With Liu Wenying's approval, Zhang Zian raised the phone in front of Sun Xiaomeng to let her see the chat message.
Euthanizing a pet was not a small matter. In fact, it required a written signature, otherwise it would easily cause disputes. Sun Xiaomeng nodded to Long Xian to indicate that Zhang Zian was an acquaintance, and she was ready to perform the euthanasia.
The two cooperated well. Long Xian pressed the Siamese cat's body, and Sun Xiaomeng injected the anesthetic into its body.
Zhang Zian and Fina watched silently from a distance.
The anesthetic took effect almost immediately. The Siamese cat gradually stopped convulsing and struggling, and it stopped howling. Its head drooped softly, and its lifeless eyes lost focus. It stared at the white wall in confusion.
Its short life was about to end.
After confirming that the anesthetic was working, Sun Xiaomeng raised another syringe. The tip of the needle shone under the strong light, and a drop of crystal liquid slid down the silver needle.
This syringe contained a high concentration of potassium chloride. After being injected into the body, it would instantly cause hyperkalemia and cause cardiac arrest.
There was no turning back once the needle went in.
Sun Xiaomeng looked at Zhang Zian again, and he nodded slowly and firmly.
She pierced the needle into the Siamese cat's body, and her thumb pushed a small amount of potassium chloride solution into its bloodstream.
Almost instantly, something seemed to flash in the Siamese cat's pupils, and then it disappeared. It disappeared forever.
Sun Xiaomeng pressed the stethoscope she carried with her on its chest and listened to its heartbeat. After a few seconds, she took off the stethoscope and announced, "The sick pet is confirmed dead."
It was the first time that Zhang Zian and Fina had seen the process of euthanasia of a pet. Although the scene was calm and there was no blood, and the object being euthanized was a dangerous pet with rabies, they always felt that it was very depressing to breathe. In the spacious treatment room, it was as if there was no ventilation, and it was suffocating.
"Such a powerful poison," Fina said in horror, staring at the syringe. "It's colorless and odorless, stronger than the most powerful snake venom. I can't believe humans invented such a powerful thing …"
Zhang Zian wanted to say that potassium chloride was not a poison in nature, and it existed in their bodies. However, it was inconvenient for him to explain in front of Sun Xiaomeng and the others, so he had to give up.
Sun Xiaomeng and Long Xian should have been used to such scenes, and they had performed many pet euthanasia, but their expressions were not relaxed.
"What should we do with the body?" Sun Xiaomeng asked. "There are three options: cremation, collecting the ashes after cremation, and disposing of the body yourself."
Zhang Zian hesitated for a moment. In fact, he should also ask Liu Wenying about this. After all, she was the master. However, considering her state, it was better not to disturb her for the time being.
As a pet that had been infected with rabies, it was clearly inappropriate for it to dispose of the remains on its own. The so-called self-disposal meant that the owner would take the body back and then find a place to bury it. However, if the body of a cat or dog that carried a severe infectious disease was to be buried, it must be buried deep. If it was buried shallow, it was likely to be dug out by wild dogs or other animals that loved to dig, causing the source of infection to further spread.
"Let's keep the ashes after cremation." Zhang Zian chose a compromise. At least he could return the ashes to Liu Wenying.
Although it was not explicitly stated, Zhang Zian would probably have to pay for this series of expenses first. He would save the receipt and ask Liu Wenying for reimbursement.
Sun Xiaomeng took off her gloves, called a pet crematorium, and made an appointment to pick up the carcass.
While she was talking on the phone, Zhang Zian was thinking about how much it would cost.
"They'll come tomorrow," she said after hanging up.
"Not today?" Zhang Zian asked.
"No, they're busy today," Sun Xiaomeng said helplessly. "There's only one pet funeral institution in Binhai City. Anyone who wants to be cremated has to wait in line."
Zhang Zian sighed, "These days, it's not easy to live, and it's hard to die …"
The pet funeral industry was a very young and emerging industry. It had only entered the vision of ordinary people in China in the past two or three years. With the booming development of the pet industry, Chinese people had more and more pets, and they were getting richer and richer. Many people's feelings for their pets were no less than their feelings for family and friends. When their pets died, they were also willing to spend money to give them a decent funeral and a quiet place to rest.
However, objectively speaking, because the country had not yet issued corresponding laws and regulations in this area, the pet funeral industry was not so formal.
He really couldn't hold back and asked Sun Xiaomeng about the price. Group cremation was 10 yuan without ashes; individual cremation was 200 yuan with ashes; individual cremation had a farewell ceremony where the owner watched the whole process, a monk chanted sutras, and the owner could pick up the ashes after the cremation. The price for sealing the jar was 1,500 yuan.
Zhang Zian let out a sigh of relief. If it was 200 yuan, he could still accept it.
As for the top-notch funeral that cost 1,500 yuan, compared to the services provided, it wasn't too expensive, assuming that the services were not fake. People who were willing to spend 30,000 yuan on expensive cat breeds like Ragdolls or Abyssinians should also be able to accept this price. At least it was much cheaper than a human funeral …
Fina looked down on him for being calculative. While they were talking, Fina jumped onto the stainless steel operating table and stared at the dead Siamese cat.
The Siamese cat had lost all signs of life. Its body and mind that had been attacked by the virus finally calmed down. The muscles on its face relaxed under the effect of the anesthetic, making it look like it was asleep.
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. If there's a next life, I swear to be a cat, "it whispered to the Siamese cat.
"Don't touch it!" Long Xian thought it was going to touch the dead Siamese cat, so she quickly reached out to stop it.
Zhang Zian was asking Sun Xiaomeng about pet funerals, so he didn't hear what Fina said. When he turned around, Fina had already jumped off the operating table.
Long Xian put the Siamese cat's body in a special pet wrapping bag, then labeled it and temporarily put it in the clinic's freezer, waiting for the crematorium staff to pick it up the next day.
After that, Zhang Zian said goodbye to Sun Xiaomeng and Long Xian. He still had a lot of things to take care of in his shop.
On the way back, he and Fina didn't talk, as if affected by the previous atmosphere.
When they were about to reach the pet shop, Fina suddenly said, "You're very strange, aren't you? In your opinion, I don't cherish my life, do I?"
Zhang Zian was stunned. He didn't say anything, which meant that he agreed.
Fina said slowly, "Death is only the end of a journey, but it's not the end. In the sacred pyramid, the mummies of the pharaohs and the great priests are waiting quietly. When the right time comes, the Holy Kingdom will rise again and sweep across the world!"
Zhang Zian shrugged. "Sounds good, but I'm an atheist. For me, I only have one life."
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