.

“It sounds so good!” Zhou Jiena praised.

The Exotic Shorthair’s voice was low, soft, and subtle. When humans heard it, it pleased them to no end. The common man might not recognize it, but someone sensitive to sounds would immediately recognize its uniqueness.

Zhang Zian gave a thumbs-up. “Good ears! The Exotic Shorthair has the best call sound, second to none. They do not call out often, and even when they do, it is soft. They will never disturb people.”

The reason why the Exotic Shorthair was suitable for family breeding, besides that it didn’t make too much noise, was that they were extremely docile. They might have been the most docile cat species. They did not bite and scratch people, even when angry. At most, they would gently nibble at the owner’s finger to protest their unhappiness. They were especially suitable for families with children. Alas, also because they were too docile, once they went missing, they could almost never survive in the wild.

Some pets, such as the golden retriever, were there to protect. When faced with other cats and dogs, they would reveal their instincts and become extremely aggressive. Thus, they were often nicknamed “treasure dogs.”

In contrast, the Exotic Shorthair was not only docile to humans but also friendly to other cats and dogs. They were complete pacifists.

There was currently an economic recession, and the girls had just entered the workforce. They’d chosen to head home to recharge their batteries. Thus, they had decided to raise a cat now for that purpose. However, a year or two from now, when they cleared their student debts and were matured workplace beauties, they might decide to raise another cat. After all, raising a cat was like opening a palace harem. A person loved every single one they saw. Then they would have to deal with getting the first cat to befriend the second cat, which could be a headache. However, it would not be a problem for the Exotic Shorthair. It would not bully new cats and would love to share its owners with another cat.

They exchanged opinions again with their eyes: This one? Okay, I agree.

“We want this kitten,” Zhou Jiena said on behalf of both of them.

“Well, go to the checkout counter and go through the formalities.” Zhang Zian gestured to let Lu Yiyun handle the rest.

“Right, do you want related pet supplies?” he asked in an attempt to upsell them. “Like a litter box, a food bowl, a drinking fountain, et cetera. Because the Exotic Shorthair is a flat-faced cat, it needs an adjustable food bowl. Same with the drinking fountains. Even if you buy these online, they will need time to arrive, right?”

Zhou Jiena went to the checkout counter to go through the formalities, and the remaining Wang Yan turned red. Zhang Zian knew what they were thinking – they wanted to buy pet supplies online to save some money.

Since he was spot-on, Wang Yan said, “Then please help us to choose. We do not know how to.”

People who hadn’t raised a flat-faced cat were likely to make mistakes when choosing a food bowl and a drinking fountain. They would buy utensils suitable for ordinary cats, but flat-faced cats needed special utensils. Otherwise, they would get water and food all over their faces when eating and drinking, adding to the burden on the owner.

Zhang Zian was pleased to take the lead and pick out the utensils suitable for flat-faced cats from the shelves. He placed them on the checkout counter.

“Ah, I almost forgot something. Do you have a water purifier where you live?” he asked.

“Water purifier... We have plans to install one.” Wang Yan did not want to talk about this further and hurriedly gave a reply.

In the past, they’d been worried about whether they could become full-time employees and dared not install water purifiers in the house they were renting. If they did not pass the probationary period, they might have to find another job and move to another house. Now that they had passed the probationary period, it was settled. They only intended to job-hop after at least one or two years in their respective companies, so they would stay in their current house for at least one or two years. A water purifier, which would not be given to them by a landlord, would have to be prepared by them.

“That’s good. The Exotic Shorthair’s genes determine that they run the risk of having kidney stones or urinary calculi. Regardless of the eventual type of stones that develop in their bodies, they will always damage their kidneys. Thus, it is best that they drink purified water and drink as much as possible so they will urinate more,” Zhang Zian explained.

Domestic cats originated in the arid zone of the Middle East. Like the fennec foxes, in order to save hard-won water, they would concentrate their urine and then excrete it. This was a very unhealthy habit, causing a heavy burden on the kidneys. This also allowed for the easy formation of kidney stones. Thus, every cat should drink plenty of water, though they were already used to only getting it from food.

“Oh. I got it. We will buy water over the next few days, and then we will install a water purifier as soon as we can,” Wang Yan said.

In fact, a cat couldn’t drink much water. It didn’t cost much to buy pure bottled water every day, but since they had plans to install a water purifier, that was fine.

In view of the fact that they were new to raising cats, plus the fact that they’d chosen a more challenging species to care for, when they were settling the paperwork, Zhang Zian decided to share as much knowledge as he could with them.

“Also, we are close to the sea in Binhai, which is rich with cheap seafood. However, it is best not to feed saltwater fish to your cat. If you want to feed it fish, ordinary freshwater fish will do. Of course, the best option is chicken breast or packaged cat food.”

“Ah... Why?”

They were somewhat amazed. The concept of cats eating fish and dogs eating meat had been deeply rooted in their minds. Furthermore, the seafood in Binhai was cheap – cheaper than freshwater fish. Experts on TV, as well as health guides on the Internet, also encouraged people to eat more fish. if Zhang Zian had not told them this, they would’ve definitely fed their cat saltwater fish.

“It still involves stone formation in the body,” Zhang Zian said. “Saltwater fish contains a lot of magnesium salt, which will lead to the formation and aggravation of stones. In addition, the fish also contains a lot of thiamine enzymes. Cats who eat saltwater fish for a long time will have a vitamin B deficiency, which may cause cervical spondylosis.”

“Cats are not people,” he continued. “They do not get bored eating chicken breast or the same kind of cat food all the time. Don’t use human logic to deal with them. For cats, fresh-cooked chicken breast and high-quality cat food are the safest option. You can’t go wrong with them.”