Chapter 1273: Cat

At a glance, this kind of cat is clearly not the same breed as a Li Hua cat; they likely only share a distant kinship. If one were to say this is the ancestor of the Li Hua cat, that is probably impossible, because the Li Hua cat is indeed not a native breed, but has merely been breeding on this land for over a thousand years.

It is just like musical instruments such as the suona and the erhu; they were not originally Huaxia instruments, but they flourished on this land, with the suona even earning the title of "King of a Hundred Instruments."

The suona originated in Persia and is a fellow countryman of spinach, though this type of instrument is likely no longer to be found in that land. However, one can still see many Li Hua cats and orange cats in other countries. When traveling compatriots see them, they think they are their own fellow countrymen, but in reality, they are indeed local cats.

The cat in Baifeng's hands is undoubtedly a wild cat. As a veteran cat lover, Baifeng can only speculate that it is likely an Asian wild cat, also known as a steppe wildcat, because its markings are more like those of a steppe wildcat, and its relatively long body also proves it belongs to a northern cat.

Of course, many other wild cats should also live in this place, such as the Chinese mountain cat, the leopard cat, the golden cat, and so on.

But no matter which kind, their wild nature is terrifyingly strong, because felines are just like that—natural hunters who simply disdain being fed by humans.

Even for those that have been domesticated and are more affectionate, like the Li Hua cat, their wild nature is still immense, and they run away from home at the slightest provocation. Only some cats selectively bred abroad specifically to accompany people will not leave humans.

Those cats have also basically lost their wild nature and survival skills in the wild; some breeds could even be called mentally disabled cats. Plus, the coat colors selected by humans make it difficult for them to conceal their figures in the wild, so it is very difficult to survive in the wild.

The distribution of the leopard cat is very wide, and their population in the wild is also very large, but they are basically in mountainous areas and come out to hunt at night. There is no reproductive isolation between them and breeds like the Li Hua cat, and their coat colors are also deeply loved by cats; they are the great beauties and handsome men of the cat Kingdom.

The main reason Baifeng has never caught or tamed cats in his own territory is that their wild nature is too great; he has absolutely no confidence that he can tame them. So he can only wait and see if he can find the original breed of the Li Hua cat, which can serve as a human companion and friend without completely running away from home when it grows up; at least he would be able to keep a few.

Furthermore, the difficulty of catching them is too great. Such a small cat is fast and nocturnal; there is almost no way to catch them alive and kicking. And successfully taming an adult cat, Baifeng feels, is even more difficult than taming an adult alpha wolf.

Therefore, the kitten that Changle brought back pleasantly surprised Baifeng, mainly because this kitten is already relatively affectionate, and perhaps there is a possibility of being able to tame it.

"Father, this little kitty—ah, kitten—was caught by a herdsman from the Western Development Group. He said the mother cat had already died, and it left behind this litter, six in total, so they were all brought back to be raised."

"It was also because it was too small and didn't eat much, so there was no risk in raising it. Father, do you recognize it?"

Baifeng teased the cat very happily: "Yes, I recognize it. Its formal name is 'cat.' I have raised them before, but not this kind; it was a relative of this one."

"There are many kinds of cats. Judging by the markings, this one should be from the grasslands. There are also those in the deserts and Gobi, and those in the mountains and forests."

"Actually, there is a little story about it."

Changle was shocked that his father had actually raised one and knew so much about them, yet he had never heard his father talk about it before, and the uncles who were the same age as his father had not talked about it either. So when did his father raise one?

Ayuduo did not know these things; she was just interested in the story: "Father, tell us, what is the story?"

Baifeng stroked the kitten's forehead and said: "It is said that in the past, the cat was the most formidable hunter, and the tiger knew nothing, so the tiger bowed to the cat to learn from it."

"When the cat saw the tiger come, it accepted it and taught it everything. But it thought, the tiger is so big, if it learns everything, wouldn't it eat me? So it did not teach the tiger how to climb trees."

"Sure enough, one day after the tiger learned everything, it said to the cat: 'Master, you have already taught me everything, why not let me eat you at the end to fill my belly!' Then the tiger wanted to eat the cat, but the cat jumped up a tree and left."

"Of course, this is just a story, not true. Tigers can also climb trees and swim, but cats cannot swim; most cats are afraid of water."

When Changle listened to the story, he kept grasping at the logical loopholes in the story, feeling that this story was not true at all, and he would not believe it. But Ayuduo just felt it was interesting and would not consider those things.

The story was finished, and Changle brought up the most important point: "Father, can this kitten be kept and raised? Can it be tamed like a dog? It can catch mice; it has already caught one."

When Baifeng heard this, he held the tiny kitten up high. Changle had never seen his father like this and felt a bit surprised. Ayuduo also felt that it was too special for her always-dignified father to have such a side; do cats really have such great charm?

"Oh my, this little thing is already so capable? It can catch mice when it's only this big? Not bad, very good!"

"Keep it, raise it. I have always wanted to raise a cat. Cats are the real experts at catching mice. A powerful cat lets out a cry, and the mice are too scared to move. It's just that I have never been able to find a cat. Here, we should have both cats and dogs. Dogs watch the house and guard the courtyard, and cats catch mice to protect the Grain Storehouse; they are both our good helpers."

"However, Changle, you must be mentally prepared. Although it is unlikely that this kitten will bite or scratch you, when it grows up, it is very likely that it will leave here and return to the wild. I cannot tame it."

"Even if it were tamed for another few hundred or thousand years, it wouldn't work, because its job is to catch mice. If its wild nature is worn away, it won't be able to catch mice anymore, and it will be of no use."

These words of Baifeng were completely a case of praising first and then criticizing. He first told them they could keep it, making them happy for a while, but then said it might leave on its own when it grew up, making them sad again.

Changle stared at the kitten and said: "Alright, it can stay for as long as it can."

"By the way, does it have a name?"

Changle hurriedly said: "It's called Xiaobao. I named it."

Baifeng looked at the kitten that was beginning to show its majesty and also exclaimed: "Hmm, the name is good, it works, it's quite majestic."

Baifeng's hand did not stop teasing the cat, even though the cat's teeth were already biting his hand, but he did not care; it didn't hurt anyway.

"When this cat grows up, it will definitely leave home, because it needs to go out to breed and occupy territory. It is hard to raise it here; we can't keep it."

"But we can keep it for now and let the Western Development Group pay more attention. If they encounter more of this size that have just been weaned, bring them back directly. Don't hit the big cats. If we can raise more here, maybe we can keep them; one or two is definitely not enough."

"What is the name of the herdsman who caught the cat? Write it down. Give him a Baron first. If he can catch more in the future, or breed the rest, giving him a Marquis is not impossible."