Warning: This contains information that might upset you if you’re a pet lover.
I read an article yesterday about animal lovers in Beijing protesting cat now being on the menu in many restaurants China. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you my opinion on this one. Besides the obvious, I was astounded that only about 40 people showed up to protest. Forty people in all of Beijing. That horrifies me.
Supposedly, according to the butcher who was interviewed, the cat meat comes from legitimate farms, just like the beef they offer does. However the article went on to say that there are cat dealers who round up every cat they can find to the extent of nabbing people’s pets. There are roughly 1000 cats transported to Guangdong, the main region for Cantonese food, every day. In other words, if you ever move to China and have a cat you better plan on it being strictly a house cat.
Pet rescuers have tried to intervene however they run into governmental red tape because the traders list the reason for transport as animals to be raised as pets. There are no animals protection laws in China and the article went on to imply that few really care.
Oh, in case you’re wondering, it also said that cat tastes more like lamb than chicken. It’s expensive and needs to be pre-ordered at the butcher’s because it doesn’t sell as well as dog does so they generally don’t stock up on it.
Um, yeah. I’m damn close to being a vegetarian these days anyway. This could be the thing that does it.
I read an article yesterday about animal lovers in Beijing protesting cat now being on the menu in many restaurants China. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you my opinion on this one. Besides the obvious, I was astounded that only about 40 people showed up to protest. Forty people in all of Beijing. That horrifies me.
Supposedly, according to the butcher who was interviewed, the cat meat comes from legitimate farms, just like the beef they offer does. However the article went on to say that there are cat dealers who round up every cat they can find to the extent of nabbing people’s pets. There are roughly 1000 cats transported to Guangdong, the main region for Cantonese food, every day. In other words, if you ever move to China and have a cat you better plan on it being strictly a house cat.
Pet rescuers have tried to intervene however they run into governmental red tape because the traders list the reason for transport as animals to be raised as pets. There are no animals protection laws in China and the article went on to imply that few really care.
Oh, in case you’re wondering, it also said that cat tastes more like lamb than chicken. It’s expensive and needs to be pre-ordered at the butcher’s because it doesn’t sell as well as dog does so they generally don’t stock up on it.
Um, yeah. I’m damn close to being a vegetarian these days anyway. This could be the thing that does it.
3 comments:
This does not surprise me at all. Various cultures are always going to eat things that are abhorrent to us. We eat beef and cows are sacred to Hindus. That's just the way life is
As Amarinda said,what we eat is very much a cultural issue. In South America they raise guinea pigs for food. Much as it horrifies us, it is a way of life. Clearly, in China, they are not disturbed by the source. I suspect that there are many places in the world where we would find the source of protein upsetting.
Remind me not to go to China. I know it's a cultural thing but cat and dog lovers just cringe over this stuff. Including me.
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