Chapter 12: Homemade Feasts and Furry Mischief – A Pet’s Paradise

No need to post a lost dog notice anymore!

Its owner is here!

I’m the owner!

Get lost!

Do you even know how to raise a dog properly?

Let me have it!

The livestream chat was in a heated debate over who the German Shepherd belonged to.

Wen Youning tapped the dog’s wet nose and smiled as she met its confused gaze.

“You’re very popular.”

The German Shepherd licked her fingertips, its tail wagging slightly.

“Woof!”

“Let’s go home.

I’ll make you something delicious.”

Carrying the German Shepherd, Wen Youning quickened her pace.

The temperature would start rising soon.

Holding such a big, fluffy dog under the sun felt like wrapping herself in a thick quilt.

By midday, she’d probably melt from the heat.

“Meow…”

The sound of the door opening and a small cat’s meow came at almost the same time.

At the entrance, Wen Youning nudged the foam box and cage aside.

The items she had bought at the market had arrived before she did.

She had expected them to be delivered in the afternoon, but they arrived much earlier than planned.

Still carrying the German Shepherd, she had no free hands to move things just yet.

She opened the door first.

Inside, the little tabby was already scratching at it.

“Did you wake up?”

When she left earlier, the little tabby had been sleeping.

She had filled its bowl with kibble and canned food, but now it was empty.

The tabby stretched, its tail raised high.

It had originally wanted to pounce on her as soon as the door opened, but after taking a single step forward, it froze.

“Meow?”

“A new friend.”

Wen Youning held the German Shepherd’s paw and gave it a little shake.

“It’s injured, so it will be staying here for a while.

You two need to get along.”

Even if the lost dog notices worked and its owner came tomorrow, she couldn’t let them take the German Shepherd away just yet.

Until it could stand up completely, its acupuncture and daily massages couldn’t be interrupted.

The tabby’s raised tail slowly drooped, its tip flicking impatiently.

Tabby cats were territorial, and stray tabbies especially would drive out any intruders.

However, this little tabby had only recently arrived at the house.

At most, it had been here a day or two longer than the German Shepherd.

It hadn’t started marking its territory yet, so there wouldn’t be any immediate conflict.

If she had brought a German Shepherd into a home with a long-time resident tabby, its claws would have already been on the dog’s face the moment she opened the door.

For now, the tabby just curiously observed.

“You two play.

I’ll go unpack the things I bought.”

Wen Youning placed the German Shepherd on the couch.

The tabby jumped onto the armrest.

She ruffled the little cat’s fur a couple of times as she passed by.

“I’ll make you guys something delicious for dinner.”

“Meow…”

The phone stand was set up on the table, its camera pointed directly at the two fluffy creatures on the couch.

She placed the cat litter box and dog crate in their spots.

The crate was the same one the stall owner had used at the market.

The pet store staff had helped clean it before delivering it.

She added a soft mat inside, then layered a pee pad on top.

After settling these small tasks, she started unwrapping the meat and soaking it in water.

“Next, I’ll blend all of this into minced meat.

When making food at home, you can adjust the meat ratios based on your pet’s preferences.”

“The organs should be about this much.

They act as a natural appetite booster, though the effect varies for different animals.”

As she spoke, she scooped the meat out of the water.

When preparing meat for humans, it was best to soak it longer to remove the blood.

But for pets, washing away too much of the blood removed the natural flavor, making the food less appealing.

Shouldn’t you add some trace minerals?

I saw in guides that they grind up minerals and mix them in.

Can’t they just eat them separately?

I bought a bunch, so I just add a couple of tablets when feeding.

Those vitamin tablets are so expensive, especially the ones specifically for pets.

They cost hundreds per bottle.

Wen Youning cut the meat into chunks that fit into the meat grinder.

Since it was a household appliance, it couldn’t hold too much at once.

She looked up at the chat and replied, “Pet-specific vitamins?

You don’t need to buy the expensive ones.

The cheapest ones at the bottom shelf of the pharmacy, the ones that cost one or two yuan a bottle, work just fine.”

Whether for humans or pets, vitamins were still vitamins.

There was no such thing as a special vitamin structure just for pets.

She had researched this before.

Pet-specific vitamins were simply pre-measured into smaller doses.

If you bought regular vitamins and split them manually, the result was the same.

???

Then what was the point of me spending hundreds on premium pet vitamins?

The point was that you had money.

The meat grinder hummed loudly, shaking the table slightly.

Minced meat, organs, and vegetables blended together, filling a large bowl.

At some point, the little tabby had crept onto the table.

It stretched its neck toward the bowl, sniffing curiously.

“Hungry?”

“Meow!”

Wen Youning took off her gloves and poked the kitten’s belly.

It was round and full.

“If you eat any more, you’ll burst.

Go run around first.

I’ll feed you at dinner, okay?”

“Meow…”

The tabby pawed at the edge of the metal bowl.

Its ears drooped, and even its whiskers looked sad.

‘Just a little bit, meow…’

“Well”

“Woo”

The German Shepherd let out a long whine, like it was trying to plead its case.

The tabby tilted its head and rubbed against Wen Youning’s hand, purring softly.

“Alright, just a little bit.”

She scooped some food into a small dish.

Then, she prepared another portion for the German Shepherd.

Seriously?

You have no principles at all.

Send me the cat I’ll personally teach you how to say no.

I can hear your calculations through the screen.

That little face how could anyone resist?!

Of course you have to give it some!

The tabby started eating right on the table.

As Wen Youning turned around, she noticed the empty couch.

“Woof!”

The bark was right at her feet.

When she looked down, the German Shepherd had somehow crawled over to her.

Its lower body still wasn’t functional, but just using its front paws, it had managed to move surprisingly fast.

Wen Youning smiled.

“This one’s for you.”

“Woof!”

‘I love it…’

The pet food wasn’t even finished yet, but based on taste alone, it had already won over the two furry residents of the house.

Wen Youning adjusted her apron.

“Next, I’ll divide it into appropriately sized portions and dehydrate them.

If you don’t have a dehydrator at home, you can use a steamer, oven, or air fryer.

Once it’s cooked, cut it into your preferred size and vacuum-seal it for storage.

When feeding, just chop it up.

For larger dogs, like a German Shepherd, you can give them a whole piece it’ll help with chewing.

But keep in mind, the shelf life won’t be as long as dehydrated food.”

Since it was homemade, there were no preservatives or artificial stabilizers, so storage time was limited.

However…

With the German Shepherd’s appetite, plus the tabby cat’s, they’d finish everything within half a month.

This homemade food is way too expensive!

It must cost nearly ten thousand yuan.

How do pet food companies make a profit selling kibble for six or seven yuan per kilogram?

They probably use different types of meat, maybe just scraps.

“You mean the six or seven yuan pet food?”

Wen Youning thought for a moment before saying, “Those don’t even use scraps scraps still have a cost.”

“Actually, I don’t recommend feeding cheap kibble to pets.

They use puffed soybean meal to artificially raise protein content, puffed corn flour for structure and fiber, and then add artificial coloring and meat-flavored attractants.

The smell alone is enough to make you want to take a bite.

They mix in kaolin clay to prevent diarrhea, then throw in some antioxidants so it can sit on shelves for three to five years without changing at all.”

Having worked in the industry, she had seen all sorts of tricks.

“This kind of kibble is crunchy and has a strong meaty aroma, but the more cats and dogs eat it, the skinnier they get.

The ingredients are dirt cheap the most expensive part is only a few yuan per kilogram.

Selling it for eight yuan still gives them a six or seven yuan profit.”

“Oh, and they love playing word games on the ingredient list.

Some shady companies don’t even bother they just straight-up falsify the labels.”

6…

I’m so scared, I just threw all my cheap kibble in the trash.

What about the even cheaper ones?

“If it’s even cheaper…

Then it’s just pure kaolin clay mixed with artificial flavoring and coloring.

That stuff can literally kill your pet.”

Wen Youning portioned out the minced meat into trays and placed them in the steamer.

“I still recommend getting food from reputable brands.

Avoid small, unknown factories.

The safest option is still making it yourself.”

She turned on the stove, steaming the food on two gas burners at once.

Three layers of steaming trays barely fit all the minced meat.

While mincing and mixing, some scraps had inevitably fallen onto the table.

Wen Youning rolled up her sleeves.

“Alright, if you’re eating my food, you have to help me work.”

“Woof!”

The German Shepherd eagerly moved closer.

She picked it up and placed it on the corner of the table.

“All of this meat is yours to clean up.”

Before cutting the meat, she had laid down two layers of plastic wrap on the table.

She could just bundle it up and throw it away, but there was still a lot of meat residue wasting it would be a shame.

“Meow!”

‘I’ll help too!’

The tabby cat enthusiastically volunteered, leaping onto the table in a flash.

Before it could get far, Wen Youning caught it by the chest.

“You are not eating anymore.”

“Meowww”

‘I’m starving, meow…’

The kitten stretched its neck and cried pitifully.

It had been a whole thirty minutes since its last meal.

Surely, it was on the verge of starvation.

Wen Youning couldn’t help but laugh.

Logically, the tabby should already know when it was full.

Yet, despite its round belly, it still wanted to eat more.

“Be good.

Wait until you’ve digested, then you can eat.

I’ll give you extra food for supper.”

Right now, the kitten needed smaller, more frequent meals.

The tabby struggled, waving its tiny paws, but it couldn’t escape her grip.

Eventually, it gave up, flopping its head onto her fingers in utter defeat.

Looking at its pitiful little face, she might have caved if not for its already bulging belly.

“You really can’t eat anymore.

Just look at your stomach.”

As the sky darkened, the slow meat grinder was still working.

The food in the steamer hadn’t finished cooking yet.

The automatic ceiling light turned on.

She had been busy the whole time and hadn’t felt hungry, so she simply sat down by the dining table.

One hand held the tabby, while the other guarded the German Shepherd to keep it from falling off the table.

You heartless monster!

Just let the kitten have one lick!

Looks like the tabby needs legal representation.

Streamer, streamer!

The guy selling arowana fish at the morning market is livestreaming too!