Although we are used to reading about cat meat being popular in certain parts of Asia, not many people know that the Irulas and the Boers living in the area of Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu, India, have a liking to cat meat.
The Times of India report that in Chennai (which is in the state of Tamil Nadu) cats are going missing in an apartment complex in Nolambur. A resident in the apartment complex who lives on the fourth floor used to have two cats but they are missing. In addition, he used to feed another four cats who visited the apartment complex. These too are missing.
He says that he suspects the cats are being stolen for the cat meat market. He has videoed a group of people moving around the apartments with gunny bags and he believes the cats are being stolen and put into these bags to be taken to an area where they are killed and eaten.
An animal welfare activist, K Shravan, said that incidents of stealing domestic cat companions from residential areas in the city of Chennai are on the rise. He says that cat meat is sold to some shops that use them for making biryani.
Therefore, it seems that cat meat is also eaten in the city of Chennai in India. We don’t know for sure what is going on but this is suspected.
To return to the group of people are referred to in the first paragraph, they believe that cat meat has medicinal properties. This is similar to the reasons why some Chinese eat cat meat. This group of Indian people believe that cat blood helps to alleviate pain and that it is an energising tonic.
I’m not being racist when I say that that concept is idiotic. And it is a crime to steal someone’s pet cat. What they are allegedly doing may also be a crime under The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960.
Please note that I’m simply reporting what is in the news online and that this is not an attack on Indian citizens living in India. It’s important though to report on these matters because the killing of these innocent creatures is both immoral and a crime. They are, incidentally, killed by slitting their throats. This cannot be justified and it is due to ignorance.
