Test tube meat is of interest to people who genuinely like cats. You kill far less animals to produce test tube meat. That should please genuine cat lovers because cat lovers are seriously concerned about animal welfare.
Vegetarians don’t eat “meat” (a euphemism for the flesh of animals). They don’t eat it because producing meat is bad for animals. You have to kill them and treat them like “products” to be commercially viable in a capitalist society. There are other reasons why we should not eat meat. Green-house gases are one reason. Cows produce methane, which, it is said, contributes to global warming.
Also, on a common sense basis, a lot of people like meat but are concerned about the way it is produced. A billion (1,000,000,000) animals are killed in the UK alone (including fish) per year to feed the human flesh eaters of the country. The conditions under which they live are sometimes highly questionable.
In general, people who like cats, don’t like the way “meat” is produced commercially. Business struggles to treat animals well because it costs more to treat animals well. People who like cats like to see animals treated well.
The first in vitro burgers have been produced using stem cells from cows. You still need a source of living creatures to create the stem cells from which more are “grown” but the number of animals required are far less than normal. If we can produce burgers in a test tube, it is probably a good thing provided there are no unforeseen problems regarding human health and animal welfare.
I, for one, welcome it. I don’t eat red meat. I eat chicken and fish occasionally. I don’t really like doing it because both chickens and fish suffer at the hands of big business. I have more or less stopped eating fish. I stopped eating red meat years ago.
I am a bit old fashioned in eating “meat” occasionally. If I could eat a burger that was created with an absolute minimum detriment to cows, it would please me.
I have been criticized for eating “meat”. As mentioned my habits have changed a lot. I haven’t eaten red meat for decades. I sometimes eat chicken and occasionally fish and even that causes concern.
If test tube meat gains traction I wonder if it will, eventually, be used for cat food? If it does happen, I believe it will change the operation of cat shelters in the USA. I say that euthanised shelter cats are used in cat food. If in vitro meat becomes cheaper to create it may lead to more true no-kill cat shelters in the USA because there would be no profit in killing shelter cats.
Thank you for your kind words, Jane. That means so much. 🙂
See? You came back! I hope that you will reconsider, and share your time and wisdom here. I know that she (if it is the dear person I’m thinking of) can come across as a bit brusque at times. She’s devoted her life to cat (animal) welfare, and is a bit, quite a bit worn out what she has seen
It took me a while to be comfortable exchanging thoughts and feelings on this site, as I felt that it was quite exclusive, not accepting of visitors who weren’t in their clique, but really I don’t think they ever intended to make me feel that way. (They took me in even though I must have been difficult, not just the sloshed state, but with my autistic tendencies.
I hope that you will reconsider. You have so much knowledge and insight, always refreshing for any forum that tends to get bogged down by that which I wrote of above.
Thanks for replying to me, Jane. I hope that you change your mind. I, and many others, really like having you here! Love, Cal
Forgot to mention Cal, that I liked your posts very much. You are one very humane person with a very interesting and knowledgable take on welfare and the broader issues along with a wonderful love of cats 🙂 xx
Cal! I am so sorry that you have been through such a rough patch, long may your recovery continue. Five months off the juice is a huge achievement. I think you are great No apologies are necessary for your actions, I took no offence at all.
Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that I will be returning on a regular basis to PoC. Back in August, two female members (sisters) of this site decided to treat me to a storm of aggressive abuse as they misguidedly believe that they own this site and behaving like bullies is acceptable. Their abuse to me showed them up as a shabby pair of jealous haters. Alas, the site owner, who I have respect for saw fit to allow their behaviour, so I left. Life is far too short.
Wishing you all the best Cal, may good fortune find and stay with you
Jane xx
Jane, I’ve just gone back and reread this post and comments. I can see that I was taken the wrong way, which was my fully fault at the time. I was drinking vodka heavily for three straight months and ended up in the hospital for a week, then into treatment. August 5th was the day that I stopped breathing, the day that I somehow was commenting on PoC when I should have not been functioning in any capacity. That is in the past, as I am now almost five months alcohol-free. I do know that I sincerely was hoping to read more from you, because I liked what you said (as best as I could understand in my physical state at the time). I wish that I could read more, esp. now that I am sober, alive. Your beliefs seem akin to mine.
My apologies for having replied when I had no business doing so. Hope you return soon to PoC. Peace, Love and Joy to You and to All this holiday season!