However, after he finished speaking, the customers who were standing outside the doorway did not dare to enter immediately. They gathered at the glass wall, craning their necks to peer into the shop.
"Why don't I see any cats or dogs in the store, manager?" A girl dressed like a college student asked on behalf of everyone.
"We are temporarily out of cats and dogs. At the moment, our store mainly deals with birds, fish, turtles, and small rodent pets such as rabbits and hamsters," explained Mu You.
Upon hearing this, a majority of the crowd displayed expressions of disappointment.
Mu You was not surprised by this reaction. Even though more and more people are keeping a wider variety of small-sized pets, cats and dogs are still the absolute main force in the pet market, outnumbering all other types of pets combined.
Generally, when people think about getting a pet, cats and dogs are the first options that come to mind.
Seeing that some of the customers were already showing signs of leaving, Mu You hurriedly spoke up, "You may not have had experience with small-sized pets before. But in my opinion, the experience of raising small home pets may not necessarily be inferior to that of cats and dogs."
Upon hearing this, some customers who were about to turn away stopped in their tracks, ready to hear him out.
"Cats and dogs are indeed the most common pets, but they may not be suitable for everyone. Both cats and dogs require their owners to spend a lot of time with them, plus they need to provide them with enough living space. Both of these considerations may be difficult for today's fast-paced working professionals and students."
"In comparison, keeping small pets like hamsters doesn't pose this problem. Due to their small size, they often just need a cage or a fish tank to live in. They don't take up much space, don't shed fur, and don't cause bothersome smells. On top of that, a key point is that small pets are much easier to take care of than cats and dogs. They won't take up too much of an owner's time and energy. All you need to do is change their food and water regularly and check on their health status. It's highly suitable for the fast-paced lifestyle of modern society."
"Of course, this is not to say that keeping cats or dogs is inferior to raising small pets. Cats and dogs belong to the category of companion pets, the high level of interaction they provide is something that other small pets could not match. What I'm saying is that we should choose pets that are most suitable for our own circumstances. If you simply buy a pet because you found a video of one being cute, you are likely to lose your love and patience in the endless daily routine of caring for them and may even end up selling or abandoning the pet…"
...
Mu You confidently addressed the crowd with a smile, leaving them in a state of shock.
Everyone didn't expect that there was so much to consider when it came to keeping pets.
In fact, many people at the scene had the idea of getting a pet because they thought the hamster in yesterday's video was cute. However, few had seriously considered the troubles they may encounter after getting a pet.
More importantly, rather than simply praising small pets, Mu You provided a balanced discussion of the pros and cons of both cats and dogs and other pets, which in turn provided a sense of conviction.
This time, those customers who had initially planned to leave were persuaded by Mu You to take a look inside the store.
The only thing that made them hesitate was the possibility of leaving without purchasing anything after the shopkeeper having said so much.
"Sir, could we just go in and look around and not buy anything?" the university student asked carefully.
"Of course!"
Mu You smiled and nodded, "All in-store customers can select a bag of free pet food from the front desk to feed their favorite pets. Furthermore, the pets in the display area in the middle of the hall can be interacted with directly so customers can experience what it feels like to handle them."
Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up.
What they feared the most was impulsively buying a pet, only to regret it afterward, by allowing them to firsthand experience handling the pets, it greatly mitigates the issue.
Those who still had doubts completely put them aside and eagerly prepared to enter the store.
"Wait a moment!"
However, at that moment, a discordant voice came from the back of the crowd.
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a tall young woman with shoulder-length hair wearing a white lab coat walking toward them from the outer edge of the crowd.
The crowd naturally made way for her under her cold, stern gaze.
The woman in the white lab coat walked up to the front of the store, first looking at the pets within the store through the glass window, then extended her hand to Mu You, "Hi, I'm Zhao Qian, a veterinarian. I happened to pass by and heard what you said, so I came to take a look."
"Hello."
Mu You extended his hand and shook hers.
After a brief handshake and the introductions, Zhao Qian looked at Mu You with a frown, "An ill-natured rodent will bite, especially to strangers. Random handling can easily result in being bitten. As a pet shop owner, you should already be aware of this basic fact, right?"
Zhao Qian happened to be out buying breakfast when she saw the gathering of people here. She had just approached when she heard the shopkeeper's words.
Being a stickler for details, she had some reservations. She had encountered instances in her clinic where people had been bitten by hamsters after randomly trying to touch them, and did not wish to witness such incidents occur before her very eyes, which is why she decided to remind everyone.
"I am well aware that hamsters with bad temperaments will bite,"
Upon hearing this, Mu You smiled and explained, "That's why I emphasized that only the pets in the display area can be touched. These pets have been personally selected by me as they are friendly and good-natured. Moreover, they have received training from me. I can assure you, so long as no one intentionally tries to harm or irritate them, they will not bite under normal interaction!"
"And what if your pets do bite customers during normal interaction?" Zhao Qian, not convinced yet, asked further.
"If such an incident occurs, I will take full responsibility, cover all medical expenses, and provide a compensation of 10,000 yuan to the person bitten!" declared Mu You without any hesitation.
The people were taken aback; the fact that the shopkeeper dared to make such a statement in public showed he had absolute confidence in his pets!
Zhao Qian nodded. Having heard him go this far, any further questioning would reflect on him negatively.
"May I also visit the store?" Zhao Qian asked.
"Of course."
Mu You smiled and stood aside, gesturing her in.
Zhao Qian led the way into the store.
Seeing someone take the lead, the rest of the customers followed without hesitation and flocked into the store.