In recent decades, in the modern world, the issue of eating meat has become extremely acute. This is due, first of all, to the movements of various organizations advocating for the protection of animal rights. This situation led to the popularization of vegetarianism, and also gave impetus to a large number of scientific studies aimed at clarifying the issue of the benefits and harms of meat. The article will discuss where cats eat in Europe and other parts of the world.
Cat meat - taboo
Considering the question of where cats eat, in which country, it should be said that on most of our planet feline meat is considered a taboo, that is, such food, the use of which for religious or social reasons is not welcomed and rejected. If any modern person in Western society points to a certain dish and says that it is fried cat meat, then that person’s hair will stand on end and, to put it mildly, his appetite will be lost. Such a reaction is purely psychological in nature and is associated with cultural values and the society in which a person grew up.
However, if you say the same words, for example, to a Chinese, then the reaction will be completely opposite, since in some areas of this Asian giant, cat meat is sold in markets and various delicacies are prepared from it.
Why is cat meat forbidden to eat?
When asked about where cats eat in Europe, it should be said that nowhere, since the legislation of the European Union prohibits the consumption of meat of this pet. There are two reasons for this: firstly, in Europe, cat meat is taboo, and secondly, this ban is associated with sanitary standards. Unlike beef or pork, for cat meat there are no sanitary inspections for any pests and carriers of diseases that can be dangerous to humans. Therefore, any trade in cat meat threatens with heavy fines and arrest.
The ban on the use of cat meat for food in European countries does not mean that it is not eaten at all.
Swiss duck
A couple of years ago, information appeared on the Internet that in Switzerland, a certain young chef, Moritz Brunner, opened a restaurant in which he invited his visitors to taste fried cat meat cooked according to his grandmother's famous recipe. Moreover, in his video, Moritz claimed that in Switzerland, 3% of his compatriots eat the meat of this homemade puss.
As a result, it turned out that the video was a “duck” and no Moritz Brunner and restaurant existed. The video was shot specifically by one of the organizations advocating for the rights of animals that, using cat meat as an example, promoted their slogans to stop eating this animal product altogether.
Italian scandal
Nevertheless, questions about where cats eat, in which country in Europe, are not without meaning. A prime example is Italy. In 2013, the Association for the Protection of Animal Rights sounded the alarm, as it became known that in many restaurants in Rome and other major cities, cat meat is used for cooking, which is given as meat for domestic rabbit.
Why exactly Italy? In the first decade of the XXI century, the country was experiencing an economic crisis, so some restaurants decided to use relatively cheap cat meat. As a rule, these are Chinese restaurants. Considering that in Rome alone in 2001 there were about 120 thousand stray cats, it is not difficult to guess where the restaurants in Italy got their meat from. At the same time, they were engaged in "cat business" not only in Rome, but also in many regions of the north of the country. All those involved in this case were sentenced to imprisonment from 3 to 18 months, since Italian law provides for this penalty for any mockery of pets. Nevertheless, in Italy there are still places where cats are eaten illegally.
Where else did you eat cat meat in Europe?
It is rather difficult to answer this question, since cats were eaten in almost all countries. Cats came to Europe from the eastern countries, and introduced them as a means of fighting rats. The rapid breeding of these domestic predators was successfully used by people for their cuisine, this usually happened during periods of famine. In the Middle Ages, however, cat meat was considered the food of the poor.
If we consider the recent history, we can say the following: it is known that in 1940 the use of dogs, cats and other animals, including animals from the zoo, was legalized in Germany. The same situation existed in Belgium, France, Austria and, of course, Italy in the periods after the First and Second World Wars.
Cat meat in Europe is still "flowers"
If we expand the list of countries where cats eat outside of Europe, it must be said that at present there are 2 countries where the meat of this animal can be sold and bought on a legal basis. These are China and South Korea. Also illegally cutlets from cats can be bought in Vietnam, Tahiti and the Hawaiian Islands (USA).
In China, a country where dogs and cats are eaten, for example, there are a lot of markets where they sell pet meat. Typically, these markets are located in the southeastern part of the country and in some of its northern regions. Here you can try a wide variety of dishes based on meat, which is prohibited in the rest of the planet.
With regard to South Korea, then, according to general estimates, about 8-10% of the population eat cat meat.
The struggle in Vietnam and especially in Tahiti with the commercialization of the meat of the animal in question led to little. In Tahiti, dishes based on it are considered traditional and are too closely connected with the culture of the peoples of the country. In Vietnam, as well as in South Korea and China, there are too many people, but resources for growing, for example, pigs or cows are very limited, so the meat of pets will be in demand here for a long time.
Nevertheless, in recent decades, a strong influence of Western culture on these countries has been observed, which has led to a significant reduction in the volume of trade in cat meat, and in some cases to a complete abandonment of it. A vivid example is the ban on any trade in cat and dog meat in Taiwan in 2017.
Why do many organizations in the world oppose eating animal meat?
If we take into account the countries where cats eat legally, then the whole problem is not in the fact of the ban on meat for a Westerner, but in how the production occurs. The fact is that cats and dogs are literally bullied before eating them. In particular, they are kept in cells for weeks and months and inhumane methods of killing them are used. That is why many organizations for the protection of animal rights, and many citizens of different countries, oppose the consumption of domestic animal meat by humans.