Note: This post was originally intended to highlight how sentiment seems to be changing in parts of China and Asia with regard to the treatment of cats and dogs. Many Chinese are now keeping cats as pets and their culture is slowly changing. In Taiwan, the law was recently changed to outlaw this practice. I chose to remove this post from social media due to the volume of comments that violated our community guidelines.
Sentiment may be changing in China, however…
[fusion_dropcap boxed=”no” boxed_radius=”” class=”” id=”” color=””]I[/fusion_dropcap]n a disturbing report by Newsweek yesterday, cats are being stolen and sold as food to restaurants in China near the city of Jiujiang in the Jiangsu Province. Police were able to save 500 cats that were headed to restaurants to be eaten as dinner. Many of the cats were sick or in ill health, having being stuffed into cramped cages, and were being sold to restaurant owners for the U.S. equivalent of approximately $4.40.
The police were notified when a man alerted him that his nursing cat had been stolen. The pet cat had been nursing her five kittens prior to being abducted. There was no confirmation as to the status of the cat belonging to the man who tipped off the police.
Over the past few years, there is has been increasing outrage over Asian countries eating dogs and cats and there have been some attempts to outlaw the practice, though those attempts have been largely unsuccessful – but this story suggests that sentiment may be changing.
TAIWAN’S NEW LAW
At the end of April 2017, Taiwan became the first Asian country that has actually put an end to trafficking cats and dogs as food. Anyone who eats dog or cat meat can be fined up to $8,000, and those involved in slaughtering the animals could be fined $60,000 and up to two years in jail.
Sadly China has not caught up with Taiwan and continues to celebrate at the annual Yulin festival where every year, 10,000 dogs are slaughtered to be eaten in traditional Chinese dishes. Thankfully attitudes are changing in the area with nearly 50% of people stating that they thought the practice should be outlawed. You can help to change public perception by showing your support for this petition against the Yulin Dog Meat Festival [warning: petition contains graphic images that may upset some people].
Editor’s Note: As a cat lover, I hate to think of cats as a food source. I was, however, encouraged that a man spoke up about his missing cat and that Chinese police intervened and saved 500 cats as a result. Could this possibly be signaling a change in attitudes?
The Catnip Times is built on recommendations from you, our vibrant cat-loving community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems like new products, important issues, and cuteness. If you know of an interesting story or a topic that deserves awareness, tell us about it!
This blog contains affiliate links. For more information about third-party advertising on this site, please click here.
