It is well known that during my travels in China I have eaten a wide variety of interesting things. (See Tasty Treats) Although I had been very adventurous with my meals, I never ate cat. Or so I thought. (If you are a cat lover, I would suggest that you stop reading now.)
After reading an article in the Chinese newspaper, I now have to add cat to the long list of unfortunate meats and animals I have consumed. However, this was not my choice, but more of a result of the poor sources of my food.
The article discussed the rising popularity of cat meat in China, and the somewhat disturbing version of “cat farms” that are growing in the southern part of the country. Cat meat is gaining popularity because of the low price tag, and it can easily be added to meals and other meats to mask the taste. It is estimated that 4 million cats were eaten in China last year, and that number will continue to rise.
Although more popular outside of urban areas, cat consumption is becoming more prevalent in Beijing. The number of stray cats is rapidly rising, and the low price is appealing to people looking for meat. This quote from the paper I found the most disturbing, “cat meat is usually mixed with the roasted mutton sold by the roadside in the city.” Since I was a frequent visitor to these roadside meat vendors, the verdit seems pretty grim. This is another case of where knowing less is better in China, since the you may not enjoy hearing the answer.
