It's a well-known rule that you never go grocery shopping when hungry. Well, there is a similar rule that I should have known about. Never go shopping at a pet store with a wife or girlfriend. My goldfish started going tits up, so I went to the pet store to find out what I needed to do and buy some replacements for the floaters. While I was discussing pH levels, air filters, and aquarium vs. household salt, Sarah wandered off and I find her minutes later with a grey hairball with huge eyes. Price is 4500rmb, which is pretty high, but then when you compare to prices in the states, is not actually ridiculously high. This is actually quite a good pet store with employees who really know their stuff and actually seem to care and enjoy their jobs and helping customers, which is really hard to find in retail in China.
The next day we're back in the pet store to buy some other fish stuff (having already dropped over $100 the prior day on 6 fish). I make an offer on the kitty. The store seems to give its employees significant control over pricing, and the 4500 rmb drops to 3500. I counter with 3200rmb, feeling a bit guilty because this isn't an air filter we're talking about, but after all, it is China. He thinks about it, then, says ok because he wants to see the kitty go to a good home. I'm a bit jaded, but then I see him go over to the kitty later and seem to say goodbye to it and he seems a bit sad. The kitten had been in the store for about 2 months (it's almost 5 months old), so I guess he did get attached to it. The store only had a couple kittens and puppies for sale at a time.
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