Lonely Kitten

5

Chan and Changbin dropped Jisung off at the vet clinic in the city center before letting the cab take them to their respective apartments. The youngest worriedly carried his new companion into the clinic and signed them in. Minho slowly came out of his headspace, now that they were out of the car and the odd smell of disinfectant and other animals engulfed him. His stomach still hurt but luckily the car ride hadn't brought back the nausea. A bit anxious with the scent of different dogs around, the hybrid stayed as still as possible in Jisung's hold, hoping to go unnoticed. It didn't take too long for them to be called in and Minho got a little stressed when he the rapper placed him onto the examination table and stepped back. It was only now that he learned that the stranger's name wasn't 'Sung' but 'Han Jisung', which he found adorable, matching the squishy, squirrel-like face.

"So, where did you say you found this little guy?", the vet asked, when their scan didn't turn up any microchip. "Ah, I found her hiding behind a few trashcans at the back of a café", Jisung explained, "I'm pretty sure she's a stray because a cat doesn't look that scruffy from being outside in the rain for a few hours." - "I'd say your assumption about the stray part is right", the vet agreed while examining Minho, "I'll have to correct you about another part though. This cat is actually male." - "How'd you know- oh, never mind", the rapper stammered, turning bright red. Minho found their conversation truly entertaining, especially how flustered the boy got when it came to his gender. If only his stomach wasn't still hurting so badly. "Alright, the only injury I could find is in his paw, of which we'll do an x-ray shortly. I'm rather surprised that this cat was living on the streets though. You see, his eyes are turquoise-blue, which rarely happens naturally and is distinct for some expensive breeds. I can't exactly tell you which breed he is, probably a mixed breed, but he surely does look like royalty", the vet mused.

They took the x-ray and to Jisung's relief confirmed Minho's paw was only sprained. "Are you planning on keeping him? If so, my assistant will print you a list of essential equipment, like a litterbox, scratching post and cat food", the vet asked, making Minho's heart pound anxiously. Nodding, Jisung sighed: "That'd be lovely. It's my first time taking care of a pet and I don't want to make any mistakes." A heavy weight fell off the hybrids chest as he had already started to feel attached to Jisung.

"Oh, one more thing, he threw up earlier and seemed in a lot of pain", the rapper remembered, watching Minho worriedly. Studying the cat curiously, the vet promised: "We'll give him some deworming medication in case it was due to parasites. Did you see him eat any rat poison or something similar? He doesn't seem to exhibit any poisoning symptoms, so I don't think so, just asking. Otherwise, it's entirely possible for cats to throw up from hair stuck in their throat." - "Aside from the milk I gave him, I didn't see him eat anything", Jisung denied, making the vet sigh: "It's a common misconception that cats should be fed dairy. Yes, they do love everything dairy but while growing up, their bodies stop producing lactase, meaning pretty much all adult cats are lactose intolerant."

Jisung's heart dropped. He hadn't meant to make this poor little guy sick, he had just wanted to give him a warm meal. "He'll be fine, just remember not to give it to him again", the vet assured, noticing the boy's guilty expression, "And he needs a bath, simply fill a sink with lukewarm water and use an unscented soap to get the dirt out of his fur. You can place a small towel into the sink, so his claws get a better grip and he doesn't slip. That's the main reason cats hate baths. They slip on the smooth surface."

After Minho got thoroughly checked, Jisung took him to his apartment, only picking up the bare minimum, like a litterbox and some cat food on the way. He'd go out and buy more stuff some other time. For now, he just wanted to take the cat home. Entering the apartment, the rapper dropped his backpack and shopping bags. "Finally, home", he sighed, placing the cat down, "I still need to find a suitable name for you, little one." Minho gave a soft meow and watched curiously as Jisung unpacked.

The rapper set up the litterbox in the bathroom, worried because there was no way a stray cat would be litter trained. Then he shoved his dirty clothes into the wash, along with Minho's blanket, adding a generous amount of fabric softener, hoping the blanket would come out in okay condition. When everything was taken care of, he hung a small towel over the heater and went to look for his new cat, almost tripping over him as he hadn't noticed Minho following him. "Oh, hey there, kitten", he chuckled, picking the hybrid up, "Let's get you all cleaned up."

Not wanting to make another mistake, he closely followed the vet's instructions, filling the sink with warm water and placing in a small towel. Nervously he placed Minho into the sink and was surprised when the cat didn't mind the water at all. The hybrid closed his eyes, when the warm water relaxed his stiff muscles. "I don't think this really smells like anything", Jisung mused, sniffing a bar of soap before dipping it into the water, "You know, I didn't formally apologize for making you sick earlier. I really didn't mean to. Also, I still don't have a proper name for you in mind but the vet said you look like royalty, so until I come up with one, you'll just be my little prince." Minho's heart fluttered as he started to purr at Jisung's affection. The rapper gently spread the soap all over the cat's matted fur, rambling: "He was right, you do look really pretty with your blue eyes and grey fur." Purring louder, Minho nudged Jisung's hand, making the boy giggle: "You like being called pretty, don't you? Aish, my parents were right, I'm going crazy from living alone. I'm already talking to a cat. It's good I have you with me now."