Chapter 12

[No need to post a lost dog notice, its owner has arrived! I am its owner!]
[Go away, go away! Do you even know how to raise a dog? Let me take care of it!]

The chat erupted into a fierce debate over the ownership of this German Shepherd.

Wen Youning gently tapped the German Shepherd’s wet nose. The puppy looked at her with a puzzled expression, and she smiled warmly. “You’re very popular.”

The shepherd licked her fingertips and wagged its drooping tail. “Woof!”

“Let’s go. Home to make some delicious food.” Wen Youning cradled the shepherd and quickened her pace toward home.

It was about to get hot soon.

Carrying such a large, furry creature under the sun felt like being wrapped in a thick quilt. Approaching noon, Wen Youning felt she might just melt away from the heat.

---

“Meow…”

The door opened, and the meow inside sounded almost simultaneously.

Wen Youning pushed the foam box and cage aside at the doorway. The groceries she bought from the market arrived before she did. She had expected to get them in the afternoon but came back much earlier than planned.

Still holding the shepherd, Wen Youning couldn’t spare a hand to carry the groceries, so she opened the door first. The little tabby was already scratching at the door from inside. “Just woke up?”

Wen Youning stepped inside sideways. When she left, the little tabby was still asleep. She had replenished the cat food and canned food, but now the bowls were empty.

The little tabby stretched lazily, tail held high. It wanted to pounce when the door opened but froze after taking a step. “Meow?”

“A new friend,” Wen Youning said, shaking the shepherd’s paw. “It’s injured and will stay here for a while. You two have to get along well.”

Even if the online lost dog notice worked and the shepherd’s owner came tomorrow, Wen Youning would not let them take the dog away.

Before the shepherd could fully stand, acupuncture and daily massages couldn’t be interrupted.

The little tabby’s tail lowered from its high position, the tip flicking impatiently.

Tabby cats have a strong territorial instinct. Some stray tabbies even drive away cats that trespass into their “territory.”

However, the little tabby had only recently come to the house. Counting precisely, it arrived just a day or two before the shepherd. It hadn’t started marking territory yet, so no major conflicts would erupt for now.

Had it been a long-time resident tabby, bringing a German Shepherd home would have resulted in claws at the shepherd’s face the moment the door opened.

The little tabby was just curiously observing for now.

“You two play. I’ll put away the groceries.” Wen Youning set the shepherd down on the sofa. The little tabby jumped onto the armrest, and she stroked the cat a few times. “I’ll make you both something tasty tonight.”

“Meow…”

A phone stand was set on the table, the camera aimed directly at the two fluffy creatures on the sofa.

Wen Youning found a place for the cat’s litter box and the dog’s cage. The cage was the one the market vendor had made. The pet shop owner had helped clean it. She stuffed soft padding inside and topped it with a pee pad.

After handling these little tasks, Wen Youning took the meat apart and soaked each piece in water. “Next, I’ll grind all this into minced meat. When making food at home, you can adjust the proportions of each meat according to your pet’s taste.”

“The offal usually needs to be about this much. It acts as a natural flavor enhancer, though it’s less effective for some animals.” Wen Youning said this as she scooped the meat from the water.

For human consumption, soaking the meat in blood water longer is better. But for pets, if the meat is too clean from soaking, it loses flavor and becomes less appealing.

[Don’t you add trace elements? I saw tutorials where they add many trace elements ground into powder.]
[You can feed it plain too. I bought a lot and add two tablets when feeding.]
[Those vitamin tablets are so expensive, especially the pet-specific ones that cost hundreds per bottle.]

Wen Youning cut the meat into suitable chunks and put them into a small household meat grinder, which couldn’t handle too much at once.

She glanced at the chat and said, “Pet-specific vitamins? Ordinary vitamins don’t need to be expensive. The cheap ones at the bottom shelf of the pharmacy counter are enough.”

Whether for humans or pets, a vitamin is a vitamin. Pet-specific ones don’t alter the vitamin’s structure.

Wen Youning was familiar with this knowledge—there really was no such thing as pet-exclusive vitamins. “Pet-specific ones just reduce the dose. You can buy regular vitamins and break them up yourself.”

[???]
[Then what about the fancy pet vitamins I paid hundreds for?]
[That just means you have money.]

The meat grinder buzzed, shaking the dining table with its noise.

The minced meat mixed with offal and vegetables filled a big bowl.

The little tabby had somehow jumped onto the table and was sniffing the bowl eagerly.

“Hungry?”

“Meow!”

Wen Youning took off her gloves and patted its round belly. “If you eat any more, your tummy will burst. Go run around. I’ll feed you well tonight, okay?”

“Meow…” The tabby pawed at the edge of the metal bowl, ears drooping and whiskers hanging low in disappointment.

‘Just a little meow...’

“But—”

“Wuuu—” The drawn-out sound seemed like a playful plea. The tabby leaned its head against Wen Youning’s hand, rubbing back and forth.

“All right, just a little.” Wen Youning took a small plate and served some, then prepared a plate for the shepherd too.

[No, you have no principles. If you send the kitten over, I’ll personally teach you how to say no.]
[I can hear your calculations even through the internet.]
[That look is just too cute! Who could resist giving in?]

The little tabby ate its portion on the table. Wen Youning turned and saw the empty sofa.

“Woof!”

The sound was close at hand. She looked down and found the shepherd had somehow gotten to her feet.

Though its hind legs were still immobile, it moved forward quickly using only its front paws.

Wen Youning smiled softly. “This one’s for you.”

“Woof!”

‘Likes it…’

Though the homemade pet food wasn’t yet fully prepared, its flavor had already won over the two furry family members.

Wen Youning adjusted her apron. “Next, I’ll divide it into proper portions for drying. If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can use a steamer, oven, or air fryer. No matter what, cook it thoroughly, then cut into preferred sizes and vacuum-seal for storage. When feeding, chop it up. For larger dogs like the shepherd, you can give a whole piece to chew on—it’s good for their teeth. The shelf life isn’t as long as dehydrated food though.”

Homemade food without preservatives or technology has a limited shelf life.

But large dogs eat a lot. Together with the little tabby, this batch would be finished in just over half a month.

[Isn’t homemade food super expensive? It must cost nearly ten thousand yuan. How do people make money selling food for six or seven yuan per pound online?]
[They probably use different meat, maybe scraps.]

“Cheap cat and dog food for six or seven yuan a pound?” Wen Youning thought for a moment. “Those definitely don’t use scraps. Scraps still cost money.”

“Actually, many cheap foods aren’t recommended for your pets. They use expanded soy to boost protein, expanded corn flour for texture, and add crude fiber, coloring, and flavor enhancers that smell like chicken, duck, or fish. You smell it and want to take a bite. Then they add kaolin to prevent diarrhea, and some antioxidants so it looks fresh for three to five years.”

Wen Youning worked in this field and had seen all the tricks. “This food is crunchy and meaty-smelling, but cats and dogs lose weight the more they eat it. These ingredients are cheap—the most expensive is just a few yuan per pound. They sell it for eight yuan and make a profit of six or seven.”

“Also, the ingredient labels often play word games. Some shady companies skip the pretense and outright falsify labels.”

[6...]
[I got scared and threw all my cheap pet food into the trash overnight.]
[What about even cheaper food?]

“Cheaper than that? Pure kaolin and artificial flavors mixed together—pets can die from eating that.” Wen Youning placed the minced meat into plates and stacked them onto steam trays. “I still recommend buying from reliable big brands. Avoid small workshops. The safest way is to make it yourself.”

The steamer was turned on, two gas burners working simultaneously. The three-layer steam trays barely fit all the minced meat.

Some meat inevitably spilled during grinding and mixing.

Wen Youning rolled up her sleeves. “Come on, if you eat my food, you have to help me work.”

“Woof!”

The shepherd eagerly approached. Wen Youning picked it up and placed it at the corner of the table. “This meat is all yours.”

Before cutting the meat, she had spread two layers of plastic wrap on the table. She could have just folded and thrown it away, but there was a lot of meat residue, which felt wasteful.

“Meow!”

‘I want to help too!’

The little tabby eagerly volunteered, leaping up. Wen Youning lifted the cat by the chest with one hand.

“No more eating.”

“Meow-ow!”

‘I’m starving meow…’

The kitten’s plaintive cries tugged at her heart.

It hadn’t eaten for half an hour and was about to starve.

Wen Youning couldn’t help but smile and shake her head. The little tabby should know when it’s full by now, but it still wanted to eat despite being so round. “Be good, wait until you digest. I’ll give you extra snacks tonight.” The tabby needed to eat small meals more often now.

The tabby struggled, pawing at her hands, but couldn’t escape Wen Youning’s grasp. It rested its head on her fingertip, utterly resigned.

Seeing its pitiful little face, if its belly hadn’t already bulged so much, Wen Youning might have given in a bit more. “Really, you can’t eat anymore. Look at your tummy.”

As dusk fell, the meat grinder worked slowly, the food still not ready. The house’s timed chandelier had already turned on.

Wen Youning had been busy all day and didn’t feel hungry. She sat down by the dining table, holding the little tabby in one hand and blocking the shepherd with the other to prevent it from falling off the table due to limited mobility.

[You cruel one! What’s wrong with letting the kitten lick a bit!]
[Looks like the little tabby needs legal aid.]
[Streamer! The dragonfish vendor at the morning market is also live streaming!]