According to Sky News, earlier this week officials in Northeast China stormed a building were over 1000 cats in cages waiting to be sold for their meat and fur. Most of them are thought to be pets that had been stolen from homes in a nearby city. The six people involved were arrested.
The bust came about when owners of cats in Dalian City noticed an unusual number of cats had gone missing. The owners banded together online and started their own investigation. A group of them saw men trolling around at night and they followed them to what turned out to be their holding place for the cats they had caught. The owners immediately notified authorities, who made the bust.
Cat Meat in China
Of course, China has a long history of eating cats. Depending on which part of the country you live in, it’s considered common practice or even a delicacy. Nowadays, it is mostly the older generations that still consumes cat meat, with some even believing it can bring good luck or that is it a good “warming” food in the winter months.
It is estimated that around 4 million cats are eaten every year (according to state news agency Xinhua), though in the North (where the bust happened) eating cat meat is not generally accepted, which is why it caught the attention of the locals.
However, just because they eat cat meat does not mean you can steal someone’s pet to eat it. That’s illegal.
Homeward Bound?
The 1000 cats found were, for the most part, in good health. Over 300 of the cats have already been reunited with their owners, but it’s unclear whether all of them will find their homes again, since it can be difficult to track down owners.
