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

  Pet adoptions were incredibly confusing, and they’d been that way for a long time. The issues within the industry were no worse than those in the pet sales industry. Some people would even put themselves on the moral high ground of doing public welfare, as they hated people that didn’t match their standards for pet lovers.

  What was even more funny was that once there was a guy who lived in a rented apartment, and he brought home a cat that he found on the side of the road. He fed it local cat food for a few days. Soon, he felt like it was too much of a hassle and decided to put it up for adoption online. His requirements for those interested in adopting was that they had to own both a car and a house, submit a picture of them holding their ID card, and had to feed the cat with imported cat food only. Otherwise, it meant that they didn’t love cats. The double standards here were no joke.

  There are adoption organizations that fed normal cat food to their cats, but still told adopters to only buy imported cat foods. They argued that if the cats weren’t able to live a better life, why should they let anyone adopt them?

  As for the adopters that were found to make any mistakes that went against the organization’s rules during the surprise house visit, they would have to go through a harsh lecture. The more severe cases would have to pay a fine. Sometimes the pet would be taken back to the organization.

  Instead of adopting a pet, it felt more like adopting a child.

  People who didn’t do their best in raising their adopted pets and who were too cheap did exist, but ridiculously raising the requirements of adoption because of them was no different than refusing to eat because of a fear of choking.

  Xiao Zhuang had not only visited Agency A and B, but he’d also went to two other locations. All of the adoption organizations were found on Weibo and their requirements for adopters were harsher than the ones before. They also didn’t allow adopters to raise any objections. If you looked at cats of superior breeds you’d be lectured for not liking inferior breeds.

  Xiao Zhuang complained, “It’s not that I despise cats of lesser breeds! I can’t even tell the difference between the two. I’d naively thought that an Orange Tabby was also one of the better breeds. But personally, I think that superior breeds are prettier compared to the inferior breeds, although not all of them. At the very least, I wasn’t interested in those in the adoption organizations. I only wanted for Ting Ting to adopt a cute cat that was pleasing to the eye. Am I wrong to want that?”


  “You’re not wrong, everybody loves things that are beautiful,” Zhang Zian said to him. “When I sell pets, I always emphasize preference. The one that catches your eye, the one you find pleasant to look at. Nothing forcibly done will end up good. Adopting a pet that you don’t even like just for the sake of being kind will definitely leave a bad taste. Everyone has their own preferences. You might not like a inferior cat breed, but someone else might. There’s no need to force yourself.

  Xiao Zhuang shook his head. “After leaving those few adoption organizations, I’ve completely given up on the idea of adopting. This is why I reacted poorly earlier when Ting Ting said that she wanted to adopt a cat. I was planning on getting a cat for her before Valentine’s Day and telling her that I adopted it.”


  Ting Ting was touched. She said, “Xiao Zhuang, I’m so sorry for misunderstanding you before.”


  “Actually, if you have plans on adopting a pet, you don’t really have to look for them on Weibo.” Zhang Zian suggested, “On Weibo, the good and bad adoption organizations are intermingled. Even with legit organizations, due to the large amount of inquiries from adopters, their staff responsible for handling responses might be overwhelmed. Their service is usually poor. It’s best to check out the local forums in the pet sections. Often there are owners who put up their pets for adoption there, but it’s best not to adopt with people from foreign countries. They’ll claim that the adoption is free but charge you a large fee for postage costs.

  Zian paused for a moment before continuing. “There is also a simpler solution, but only if you’re okay with having any cat, and aren’t picky about looks or color. You can just as easily head down to any park or older areas where it’s flooded with strays. If you’re lucky you might even find a cat that’s from a superior breed. You just have to remember that a visit to the veterinarian for vaccines and deworming is required before you bring a stray cat home. Especially for those that already have a cat at home. There are horror stories where stray cats have infected the other cats in the household, causing severe health issues and damages.

  “Stray cats are more common than stray dogs. Stray dogs are usually taken away by management centers for stray animals, or stolen away to be made into dog stew. Are we only able to go to adoption organizations if we plan on getting a dog?” someone asked.

  Zhang Zian gave it some thought before replying. “Not necessarily. For dogs, you can try your luck at some research institutes or medical schools.”


  He thought about Masanori Suzuhara and Snoopy. He said, “Research institutes and medical schools often use Beagles for their experiments. The beagles retire when they turn seven, and sometimes even younger. These dogs all end up for adoption. Police dogs are also another option, but usually the requirements are too strict for the average person. You might as well focus more on the schools’ Weibo or public account and try adopting a Beagle.”


  “Used for experiments?” The man’s face was filled with uncertainty. He wasn’t comfortable with Beagles that had been used for experiments. He worried that they might carry bacteria or would die after only a few days.

  Zhang Zian was able to guess what the person was thinking. He replied, “Don’t worry, since they put them out for adoption they definitely won’t be sick. Beagles are also considered the healthiest pet dogs as compared to other breeds. Also, the Beagles used by research institutes and medical schools are always purebred, even more than the Beagles from ordinary kennels and pet stores. If you were to purchase a similar one, it would cost around ten to twenty thousand yuan. Usually, when the adoption news is released, adopters immediately respond. If you’re too slow, there won’t be any left for you! As for its lifespan, you don’t have to worry about that either. Beagles that are able to live till they retire usually do not go through any serious experiments, so they’re able to live for a long time.”


  “What about cats?” another person asked. “Are there any experimented cats?”


  “Yes, there is,” Zhang Zian answered confidently. It’s just that they’re not as common as Beagles.”


  The loud young lady was as dejected as a rooster who’d just lost a battle. Her previous confidence was almost all gone. She continued to fiercely stare at Zhang Zian. “Even if you argue forever, that doesn’t change the fact that you’re a black-hearted pet seller!”


  Zhang Zian shrugged his shoulders as a response. When a dog bites you, should you bite it back?

  Xiao Zhuang let out a sigh. “Forget it, Ting Ting, let’s go. If you really want a cat we can just buy one instead of spending so much effort in adopting one.”


  Xiao Zhuang had been talking for a while, and he’d barely gotten to touch his food. Ting Ting had only ate half of hers, and the leftovers had long gone cold.

  “But…” Ting Ting affectionately looked at the Calico cat in the restaurant.

  She’d came to the bar all excited to adopt the Calico cat and thinking that the process of adopting was very simple. Only to find out from her boyfriend that the adoption process wasn’t as easy as she’d thought and that some conditions were too unreasonable. It felt like someone had poured cold water over her, but she still wanted to give it a try.

  “Ma’am,” she called out to Aunt Li, holding on to a sliver of hope. She asked, “What are the procedures needed to adopt a cat from you?”


  Aunt Li wiped her hands on her apron, shook her head, and said, “I don’t know. I’m not responsible for that.”


  “You don’t know?” Ting Ting was surprised. “Aren’t they your cats? If you’re not responsible then who is?”


  Aunt Li pointed at Zhang Zian. “All these cats were brought here by Master Zhang. And as for the procedures, it’s all up to him.”