Cat Demon Raising Manual - Chapter 17

Disturbed by Hua Wangxuan, Wu Wei decided not to dawdle any longer. After finishing her shower, she slipped into her brown bear-print pajamas. The loose-fitting pants swayed as she walked, revealing a glimpse of her slender ankles. Clad in slippers, Wu Wei scanned the room but found no trace of that mischievous cat.

After drying her hair, she noticed the black kitten pattern on her slippers had been utterly destroyed by a certain troublemaker. Bending down, she forcefully tore off the ruined design and tossed it into the trash.

“Run away after causing trouble, are you afraid I’ll spank you?” Wu Wei snorted softly. Once she caught Mary, she was definitely going to give its bottom a few smacks.

Hua Wangxuan shook her head and sneezed, her fur trembling as a few strands floated into the air. With teary eyes, she rubbed her damp nose.

Her stomach felt bloated and uncomfortable. Hua Wangxuan crouched in a cardboard box like a brooding hen, her expression listless.

Wu Wei found Hua Wangxuan in the living room, wielding a cat teaser. Her narrow eyes fixed intently on the cat, detecting something amiss in its demeanor.

Wu Wei waved the teaser, its bell jingling. Hua Wangxuan slowly turned her head to glance at it but made no move to engage.

“What’s wrong, Mary? I haven’t even scolded you yet, and you’re already putting on such a pitiful act.” Wu Wei leaned closer. Hua Wangxuan had curled into an oval shape, clearly uninterested in interacting.

“Hey, I haven’t even started lecturing you.” Suddenly, a familiar foul odor filled the air. Wu Wei leaned back reflexively, her eyes stinging so much she could barely keep them open. Her stylish face twisted into a grimace.

“Stinky cat, are you farting again?!” Wu Wei stuffed a tissue up her nose and tapped frantically on her phone screen. A quick search revealed that cats release foul-smelling gas when constipated or suffering from intestinal blockages, as trapped gas struggles to escape.

Wu Wei’s gaze fell on Hua Wangxuan’s rounded form. She crouched down and gently pressed her fingers against the cat’s abdomen. It felt distended and firm, unlike its usual softness.

“Mary, are you just full of poop?” The moment she spoke, an offended Hua Wangxuan swiped a claw at her.

“Ouch, you ungrateful little thing! How dare you scratch me? I’m just checking on you.” A long scratch mark appeared on her arm. It didn’t hurt much, but the insult was undeniable.

After a moment’s thought, Wu Wei decided to take Hua Wangxuan to the vet for a check-up. Her plans for the next day were now disrupted, and she secretly hoped the cat was simply overstuffed rather than pregnant. With mixed emotions, she called Wan Jinhua, who was out for activities, then hailed a cab to take the sulking Hua Wangxuan to the pet hospital.

At the clinic, the veterinarian greeted Wu Wei with concern. “What seems to be the problem with your cat this time?”

Wu Wei carried Hua Wangxuan over, her lips pressed into a tense line. “Mary’s stomach is bloated, and she’s been farting a lot. I’m worried something’s wrong. Could you please examine her?”

The vet took Hua Wangxuan, her arm noticeably dipping under the cat’s weight. She glanced at Wu Wei’s arms in surprise. “This cat is quite heavy, you must have strong arms. Have you been feeding her high-fiber human food or dairy products?”

“No, I’ve been giving her the same cat food I bought from you last time,” Wu Wei replied with a frown.

The veterinarian gently felt Hua Wangxuan’s belly, and this time Hua Wangxuan didn’t resist. Instead, she purred contentedly, clearly in a good mood.

Wu Wei noticed Hua Wangxuan’s double-standard behavior and her expression darkened, biting her lip with her canine teeth.

Seeing Wu Wei’s grave expression, the vet thought she was overly worried and reassured her, “Occasional flatulence in cats is nothing to be overly concerned about, it’s quite normal. I’ve felt her belly, and it seems a bit firm. It could be constipation or possibly intestinal parasites. We’ll need to do a blood test and take some X-rays. Have you observed her bowel movements recently?”

Wu Wei hesitated, then shook her head. How could she possibly spy on a cat using the bathroom?

“It’s important to pay attention to your cat’s bowel habits to monitor her health. She looks a bit overweight, does she enjoy exercise?”

Wu Wei nodded. “Mary often goes out to play. I was actually planning to bring her in tomorrow for her vaccinations.”

When the fur on her arm was shaved again, Hua Wangxuan started grumbling. She had worked so hard to grow that fur, and now it was shaved off, making her look ugly.

Wu Wei assisted by holding Hua Wangxuan still to make it easier for the vet to draw blood. During the struggle, Hua Wangxuan let out piercing screams, which made Wu Wei feel uneasy. She gently stroked the cat’s head and said in a low, hoarse voice, “Be good, Mary. After the check-up, you’ll get a treat of cat food.”

Hua Wangxuan grumbled and completely ignored Wu Wei’s empty promise. After the blood test and X-rays were done, both the vet and Wu Wei breathed a sigh of relief.

Pointing at the X-ray, the vet explained, “You don’t need to worry too much. Mary has been eating too much meat lately, which has caused indigestion, and she’s shedding heavily, leading to constipation. Her belly is full of stool that she can’t pass. Other than that, she’s perfectly healthy.”

“For long-haired cats like Mary, it’s important to regularly feed hairball remedy. You can also cook some pumpkin puree weekly to help with her digestion. Try to encourage her to drink more water, provide fresh, running water or add water to her food. I’ll prescribe some medication to help with her bowel movements. Keep a close eye on Mary’s frequency of defecation lately, and you can also grow some cat grass for her. Although cats are carnivores, adding some dietary fiber in moderation is a great way to balance their diet.”

“Okay, I understand. Thank you, Doctor,” Wu Wei said, her voice muffled as she held the somewhat listless Hua Wangxuan in her arms, expressing her gratitude to the vet. She memorized every word the vet said and planned to plant cat grass all over the yard as soon as she got home.

Hua Wangxuan had no idea what Wu Wei was scheming; she was just tired, sleepy, and hungry.

Ever since the gentle-looking vet sister had bothered her private parts, Hua Wangxuan had been unable to keep her composure.

Back in Wu Wei’s arms, she felt a bit more at ease, at least Wu Wei wouldn’t lay a hand on her.

The vet didn’t mind Hua Wangxuan’s aversion and just smiled as she reminded Wu Wei, “If Mary remains constipated, you can try using an enema. I’ve already demonstrated it, the cat’s area is very soft and delicate, so you need to be extra careful and gentle when handling it.”

Wu Wei’s face suddenly turned bright red, and she nodded softly in response. On the way home, Wu Wei was unusually quiet, looking worried. She hoped Hua Wangxuan would recover soon so she wouldn’t have to personally deal with the cat’s private parts.

It was already around eight or nine in the evening when she returned home. By then, Wan Jinhua had also come back from the nearby square. She had been humming a little tune earlier, but seeing Wu Wei’s troubled expression, she couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous.

She walked over to take a look at Hua Wangxuan, who was neither crying nor fussing, then turned her gaze to Wu Wei and cautiously asked, “Sweetie, is Mary’s condition very serious?”

Wu Wei’s brown eyes reflected Hua Wangxuan’s peaceful little form as she shook her head slightly. “No, Mary was just a bit constipated. The vet prescribed some medicine, and she’s passed it now.”

Wan Jinhua didn’t relax immediately upon hearing her granddaughter’s words and continued questioning, “Then did they find something else during the check-up?”

Wu Wei shook her head again. “No, she’s perfectly healthy. If she weren’t so tired right now, she’d probably be bouncing around like a monkey.”

Wan Jinhua rubbed her forehead, puzzled. “If Mary is fine, then why do you look so upset, as if you’re the one who’s constipated?”

Wu Wei let out a sigh, her voice low. “I wish it were me who was constipated.”

Seeing that she couldn’t get any more information out of Wu Wei, who remained tight-lipped and uncommunicative, Wan Jinhua decided not to press further and changed the subject. “Sweetie, did you know they’re building a shopping plaza nearby? It’s called Lanyu Plaza, with a Lanyu Cinema too, the kind you young people love. Times are really changing; even our little county is getting its moment in the sun.”

Wu Wei’s expression remained unchanged, showing little reaction as she nodded. “Yeah, Lanyu Plaza has about five or six hundred locations nationwide. It’s not surprising to see them in provincial capitals, but it’s rare in small counties. Our Maocheng isn’t very developed, and none of the counties under it have even made it into the top 100 nationally. Still, building a Lanyu Plaza here is quite late compared to the rest of the country.”

Wan Jinhua sighed. “The cost of living for us ordinary folks is going to go up again. When it opens, I’ll go check it out and buy you some pretty clothes, and for our Mary too, get her something to wear and play with.”

Hua Wangxuan meowed as if on cue, amusing the elderly lady, who couldn’t stop praising her for being clever.

After settling Hua Wangxuan, Wu Wei took a bag of cat grass seeds out into the yard. She found a few empty flowerpots and buried the seeds in the soil.

Her eyes lingered on a small pot for a few seconds before she deliberately brought it back to her room, placing it on a shelf outside the window in front of her desk so she could see it at a glance whenever she sat down.

She picked up a White Rabbit creamy candy from the desk, casually unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth. The milky flavor filled her mouth, gradually soothing her restless heart. As she ran her tongue along the edge of her sharp canine teeth, Wu Wei leaned back lazily in her chair, her long limbs sprawling loosely like rice seedlings flattened by the wind.

“I was originally a gifted feline star monarch, but I was betrayed by a cunning assassin mad dog. My followers abandoned me, strangers disturbed me, the heavens turned against me, and they even severed my spiritual veins. In this new life, I will surely prevail! Send me 50 to hear my revenge plan.”

Influenced by lines from short videos, Hua Wangxuan lay on the sofa, stood up like a human, and threw a series of meowing punches at the air.

Wan Jinhua watched with a smile as Hua Wangxuan regained her energy, knitting away with yarn in her hands.

Hearing the laughter, Hua Wangxuan became captivated by the brightly colored yarn ball and began pouncing on it. The yarn tangled around his limbs, and he started yowling, kicking with his feet and gnawing with his teeth.

Wan Jinhua patiently snipped away the yarn entangling Hua Wangxuan, stroked the cat’s back, and said in a gentle voice, “I’ll cut a piece for Mary to play with, but you mustn’t put it in your mouth, understand?”

Hua Wangxuan rolled over, responded with a coquettish meow, and gleefully resumed his battle of wits with the yarn.

As the sky darkened, Wan Jinhua yawned, gathered her knitting supplies, and locked them securely in a cabinet.

Hua Wangxuan’s eyes darted around. He scratched at the cabinet a few times, but it remained unmoved.

Wan Jinhua teased him kindly, “I locked it up to guard against a clever little thief like you.”

Hua Wangxuan turned his backside toward her, undeterred. Late at night, when all was quiet and the elderly woman had fallen asleep, the night owl Hua Wangxuan twitched his tail, slipped out through the kitchen window, and disappeared into the darkness.