The glob of ambergris that was found on Mieni Atoll was very valuable and would certainly sell for a high price. Though selling it was a bit difficult considering ambergris is considered contraband in the United States. Though Tim's parents were working with lawyers and diplomats to sell the ambergris in a legal manner. It wasn't as if the stinky ball was cut out of a sperm whale. Though the promised price of $100,000 dollars was plenty of motivation to find a solution.
Tim should have been enjoying the notoriety of finding a fortune, even if he couldn't spend it all or even really use it yet. And he was definitely liking being the most popular kid in class. However, Tim had been sneezing a lot more often lately. His nose was rather swollen from the sneezing fits he's had and his eyes were running quite a bit. It got to the point where Tim's mother took him to see their family doctor.
The doctor didn't take too long to find the trouble. "His allergies are acting up quite a bit," he said, "I wouldn't say it's life-threatening, but it looks very unpleasant."
"It's just a seasonal thing, right?" asked Tim's mom, "Too much ragweed in the air?"
"It could be, but I think it's more likely an animal allergy. Do you have any dogs or cats where you live?" asked the doctor.
"But Venus is bald," said Tim, "She can't make me sneeze."
"Actually, that's not true," said the doctor, "It's not a cat or dog's fur that people are actually allergic to. It's the natural oils their skin makes it keep them from drying out. Hairless breeds aren't as hypoallergenic as people think."
"We give Venus regular baths," said Tim's mom, "Shouldn't that keep the oils in check?"
"It might, but it appears Tim is becoming more sensitive to allergies. That's what happen with children his age," said the doctor, "I doubt he'll become fatally allergic to cats and dogs, but I think it's for everyone's good that Venus finds a new home."
"But Venus was a present from Grandma," cried Tim, "I don't wanna get rid of her!"
"She's one of the few things he has left from his grandmother," said Tim's mother, "I don't think he'll want to give her away."
"Well, there's another option," said the doctor, "And you'd be surprised how often it's offered these days."
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A lot of pets have been taken to Horizon Labs when their owners could no longer care for them for obvious reasons. Venus would hardly be the first cat whose owner's allergies forced them to give it away. Though being a hairless breed did generate some significant attention. Her unusual appearance was enough to get her into Project Chimera, which significantly reduced the price. And then the price was completely alleviated by a rather unexpected patronage. News of the ambergris find had spread quite a bit in the cosmetics community. And when the family that found the ambergris wanted to uplift their hairless cat, Goldbond saw an opportunity. Sphynx cats require more special care than furred cats, namely in applying sunscreen and other ointments. Such ointments could also apply to humans and Venus could make a very good spokes-model for a new line of special creams.
"Will I still be allergic to her after she's an Animalian?" asked Tim, sniffling partially because of sadness but mostly because he was holding Venus.
"Probably so," said Judy, "But as an Animalian, Venus will be able to use different lotions on herself that'll make her less likely to trigger your allergies."
"Would my allergies go away if I'm an Animalian?" asked Tim.
"I think you'll need to talk to your parents before you think of converting," said Judy as she took Venus, "But you can be sure that Venus will be having a very good life here."
"I'll see you later, Venus," said Tim, petting the cat's bald one last time.
Judy took Venus to a changing room and put her on the bed. The cat was completely hairless, not even having whiskers. Her body was a light pink, indicating she would have had white fur if she had a coat. Her eyes were bronze-green and studied Judy with curiosity. Judy took a bottle of unpasteurized milk from the fridge and poured into a dish on the floor. Venus immediately jumped down and started lapping up the milk.
Venus didn't finish the dish before she started changing. Her small body was quickly growing larger as the proportions of her hind legs started changing. Her back arched up before clicking into a new biped position. Her forelegs were getting longer in proportion to her body as her paws grew and remolded into a pair of hands. Venus let a moan that was halfway between human and feline as her topmost pair of nipples started rising higher on her chest, mammary tissue swelling out underneath them. Her extra nipples disappeared into her belly which was already toning with visible abs. She pushed up on her new legs, which were already growing curvy and muscular, her ass swelling out to a supple shape. Venus's face shifted into something closer to human, allowing her to be able to speak the words that were now in her head, "Best milk I ever drank."
"You don't seem very surprised," remarked Judy.
"I've been listening to my owners talk about Animalia for quite some time, watched it on the TV with them," said Venus, "It didn't mean quite as much to me as a cat, but everything fell into place as I was changing."
"Well, you'll still have some adjusting to do," said Judy.
Venus walked over to the mirror to look at herself. She was a typical cat Animalian in shape, but her hairless body stood out even more. Instead of having the wrinkles on her cat body, her skin was smooth though toned with muscle. In fact, if you weren't looking at her head, paws, or tail, her body would looked like a human woman's, a human woman with a defined, curvaceous figure. "I look so perfect," purred Venus as she massaged her new large breasts. She started tweaking her nipples, making her start to moan.
"Er, I think Tim wants to see you," said Judy.
"I'll be out later," said Venus before lying on the bed and running her fingers over her pussy.
Judy quickly left the room. While Judy didn't mind that Venus was naked, more naked than the usual Animalian, she didn't need to be in the same room as she sated her newfound libido. Closing the door behind her, she went to find Tim. As soon as Tim saw Judy, he asked, "Is Venus ok?"
"Oh, she's doing fine," said Judy, "She's already loving her new body."
"Can I see her now?" asked Tim.
"I'd give her a few minutes," said Judy, "She's...taking in her new body."
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Being hairless, Venus had more reason to wear clothes than most Animalians. Venus didn't particularly care as she knew she looked good in anything. But it was irritating for her that the weather was turning colder and she had to wear thicker clothes. Still, she was already making a good start as a spokesmodel for Goldbond's new line of creams and her volunteer karaoke performance had unexpectedly got her interest in the music industry so she definitely had a solid career going.
Venus was exceeding such expectations that Goldbond decided to double their advertising by having Horizon Labs uplift a Xoloitzcuitli or Mexican Hairless Dog to work alongside Venus. Though it might take a little time to procure the right dog but they hoped to do so before the holiday season really started.