novelraw Chapter 43
Chapter 43
Chapter 43“Why bother neutering healthy cats? We’re not doing anything that heartless,” Lang Xiangying said, shaking her head.
Back when Ai Qing had to board at school and Grandma fed only a couple of strays, he hadn’t pushed the issue.
Now he had a proper argument.
Watching the tomcats in the courtyard wolf down kibble with single-minded energy, Ai Qing narrowed his eyes; a complicated feeling flickered across them.
“Grandma, do you know where these strays actually come from?” he began, coaxing.
Lang Xiangying stroked Big Orange, who was sprawled on the ground, and patted the cat’s fat belly. “Strays just wander here—where else would they come from?”
“But where did they start? Most were abandoned by their owners,” Ai Qing said. “Look at Maple, Piggy, Little Gold—those pedigree cats cost serious money. If they hadn’t been dumped, how would they end up in our complex?”
“Poor things,” Lang Xiangying said, growing even more sympathetic. “No homes. Giving them a bite to eat is giving them a family.”
“Exactly, that’s kind,” Ai Qing agreed, crouching to scratch Big Orange’s exposed belly; the cat trusted Grandma completely. “But think ahead. When Big Orange Sheriff and the others find females and have two or three litters, how many cats will we have?”
“Right now there aren’t many, and Big Orange’s crew are well-behaved. Apart from mealtime they mingle peacefully.”
“Once the numbers swell, troublemakers always appear.”
“If one day a cat you fed bites a child or claws someone’s car paint, what then?”
Lang Xiangying had never thought that far.
She simply felt sorry for the kittens.
It had started with the little orange tabby, drenched and shivering in the rain, eyes full of grievance.
Her heart ached; she’d fetched a sausage.
Ai Zhongguo and Ai Lisong disliked cats, so Grandma never adopted him, but the tabby kept visiting. Eventually he grew into Big Orange.
Sheriff, Taikun and the rest had drifted in the same way.
In barely a year the courtyard hosted a dozen regulars.
Ai Qing’s warnings made sense, yet they weren’t dire.
First, Lang Xiangying sat on the neighborhood committee and led the square-dancing aunties; her word carried weight.
Last winter’s cold snap had seen her organize a makeshift shelter beside the small plaza, stuffing it with spare quilts so the cats survived in warmth.
Perhaps spoiled by the old folks, Big Orange Sheriff and company were gentle by nature.
Whenever children visited, the elders warned them: stroke softly, no pinching, no yanking.
So far, no incidents.
“Neutering has benefits—at least they won’t suffer,” Ai Qing continued.
“For females like Maple, pregnancy on the streets is dangerous.”
“You remember Xiao Yu’s mother?”
The memory of that elegant, fragile lion-headed mother made Lang Xiangying pause.
She glanced at Xiao Yu. “So neutering fixes it?”
“We can’t let the colony explode,” Ai Qing said. “We can’t save the world, but we can keep our own complex nice.”
“Fair enough,” Lang Xiangying nodded. “Sis Qian’s pet clinic is close, and we know her.”
“Mm-hmm.” Ai Qing nodded, already counting the referral bonus Sis Qian owed him.
“What about Xiao Yu?” Lang Xiangying asked. “She getting spayed too?”
“A-hem... Xiao Yu lives with me—no need,” Ai Qing coughed, gaze sliding over Big Orange, Sheriff and Taikun. The toms suddenly felt a chill.
“Plus, neutering males is simpler and safer. We should start with them.”
“Gives the vets at Sis Qian’s place some practice as well.”
Sheriff and company, unable to decipher human speech, kept circling Grandma, meowing for seconds, unaware calamity loomed.
“No rush. I’ll talk to Sis Qian when I’m free, then we’ll act,” Ai Qing added.
“Fine, up to you.” Lang Xiangying trusted her grandson; she agreed at once. “And don’t ask for discounts. We’re not short of cash. They’re my cats; I can pay for their operations.”
...
After the evening feeding, the neighborhood stray-neuter plan settled, Ai Qing carried Xiao Yu upstairs to his second-floor bedroom.
He lay on the bed scrolling videos and spamming group chats. Xiao Yu, perched on the headboard, silently shifted into human form.
Ai Qing turned to the girl beside him, stroked her hair, and recalled the courtyard debate.
“Humans are selfish creatures.”
“Or maybe selfishness is just animal nature.”
“Acts we’d call atrocities if done to people, we perform on animals without a second thought.”
“Then we soothe our conscience by claiming it’s for their own good.”
“Neutering is simply neutering—done for human convenience. All that talk about cats becoming gentler or living longer? Just side benefits.”
“The real point: owning cats becomes easier.”
Xiao Yu blinked, listening hard, trying to understand.
After a moment she whispered, “Neutering—meaning?”
“Uh...” The question floored him.
Seconds ago he’d been the wise critic; now his tongue tangled. He floundered, gesturing with both hands.
“Well, people—and cats—have babies. Humans have little babies, cats have kittens.”
“But a girl or a queen needs a boy or a tom, and they do... you know... unspeakable things, then your belly swells with babies or kittens.”
“Neutering means taking out the parts that make babies work, so you can’t have any.”
Xiao Yu nodded vaguely and pressed on. “Breeding—meaning?”
Ai Qing: “...Right, that means finding a partner to make babies or kittens.”
She pointed to herself, then grabbed his arm. “Me. You.”
“Huh?” Ai Qing blinked.
Face utterly serious, Xiao Yu declared, “Breeding.”
“...Let’s study instead.”
“Mm-mm!” Xiao Yu shot upright, scooted to the wall, and shook her head furiously. “Breeding—okay. Studying—no!”