Chapter 458: Three Good Things About the kitten
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
It didn't matter if it was Professor Wei Kang or Wu Mingzhen who asked about the origin of Fina or Snowy Lionet, Zhang Zian used the same excuse: he picked them up on the street. Zhang Zian, knowing they would know that he was lying, which might give them a bad first impression, insisted on saying this because he couldn't handle more questions.
Wu Mingzhen was 90 percent in disbelief and the other 10 percent was all suspicion. There was news about rare cat breeds being found on the streets and parks because they were either abandoned by their owners for some reason, or snuck out of their houses by themselves. Someone was even lucky enough to find a Ragdoll.
Of course, the pedigree Prionailurus Bengalensis is more valuable, but not many people know about it. People tend to mistake it for a Persian cat or a normal white cat. If you came across an owner who had no knowledge about it, it was possible that he or she would abandon it just because its hair was too long to comb; which is why you couldn't tell if Zhang Zian was lying.
So, he smiled. "Manager Zhang, you must be really lucky to have picked up these nearly extinct cats randomly on the street."
"I always have good luck." Zhang Zian smiled along, not wanting to continue this topic.
They came into the inner room and saw many customers choosing their pets. Wu Mingzhen was not in a hurry. He glanced around, very relaxed, and would occasionally share his experiences of choosing and keeping cats with Zhang Zian.
Zhang Zian learned a lot by communicating with this cat professional. It takes time to gain knowledge. He had just started the pet store business and was still unfamiliar with some related facts even though he bought various books to keep himself updated. Zhang Zian's knowledge on pets mostly came from the west, while Wu Mingzhen was a master in the Chinese pet field. The two complemented each other.
"Store manager!" While they were talking, a 20ish year old lady with glasses said hi to them, looking hesitant. Her boyfriend was sitting next to her, like a loyal dog, talking to her in a low voice.
"Can I help you?" Zhang Zian waved to Wang Qian and Li Kun, a signal that he would handle this. Wu Mingzhen who was a step behind him, walked in a slow pace.
The lady with the glasses waited for Zhang Zian to come to her, then pointed at a British shorthair and asked, "Store manager, are all your cats this old?"
"What do you mean?" Zhang Zian asked back.
Her boyfriend answered for her, "Manager, we want a small kitten, preferably 1 month old. All the cats you have here are about 3 or 4 months old, right? We're worried that cats at that age won't bond when we take it home."
It was not the first time Zhang Zian had heard that. He explained in a calm manner, "The youngest kittens we have here are around 3 months old, and that's the youngest. One month old kittens would be better off staying with their mothers because the habit of getting along with humans isn't taught by the mother cats."
"What if it doesn't bond?" er boyfriend continued to ask.
Zhang Zian replied, "Whether a cat does or does not bond depends on congenital factors, such as its kind and breed, its socialized education, sterilization and the way their owners treat them. Age doesn't matter that much. If it's under 6 months old, it shouldn't affect their ability to bond with their owners."
Hearing this, Wu Mingzhen slightly nodded in agreement.
"Never mind!" the girl with glasses said impatiently, holding her boyfriend by the corner of his coat. "Blah, blah…Just say no if you don't have it. What's the point of giving me a lecture? You just want to find an excuse! You don't have it? Fine, we will find it in another store. There are plenty of pet stores, yours is not the only one. They have kittens that are one or two months old. You think you are unique and special? Let's go!" She turned around to leave angrily.
This lady had so much strength that her boyfriend almost fell down when she pulled him. He stood straight up and spoke to Zhang Zian, looking embarrassed, "We came here because we were attracted by its fame. We intended to buy a kitten and didn't know all the cats here were half grown up. We prefer to have a pet as a baby to have the fun of pretending. I'm sorry, but we will check the other stores."
Zhang Zian nodded his head, not showing any reconcilement, "As you wish."
He had done his job and gave the lecture, but they didn't listen so there was nothing more he could do. His cool attitude made the glass lady even more mad. She gave a grunt and said coldly, "Don't be so proud, I don't think this place is as good as what people are saying."
There was a crowd of people next to them seeing this, doubting Zhang Zian in silence. It was easier to build a bond with a cat at a young age — this thought seemed right, plus kittens were cuter.
"Hehe, that's not correct." All of a sudden, Wu Mingzhen walked inside. He did it on purpose to draw people's attention with a loud voice.
Zhang Zian could tell he was knowledgeable when they were discussing Prionailurus Bengalensis and its history, so he kept his mouth shut and expected a lecture from Wu's mouth.
Wu Mingzhen waited for crowd to quiet, then said slowly, "Just now, Manager Zhang explained some things from the Western world's point of view, which I know nothing about. Now I would like to say something based on our Chinese experiences with cats. Ladies and gentlemen, have you heard of The Classic of Cats Appreciation?"
The Classic of Cats Appreciation? Everyone was confused. It was the first time that they heard of this thing.
Wu Mingzhen laughed and said, "The first line in The Classic of Cats Appreciation is 'Pick a cat aged 200 days, its hair is shiny and feels smooth.' You are all smart people, I assume this sentence doesn't need further explanation, right? You need to choose a cat that has aged enough, which means it is at its best 120 days after birth, so 4 months. Of course, what we have now is better than the old days, and we raise the cats in a scientific way with a healthy, nutritious diet, so it is normal for it to be one month younger. To me, the 3 and 4 month old cats that Manager Zhang sells here are perfect. If it was any younger, that would cause problems."
This was new to the crowd. The lady with glasses stopped and frowned, "You didn't make that up, did you?"
"Why would I lie about the existence about The Classic of Cats Appreciation?" Wu Mingzhen sneered and continued taking, "The second line in The Classic of Cats Appreciation is 'Choose a cat neither after February 2nd nor before the 14th of July.' What does this mean? These days here refer to days on the lunar calendar, and so it means that you shouldn't pick cats born before the lunar February 2nd or cats after the lunar 14th of July. It has something to do with the mating season and estrous cycles, but it has more to do with superstitious beliefs. February 2nd is the Dragon Head Raising Festival and July 15th is the Ghost Festival. Cats who are born in this period are believed to be able to protect their owners and houses, and they can benefit the owner and his or her family."
He then added, "Surely, it's mainly superstition as we don't believe in it now and can't apply it to our lives. As for a cat's mating cycle, we have the technology now to make the indoor temperature stable enough so they can mate any time during the year."
More customers came in and listened curiously about how ancient people selected and appreciated cats.
Fina and Snowy Lionet were already back in their own cat trees. They were interested by what he was saying, so they stopped their nap and listened carefully, as if he were telling a story.
Although Wu Mingzhen had emphasized it was superstition, it was better to believe it than ignore it. Many people memorized it. They were going to buy cats anyway, so it wouldn't hurt to buy one according to The Classic of Cats Appreciation, right?
Wu Mingzhen looked at the crowd with his fiery eyes, pointed at all these kittens in the store and said, "These cats are all around 3 or 4 months old, so they were born before the lunar 14th of July. They are the best choice to keep you and your family safe and sound according to The Classic of Cats Appreciation. What are you hesitating for? Don't just pass by and miss this opportunity."
The last sentence was funny compared to what he said before. People smiled.
After his speech, those customers who planned to do some window shopping, all decided to make a purchase.
The lady with glasses was in a dilemma. She saw herself as an atheist, though sometimes she believed in supernatural things and would play Bi Xian (pen deity) and Die Xian (dish deity) at the dorms. What Wu Mingzhen said convinced her, but as she had already shown intent to leave, she would lose her face if she stayed.
The cats here in the Amazing Fate Pet Shop were more expensive than in the other pet shops. She only came here with her boyfriend because of its fame and was determined not to buy a cat here. After she heard about The Classic of Cats Appreciation introduced by Wu Mingzhen, she gave it some thought and figured if she left to go to other pet shops, chances were she would buy a cat born after July 14th, and it wouldn't be that lucky.
Wu Mingzhen and some of his friends built the Association of Pet Exchange promotion aiming to popularize the basic knowledge of choosing pets. Zhang Zian only sold kittens over 3 months old, so he met a standard of Wu Mingzhen's not every pet shop could. Most of them just sell the kittens once they reach 1 month old to get money.
He seized the chance and continued explaining, "So what are the disadvantages of buying young kittens? It is written in The Classic of Cats Appreciation, 'Feeble cats are formed after they leave mom too soon, causing eye discharge in the first 12 days.' Which means, kittens that leave their mothers at an early stage tend to fail in fully developing. This leads to weakness and illness when they grow up. It is not a good thing. Kittens that are 1 or 2 months look cuter, but whether it's for their own health or their owners', it is better not to buy a cat that is too small and young."
All the customers heard that and were no longer doubtful, Whether it was Zhang Zian's Western pet theory or The Classic of Cats Appreciation taught by Wu Mingzhen, they were all against purchasing young kittens. If two books said the same thing, it couldn't be wrong.
Thinking of this, the customers were now all determined to buy their pets here as they could seize the opportunity to buy kittens that were born before the lunar calendar's July 14th!