Some Indians are involved in the cat meat trade just like some Chinese. They are selling cat meat to roadside eateries who sell the dishes as mutton meals or lamb biriyani. Is eating cat an Asian thing? No, not quite. A very small percentage of Swiss eat cats.
In Chennai, India, gypsy colonies are catching cats who live near railway stations and bus depots. They catch the cats in nets. They drug them and carry them away in bags. They are then butchered and sold in 3 kg plastic bags at about 100 rupees a time.
It has been a financial success. I suppose it would be as the ‘livestock’ is free and requires no maintenance. It is just like harvesting apples from a tree.
Sadly, some Indians have the same beliefs as a segment of the Chinese. They believe that cat meat is an aphrodisiac and it is prescribed by unqualified ‘doctors’ as a remedy for impotency. Cat meat also cures asthma and arthritis. It is a magic product. It cures all ills.
The gypsies themselves consider cat meat a delicacy. At a gypsy wedding, 20 cats were butchered for cat biriyani.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSA) says that cat meat is unfit for human consumption. That is wrong technically. Perhaps what they mean is that it is unacceptable to eat cat meat in India.
About 6 years ago I wrote about some Indians eating cat meat. I was heavily criticised by some Indians. They said I was lying. I shouldn’t be criticised. It is true.
Some cats destined for the eateries have been rescued by volunteers. The general feeling amongst mainstream India is that cat meat is unacceptable. That is the impression I have. But it is eaten by a small minority and they have misguided beliefs about its magical medical qualities.
Sweet comment 🙂
If cat meat has magical properties, just think what a live cat can do for you! Cats make everything better!