Cat meat

Some people eat cat meat.

It is a food in many lands.

In some places, it is a special dish. In Vietnam, people call it "little tiger."

In South Korea, it was used as a remedy. People drank it to feel better.

Sometimes, people eat it during hard times. This can happen during wars or when food is low. It helps keep people full.

In some spots, it is a part of old ways. In parts of India, it is a traditional food. In Peru, there is even a food festival for it.

Many places have rules about this. Some lands say it is not allowed. Others have laws to protect animals.

Some people around the world eat cat meat. In many places, it is a traditional food. For example, the Irula people in southern India eat it. In Peru, some towns hold a food festival for it. They call this festival "Miaustura."

In Vietnam, some people call the meat "little tiger."

In other places, people eat cat meat to stay healthy. In South Korea, it was used as a folk remedy. People drank a drink called goyangi soju. They thought it helped with joint pain. In parts of China, some people eat it in winter. They believe it helps warm the body.

Sometimes, people eat cat meat during hard times. This can happen during wars or when food is low. It helps keep people full when they are hungry.

Many lands have rules about eating cats. Taiwan has a law that bans the sale of cat meat. In Hong Kong, it is against the law to kill cats for food. Some people in China and Vietnam have asked for new laws. They want to protect animals from being treated poorly.

Cat meat is a food prepared from domestic cats for people to eat.

In some cultures, it is a regular part of a meal. Other times, people eat it during hard times like wars or famines. In these moments, it helps keep people full when food is hard to find. Some people believe eating it brings special health benefits. For example, in parts of China, older people use it to warm the body during winter.

In Vietnam, menus sometimes use the name "tiểu hổ," which means "little tiger." This is a way to refer to the meat without using its literal name.

Different people prepare cat meat in many ways. In South Korea, it was once brewed into a tonic for health. This liquid is called goyangi soju, an alcoholic drink. It is believed to help with joint pain like arthritis. To make a small bottle, about 10 cats are used. In Vietnam, some people believe cat galls have special properties. In Australia, people near Alice Springs might roast feral cats over an open fire. They also make recipes for cat stew. In Peru, cat meat is used in dishes like stews and fricassee.

History shows that people have eaten cats for a very long time. Scientists found bones from wild cats in ancient human waste. In the 17th century, people in Spain ate cat meat. During the 18th century, it was used for food in France. In Italy, some people used to call cats "roof rabbits" during hard times. This was a name used in Central Europe during the World Wars. In the past, some people in Italy even raised cats at home for food. They would cook them carefully on special days like Christmas.

There are many specific facts about where and how this happens. In the city of Tomohon in Indonesia, cat meat has been at an "Extreme Market." In India, the Irula people use it as a traditional protein. In the city of Hanoi, about 8% of people have eaten cat meat. In South Korea, about 100,000 cats are killed each year for cat soju. Some groups in China, like those in Guangdong, use it in a dish called "dragon, tiger, phoenix." This dish includes snake, cat, and chicken to help the body feel strong.

Many countries have made laws to change how people treat cats. Taiwan was the first country in Asia to ban eating cat and dog meat. In 2001, they banned the sale, and in 2017, they updated laws to ban eating it too. Hong Kong passed a law in 1950 to stop people from killing cats for food. In Austria, a 2004 law stops people from killing cats for food. Germany also has rules against the trade of cat meat. These laws are often made to protect animals from being treated poorly or being hurt.

Cat meat is meat prepared from domestic cats for human consumption. While it is not a common food globally, it appears in various cultural, historical, and survival contexts. In some regions, it is a traditional part of a diet. In others, it has been consumed during periods of extreme hardship, such as wartime, famine, or poverty. Some people also consume it because of perceived health benefits or specific cultural traditions.

The preparation and use of cat meat vary significantly by location and purpose. In South Korea, the meat was historically brewed into a tonic known as goyangi soju. This is an alcoholic elixir believed to help with neuralgia and arthritis. It is estimated that approximately 100,000 cats are killed annually to produce this soju. In Vietnam, the meat is often listed on menus using the euphemism "tiểu hổ," which translates to "little tiger" or "baby tiger." Some people in Northern Vietnam also believe that cat galls possess aphrodisiacal properties.

Different regions utilize the meat in distinct culinary ways. In the Guangdong and Guangxi provinces of China, some older people eat it to warm the body during winter. A traditional dish in Guangdong is called "dragon, tiger, phoenix," which combines snake, cat, and chicken to fortify the body. In Peru, cat meat is used in fricassee and stews. These dishes are most common among Afro-Peruvians in Chincha Alta and in the Andean town of Huari. In Australia, near Alice Springs, indigenous groups and others may roast feral cats over open fires or make stews.

Historical records show that humans have consumed cats for many centuries. Prehistoric human feces have contained bones from wild cats in Africa. In antiquity, accounts suggest cats were eaten in the Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis. During the 17th century, cats were consumed in Spain, and by the 18th century, they were used in French meat production. During the World Wars, cat meat was widely used as famine food. In Central Europe, cats earned the nickname "roof rabbits" during these difficult times. In Italy, some historical accounts claim cats were raised at home for consumption, similar to how people raise rabbits.

The significance of cat meat consumption often relates to specific social or economic circumstances. In South Korea, the trade primarily involves feral and stray cats because they are not farmed. In Vietnam, a market research study by Four Paws found that roughly 8% of Hanoi residents have consumed cat meat. In India, the Irula people use it as a traditional protein, while the Narikuravar community in Chennai has been reported to consume it. During economic crises, such as in 1996 in Argentina, reports surfaced of people in shanty towns using cat meat to feed hungry children.

Legal frameworks regarding cat meat are complex and vary by nation. Taiwan was the first Asian country to ban the consumption of cat and dog meat. This began with a ban on sales in 2001 and was strengthened in 2017 by the Legislative Yuan. Hong Kong introduced the Dogs and Cats Ordinance in 1950 to prohibit slaughtering these animals for food. In Europe, many countries have strict regulations. Austria prohibits killing cats for food under a 2004 law, and Germany prohibits the production and trade of cat meat through the Animal-Derived Food Sanitation Act.

Modern consumption often triggers debates regarding animal welfare and public health. In 2018, officials in Hanoi urged citizens to stop eating cat meat. They cited concerns about cruel slaughter methods and the spread of diseases like rabies and leptospirosis. There was also a desire to protect the city's image as a modern capital. In China, animal protection groups have organized protests against the consumption of cats. A 2015 survey by Animals Asia found that over 70-80% of Chinese respondents felt it was unacceptable to eat animals that had been abused or tortured during slaughter.