View source for Cat meat

{{Short description|Meat from domestic cats for human consumption}}
{{For|"cat's meat" or meat eaten by cats|Cat food}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2020}}
[[File:Thitmeo.jpg|thumb|A dish of cat meat in Vietnam.]]
'''Cat meat''' is meat prepared from [[domestic cat]]s for human consumption. Some countries serve cat meat as a regular food, whereas others have only consumed some cat meat in desperation during wartime, famine or poverty.

==History==
{{Expand section|date=February 2024}}
Prehistoric human feces have been found to contain bones from the wild cats of Africa.<ref name="TaylorNegus1989">{{cite book|author1=David Taylor|author2=Daphne Negus|author3=Dave King|author4=Jane Burton|title=The Ultimate Cat Book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rPdFgZzns30C&pg=PA9|year=1989|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-0-671-68649-9|pages=9–|access-date=December 22, 2016|archive-date=April 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200412151550/https://books.google.com/books?id=rPdFgZzns30C&pg=PA9|url-status=live}}</ref>

There are accounts from antiquity of cats being consumed in the Roman province of [[Gallia Narbonensis]] (southern France).<ref name="Albala2003"/> During the 18th century, domestic cats were used in the meat production in France, with published recipes surviving from 1740.<ref>{{Citation|url=https://www.chartreux-club.de/en/history-of-the-breed/|title=History of the breed|publisher=Deutscher Kartäuserkatzen-CHA-Zuchtverein e.V.|access-date=17 February 2024}}</ref> Cats were eaten in Spain during the 17th century.<ref name="Albala2003"/>

Cat meat was widely used as famine food during wartime, especially during both [[World Wars]].<ref name="messybeast"/>

==Africa==
[[File:Viande-chat.jpg|thumb|Cat-based dish, cooked in the Central African Republic.]]
{{Expand section|with=details about the [[Central African Republic]], which is mentioned in the image|date=February 2024}}
In some cultures of Cameroon, there is a special ceremony featuring cat-eating that is thought to bring good luck.<ref>{{Cite news|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2857891.stm|title= The cat eaters of Cameroon|work= BBC News|date= March 17, 2003|first= Francis|last= Ngwa-Niba|access-date= October 11, 2009|archive-date= April 12, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200412151528/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2857891.stm|url-status= live}}</ref>

==Asia==

===China===
According to [[Humane Society International]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=February 21, 2019|title=Saving animals from China's dog and cat meat trade|url=https://www.hsi.org/news-media/saving-dogs-from-chinas-dog-meat-trade/|access-date=December 17, 2020|website=[[Humane Society International]]|language=en-US|archive-date=November 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125081852/https://www.hsi.org/news-media/saving-dogs-from-chinas-dog-meat-trade/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Agence France-Presse]],<ref>{{Cite news|date=November 22, 2013|title='Don't eat cat and dog meat' - activists to Chinese diners|work=[[NDTV]], [[Agence France-Presse]]|url=https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/dont-eat-cat-and-dog-meat-activists-to-chinese-diners-694336|url-status=live|access-date=December 17, 2020|archive-date=December 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151207222439/http://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/dont-eat-cat-and-dog-meat-activists-to-chinese-diners-694336}}</ref> and the [[BBC]],<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Kerry Allen|date=October 30, 2015|title=Claws out over China cat meat scandal|language=en-GB|work=[[BBC News]]|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-34682858|url-status=live|access-date=December 17, 2020|archive-date=June 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190612111416/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-34682858}}</ref> cat meat is not widely eaten in China. But in [[Guangdong]] and [[Guangxi]] provinces of the [[Lingnan]] cultural region, some—especially older—people consider cat meat a good warming food during winter months.<ref name="asia2015"/> 
In Guangdong, cat meat is a main ingredient in the traditional dish "[[Dragon tiger phoenix|dragon, tiger, phoenix]]" (snake, cat, chicken), which is said to fortify the body.<ref name=Xinhuanet>{{cite news|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/indepth/2012-01/13/c_131358233.htm|title=Some call it an indelicate trade, others, a delicacy|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314075006/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/indepth/2012-01/13/c_131358233.htm |date=2012-01-13|archive-date=2017-03-14|work=Xinhuanet.com}}</ref>

Organized cat-collectors supply the southern restaurants with animals that often originate in
[[Henan]], [[Hubei]], [[Anhui]], and [[Jiangsu]] provinces.<ref name=Xinhuanet/><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://beijingtoday.com.cn/2008/12/nanjing-sends-meat-meows-guangzhou/ | title=Nanjing sends meat that meows to Guangzhou | work=Beijing Today | location=Beijing | first=Yu | last=Wang | date=December 19, 2008 | access-date=February 20, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224004031/http://beijingtoday.com.cn/2008/12/nanjing-sends-meat-meows-guangzhou/ | archive-date=February 24, 2014 | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/4061850/Cat-nappers-feed-Cantonese-taste-for-pet-delicacy.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/4061850/Cat-nappers-feed-Cantonese-taste-for-pet-delicacy.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title= Cat-nappers feed Cantonese taste for pet delicacy|work = The Telegraph | location=London | first=Malcolm | last=Moore | date=January 1, 2009}}{{cbignore}}</ref> On January 26, 2010, China launched its first draft proposal to protect the country's animals from maltreatment, including a measure to jail people—for periods up to 15 days—for eating cat or dog meat.<ref name="China to jail people for up to 15 days who eat dog (China Daily)">{{cite web | url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-01/26/content_9379689.htm | access-date=January 26, 2010 | publisher=Chinadaily | title=China to jail people for up to 15 days who eat dog | archive-date=April 13, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200413153235/http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-01/26/content_9379689.htm | url-status=live }}</ref>

In January 2006, the [[Chinese Animal Protection Network]] began organizing protests against dog and cat consumption, starting in [[Guangzhou]], following up in more than ten other cities "with very optimal response from public."<ref name="Guangzhou bans eating snakes--ban helps cats(Animal People)">{{cite web|date=March 4, 2008|title=Guangzhou bans eating snakes--ban helps cats|url=http://www.animalpeoplenews.org/07/11/guangzhoubanseatingsnakes11_07.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080304213111/http://www.animalpeoplenews.org/07/11/guangzhoubanseatingsnakes11_07.html|archive-date=March 4, 2008|publisher=[[Animal People]]}}</ref> ''[[Beijing news|Beijing News]]'' reported in 2014 and 2015 of Beijing and Tianjin authorities, respectively, discovering feral, and stray cats to be used as part of the cat meat trade, which drew outrage from many Chinese netizens.<ref name=":0" /> A 2015 [[Animals Asia Foundation|Animals Asia]] survey found that at least more than 70-80% of Chinese respondents agreed it was not acceptable to eat dogs and cats if they had been abused or tortured during feeding and slaughter.<ref name="asia2015">{{Cite web|date=June 2015|title=Survey of public attitudes to dog and cat eating in China|url=https://www.animalsasia.org/assets/pdf/2015_FOF_reports-report4_A4-EN-20150609_low.pdf|url-status=live|website=[[Animals Asia]]|page=7|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911050534/https://www.animalsasia.org/assets/pdf/2015_FOF_reports-report4_A4-EN-20150609_low.pdf |archive-date=September 11, 2015 }}</ref>

=== Japan ===
In Japan, cats were sometimes eaten until the end of the [[Edo period]].<ref name="hanleycat66">{{Cite book|last=Hanley|first=Susan|title=Everyday Things in Premodern Japan|year=1997|page=66|language=en|isbn=9780520218123}}</ref> In [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]], it was believed to be effective against [[costochondritis]], [[bronchitis]], [[lung disease]], and [[hemorrhoids]], and was eaten in the form of soups, such as ''Maya-no-Ushiru''.<ref>{{cite book|author1=渡口初美|title=沖縄の食養生料理|year=1979|location=国際料理学院|pages=12|language=ja}}</ref>

=== India ===
According to ''[[HuffPost]]'' and a few Indian news outlets in 2016, cat meat was being served as [[Lamb and mutton|mutton]] in parts of [[Chennai]] and being consumed mainly by the [[Narikurava]]r community in the city.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2016|title=For Biryani In Chennai, Cats Are Being Boiled Alive, Sold For Rs 100 Per KG|work=[[HuffPost]]|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.in/2016/11/01/for-biryani-in-chennai-cats-are-being-boiled-alive_a_21595945/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614171701/https://www.huffingtonpost.in/2016/11/01/for-biryani-in-chennai-cats-are-being-boiled-alive_a_21595945/|archive-date=June 14, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> There had been allegations made online in the same year that some Narikuravar people were hunting feral and stray cats for their meat in [[Bangalore|Bengaluru]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Iyer|first=Shravan Regret|date=April 26, 2016|title=Fear of cats sold for meat looms large in Bengaluru|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/260416/fear-of-cats-sold-for-meat-looms-large-in-bengaluru.html|url-status=live|access-date=December 17, 2020|website=[[Deccan Chronicle]]|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426053937/http://deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/260416/fear-of-cats-sold-for-meat-looms-large-in-bengaluru.html |archive-date=April 26, 2016 }}</ref>

Cat meat is a traditional protein consumed in the diet of the [[Irula people]] of southern India.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pedalintandem.com/blog/food-culture/breaking-bread-badaga-irula-style | title=Introduction to Badaga and Irula cuisine }}{{Better source needed|date=September 2024}}</ref>

=== Indonesia ===
Cat meat has been featured at the Extreme Market in the North Sulawesi city of [[Tomohon]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Farid M Ibrahim|date=September 11, 2018|title=Dogs and cats blow-torched alive at Indonesia 'extreme' market despite promised ban|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-11/dogs-and-cats-burnt-alive-at-extreme-market-in-indonesia/10222240|url-status=live|access-date=December 17, 2020|website=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|language=en-AU|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911081627/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-11/dogs-and-cats-burnt-alive-at-extreme-market-in-indonesia/10222240 |archive-date=September 11, 2018 }}</ref>

===South Korea===
In South Korea, cat meat was historically brewed into a tonic as a folk remedy for [[neuralgia]] and [[arthritis]], not commonly as food. Modern consumption is seen and more likely to be in the form of cat soup, though the number of people who consume cat soup is considered minimal, compared to a relatively popular dog meat.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.idausa.org/campaigns/dogs-cats/dogs-and-cats-of-south-korea/|title=Dog and Cat Meat Consumption – In Defense of Animals – In Defense of Animals|work=In Defense of Animals|access-date=November 22, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123043818/http://www.idausa.org/campaigns/dogs-cats/dogs-and-cats-of-south-korea/|archive-date=November 23, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://our-compass.org/2012/04/09/ban-south-korean-dog-and-cat-meat-trade/|title=Ban South Korean dog and cat meat trade|work=Our Compass|date=April 9, 2012 |access-date=November 22, 2015|archive-date=January 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117071121/https://our-compass.org/2012/04/09/ban-south-korean-dog-and-cat-meat-trade/|url-status=live}}</ref> Julien Dugnoille wrote in ''[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]]'' that cat meat is mostly consumed by middle-aged working-class women for perceived health benefits, and that usually 10 cats are needed to produce a small bottle of cat, or goyangi, soju (an alcoholic elixir thought to keep arthritis at bay for a few weeks at a time).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dugnoille|first=Julien|date=March 22, 2016|title=The truth about cats and dogs (and how they are consumed in South Korea)|url=http://theconversation.com/the-truth-about-cats-and-dogs-and-how-they-are-consumed-in-south-korea-56306|url-status=live|access-date=December 17, 2020|website=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]]|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402074928/http://theconversation.com:80/the-truth-about-cats-and-dogs-and-how-they-are-consumed-in-south-korea-56306? |archive-date=April 2, 2016 }}</ref> 

According to the animal protection organization, [[In Defense of Animals]], 100,000 cats are killed yearly to make cat soju in South Korea. Cats are not farmed for their meat in the country, so the trade involves ferals and strays. Eating cat meat is highly stigmatized throughout the country, unlike eating dog meat, which is often criticized but not universally stigmatized.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dog Meat|url=https://www.idausa.org/campaign/dog-meat/about/|url-status=live|access-date=December 17, 2020|website=[[In Defense of Animals]]|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815054613/https://www.idausa.org/campaign/dog-meat/about/ |archive-date=August 15, 2020 }}</ref>

=== Malaysia ===
According to the Malaysian branch of [[Friends of the Earth]], cat meat is not illegal in Malaysia. The organisation reported that some Vietnamese nationals had been selling dog and cat meat in a couple of cities,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Friends of the Earth Malaysia|author-link=Friends of the Earth|date=May 9, 2019|title=The Truth About Malaysia's Dog and Cat Meat Trade|url=https://animalpeopleforum.org/2019/05/09/truth-malaysias-dog-cat-meat-trade/|url-status=live|access-date=December 17, 2020|website=[[Animal People]]|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107223910/https://animalpeopleforum.org/2019/05/09/truth-malaysias-dog-cat-meat-trade/ |archive-date=November 7, 2020 }}</ref> an allegation repeated by [[Coconuts Media]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 5, 2018|title=Social media users in Malaysia discover groups selling dog and cat meat|url=https://coconuts.co/kl/news/social-media-users-malaysia-discover-groups-selling-dog-cat-meat/|url-status=live|access-date=December 17, 2020|website=[[Coconuts Media|Coconuts]]|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180405152413/https://coconuts.co/kl/news/social-media-users-malaysia-discover-groups-selling-dog-cat-meat/ |archive-date=April 5, 2018 }}</ref> According to ''[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]]'' in 2012, cat meat was popular among some Myanmar nationals in the country.<ref>{{Cite news|date=October 2012|title=Cat's meat a purr-fect dish among Myanmar folk|work=The Star|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2012/10/02/cats-meat-a-purrfect-dish-among-myanmar-folk|url-status=live|access-date=December 17, 2020|archive-date=December 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201220220259/https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2012/10/02/cats-meat-a-purrfect-dish-among-myanmar-folk}}</ref>

=== Taiwan ===
In 2001, Taiwan officially banned the sale of cat and dog meat. In October 2017, Taiwan's national legislature, known as the [[Legislative Yuan]], passed amendments to the country's Animal Protection Act which "bans the sale and consumption of dog and cat meat and of any food products that contain the meat or other parts of these animals", making it the first Asian country to ban the consumption of cat meat and dog meat.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/law/foreign-news/article/taiwan-animal-protection-law-amended/|title=Taiwan: Animal Protection Law Amended|work=Global Legal Monitor|first=Wendy|last=Zeldin|date=October 18, 2017|access-date=April 16, 2020|archive-date=February 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200227154223/http://www.loc.gov/law/foreign-news/article/taiwan-animal-protection-law-amended/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/12/taiwan-bans-dog-and-cat-meat-from-table-as-attitudes-change |title=Taiwan bans dog and cat meat from table as attitudes change|first=Benjamin|last=Haas|website=[[TheGuardian.com]] |date=April 12, 2017|access-date=February 8, 2025}}</ref>

===Vietnam===
[[File:Cats at a cat meat restaurant - 02.jpg|thumb|Cats at a cat meat restaurant in Vietnam]]
As of 2015, cat meat is eaten in Vietnam.<ref name="meovb">Việt Báo [http://vietbao.vn/The-gioi-giai-tri/Thanh-pho-thit-meo/50760981/407/ Thịt mèo] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526192656/http://vietbao.vn/The-gioi-giai-tri/Thanh-pho-thit-meo/50760981/407/ |date=May 26, 2019 }}</ref><ref name="tptm">{{Cite web |url=http://tuoitre.vn/Chinh-tri-Xa-hoi/Phong-su-Ky-su/99714/Thanh-pho-thit-meo.html |title=Thành phố thịt mèo |access-date=May 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521081800/http://tuoitre.vn/Chinh-tri-Xa-hoi/Phong-su-Ky-su/99714/Thanh-pho-thit-meo.html |archive-date=May 21, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thedailymeal.com/9-countries-eat-cats-and-dogs/11414|title=9 Countries That Eat Cats and Dogs|work=The Daily Meal|access-date=November 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123030849/http://www.thedailymeal.com/9-countries-eat-cats-and-dogs/11414|archive-date=November 23, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://vietnamcoracle.com/cat-meat/|title=Cat Meat|work=Vietnam Coracle|access-date=November 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123042103/http://vietnamcoracle.com/cat-meat/|archive-date=November 23, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thedropoutdiaries.com/2012/11/the-truth-about-cats-dogs-in-vietnam/|title=The Truth About Cats & Dogs In Vietnam - The Dropout Diaries|work=The Dropout Diaries|access-date=November 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123033439/http://www.thedropoutdiaries.com/2012/11/the-truth-about-cats-dogs-in-vietnam/|archive-date=November 23, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/international/5337677/Where-cat-sits-happily-on-the-menu|title=Where cat sits happily on the menu|work=Stuff|date=July 25, 2011 |access-date=November 22, 2015|archive-date=April 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200413153304/http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/5337677/Where-cat-sits-happily-on-the-menu|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2010/0722/Why-do-Vietnamese-keep-cats-on-a-leash-Hint-What-s-for-dinner|title=Why do Vietnamese keep cats on a leash? (Hint: What's for dinner?)|author=The Christian Science Monitor|journal=The Christian Science Monitor|access-date=November 22, 2015|archive-date=October 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024033440/https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2010/0722/Why-do-Vietnamese-keep-cats-on-a-leash-Hint-What-s-for-dinner|url-status=live}}</ref> It is generally seen on menus with the euphemism "[[wiktionary:tiểu hổ|tiểu hổ]]", literally "little tiger" or "baby tiger", rather than the literal "[[wiktionary:thịt|thịt]] [[wiktionary:mèo|mèo]]".<ref>{{Cite web|date=August 12, 2020|title=Cats stolen, drowned, bludgeoned and boiled in secretive Vietnam trade|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/cat-meat-vietnam-trade-stolen-drown-boil-four-paws-animal-cruelty-a9665836.html|access-date=December 17, 2020|website=The Independent|language=en|archive-date=November 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128030328/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/cat-meat-vietnam-trade-stolen-drown-boil-four-paws-animal-cruelty-a9665836.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Cat galls have [[aphrodisiac]]al properties, according to people in North Vietnam.<ref name="Hopkins2004">{{cite book|author=Jerry Hopkins|title=Extreme Cuisine: The Weird and Wonderful Foods That People Eat|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4ZPTAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA25|date=May 15, 2004|publisher=Tuttle Publishing|isbn=978-1-4629-0472-3|pages=25–|access-date=December 22, 2016|archive-date=April 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200412151550/https://books.google.com/books?id=4ZPTAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA25|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Hopkins2014">{{cite book|author=Jerry Hopkins|title=Strange Foods|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WXtzBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA8|date=December 23, 2014|publisher=Tuttle Publishing|isbn=978-1-4629-1676-4|pages=8–|access-date=December 22, 2016|archive-date=April 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200412151551/https://books.google.com/books?id=WXtzBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA8|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2018, however, officials in the city of Hanoi urged citizens to stop eating dog and cat meat, citing concerns about the cruel methods with which the animals are slaughtered and the diseases this practice propagates, including [[rabies]] and [[leptospirosis]]. Another reason for this exhortation seems to be a concern that the practice of dog and cat consumption, most of which are stolen household pets,<ref name="Four Paws"/> could tarnish the city's image as a "civilised and modern capital".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-45492907|title=Vietnamese capital Hanoi asks people not to eat dog meat|work=BBC News|date=September 12, 2018|access-date=April 16, 2020|archive-date=September 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912140708/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-45492907|url-status=live}}</ref> According to data from a market research study by [[Four Paws]], approximately 8% of people living in [[Hanoi]] have consumed cat meat in their lives.<ref name="Four Paws">{{cite web|title=The Dog and Cat Meat Trade in Southeast Asia: A Threat to Animals and People|publisher=[[Four Paws]]|date=February 2020|url=https://media.4-paws.org/8/0/0/3/80039a8956751c7b9bf934c35993858592182db3/FOURPAWS_Big_DCMT_Report_GB.pdf|page=28|access-date=July 22, 2020|archive-date=September 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921161438/https://media.4-paws.org/8/0/0/3/80039a8956751c7b9bf934c35993858592182db3/FOURPAWS_Big_DCMT_Report_GB.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

According to ''[[The Independent]]'' in April 2020, [[COVID-19]] led to increased dog and cat meat sales in Vietnam (and Cambodia) due to their perceived health benefits against the virus.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Jane Dalton|date=April 24, 2020|title=Coronavirus causes surge in dog and cat meat sales in Vietnam and Cambodia, investigators say|work=[[The Independent]]|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/coronavirus-dog-cat-meat-vietnam-cambodia-indonesia-animals-covid19-four-paws-a9464946.html|url-status=live|access-date=December 17, 2020|archive-date=November 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127122641/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/coronavirus-dog-cat-meat-vietnam-cambodia-indonesia-animals-covid19-four-paws-a9464946.html}}</ref>

== Europe ==
=== Austria ===
Section 6, Paragraph 2 of the law for the protection of animals enacted in 2004 prohibits the killing of cats and dogs for purposes of consumption as food or for other products.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/BgblAuth/BGBLA_2004_I_118/BGBLA_2004_I_118.html|title=Federal law that enacts an animal protection law and changes the Federal Constitutional Law, the 1994 Trade Regulations and the 1986 Federal Ministries Act|language=de|website=Das Rechtsinformationssystem des Bundes (legal information system of the federal government)|access-date=June 29, 2021|archive-date=August 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803045018/https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/BgblAuth/BGBLA_2004_I_118/BGBLA_2004_I_118.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Belgium ===
In January 2011, the Belgian [[Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain]] stated that people are not allowed to kill random cats walking in their garden, but "nowhere in the law does it say that you can't eat your own [[pet]] cat, dog, rabbit, fish, or whatever. You just have to kill them in an animal-friendly way and only when necessary."<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.gva.be/cnt/aid1005363 |title=Uw kat opeten is wettelijk toegestaan |author=jrosquin |work=[[Gazet van Antwerpen]] |date=5 January 2011 |access-date=4 June 2021 |language=nl |archive-date=June 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210604203815/https://www.gva.be/cnt/aid1005363 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Denmark ===
In June 2008, three students at the Danish School of Media and Journalism published pictures of a cat being slaughtered and eaten in ''Citat'', a magazine for journalism students to create a debate about [[animal welfare]]. The cat was shot by its owner, a farmer, and it would have been [[animal euthanasia|put down]] in any case. The farmer slaughtered the cat within the limits of Danish law. This led to criticism from Danish animal welfare group Dyrenes Beskyttelse,<ref name="Journalistelever spiser kat">{{cite news|last=Walsh|first=Kevin|date=June 5, 2008|title=Journalistelever spiser kat|trans-title=Journalism students eat cat|url=http://www.bt.dk/nyheder/journalistelever-spiser-kat|language=da|newspaper=[[B.T. (tabloid)|BT]]|publisher=[[Berlingske Media]]|access-date=October 28, 2013|archive-date=April 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200412151537/http://www.bt.dk/nyheder/journalistelever-spiser-kat|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Journaliststuderende spiser kat på nettet">{{cite news| last = Andreassen| first = Andreas Marckmann| date = June 6, 2008| title = Journaliststuderende spiser kat på nettet| trans-title = Journalism students eat cat online| url = http://www.journalisten.dk/journaliststuderende-spiser-kat-pa-nettet| language = da| newspaper = Journalisten.dk| publisher = Journalisten| access-date = October 28, 2013| archive-date = April 12, 2020| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200412151541/http://www.journalisten.dk/journaliststuderende-spiser-kat-pa-nettet| url-status = live}}</ref> and [[death threat]]s received by the students.<ref name="Århus-studerende spiste kat - nu trues de på livet">{{cite news|last=Helmer|first=Jesper|date=June 7, 2008|title=Århus-studerende spiste kat - nu trues de på livet|trans-title=Students from Århus ate cat - are now threatened on their life|url=http://www.avisen.dk/aarhus-studerende-spiste-kat-nu-trues-de-paa-livet_11831.aspx|language=da|newspaper=Avisen.dk|publisher=Avisen.dk ApS|access-date=October 28, 2013|archive-date=April 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200412151732/http://www.avisen.dk/aarhus-studerende-spiste-kat-nu-trues-de-paa-livet_11831.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Italy ===
In February 2010, on a television cooking show, the Italian food writer [[Beppe Bigazzi]] mentioned that during the famine in [[World War II]], cat stew was a "succulent" and well-known dish in his home area of [[Valdarno]], [[Tuscany]]. Later he claimed he had been joking, but added that cats used to be eaten in the area during famine periods, historically. He was widely criticised in the media for his comments and was ultimately dropped from the television network.<ref>{{Cite news|url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/article7029058.ece|title = Celebrity chef Beppe Bigazzi upsets viewers with his cat casserole|date = February 16, 2010|work = The Times|location = London|first = Richard|last = Owen|access-date = February 21, 2010|archive-date = June 1, 2010|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100601055546/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/article7029058.ece|url-status = dead}}</ref>

Cat consumption is a stereotype attributed to Vicenzans in [[Vicenza]], Italy.<ref name="Albala2003">{{cite book|author=Ken Albala|title=Food in Early Modern Europe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4f-l3-KG0LcC&pg=PA66|year=2003|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-313-31962-4|pages=66–|access-date=December 22, 2016|archive-date=July 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727184257/https://books.google.com/books?id=4f-l3-KG0LcC&pg=PA66|url-status=live}}</ref> They are jokingly called "magnagati", that means "cats eaters" in the local language. 

According to the British ''Butchers' Advocate, Dressed Poultry and the Food Merchant'' of 1904, "Just before Christmas, it is common for a group of young men in northern Italy to kill some cats, skin them, and soak them in water for two or three days. They are cooked with great care on Christmas day and served up hot about 1:30{{nbsp}}p.m. after mass....Many people in Italy, 'on the quiet,' keep cats like the English do rabbits—to kill. A catskin there is worth ten pence, as the material for muffs for girls... Extraordinary care has to be taken in procuring the animals, for the Italian Society for the Protection of Cats is vigilant, and offenses against the law are followed by imprisonment only. We have no fines in Italy."<ref>{{cite book|title=Butchers' Advocate, Dressed Poultry and the Food Merchant|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E5tRAAAAYAAJ&pg=PP53|year=1904|pages=11–|access-date=December 22, 2016|archive-date=July 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727182346/https://books.google.com/books?id=E5tRAAAAYAAJ&pg=PP53|url-status=live}}</ref>

According to ''The Dietetic & Hygienic Gazette'' in 1905, "Italy cultivates the cat for home consumption as English people raise rabbits. It is to be done on the quiet, however, for in spite of the profit in the business and the demand for the delicacy, the law has to be looked out for, and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Cats is vigilant. Offenses against the law are visited with imprisonment. Cats are raised for the market nonetheless. Fattened on the finest of milk, a choice specimen will attain the weight of fifteen pounds."<ref>{{cite book|title=The Dietetic & Hygienic Gazette|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n3w3AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA99|year=1905|publisher=Gazette Publishing Company|pages=99–100|access-date=December 22, 2016|archive-date=July 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727182613/https://books.google.com/books?id=n3w3AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA99|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Dietetic and Hygienic Gazette|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YfEgAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA99|year=1905|publisher=Gazette Publishing Company|pages=99–100|access-date=December 22, 2016|archive-date=July 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727182318/https://books.google.com/books?id=YfEgAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA99|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Genoese song ''[[Crêuza de mä]]'' written by [[Fabrizio De André]] cites the sweet-and-sour hash of "[[hare]] of [[roof tiles]]" (i.e. the cat, passed off as a sort of [[rabbit meat]]).

=== Switzerland ===
According to the Food Safety and Veterinary Office, the sale of dog or cat meat is not allowed, but it is legal for people to eat their own animals.<ref>{{Cite web|date=November 26, 2014|title=Stop eating cats and dogs say animal rights campaigners in Switzerland|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/30205410/stop-eating-cats-and-dogs-say-animal-rights-campaigners-in-switzerland|access-date=October 8, 2020|website=BBC Newsbeat|language=en-GB|archive-date=June 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617193208/http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/30205410/stop-eating-cats-and-dogs-say-animal-rights-campaigners-in-switzerland|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=February 12, 2016|title=Swiss 'restaurant' serving cat and dog meat sparks outrage|url=https://www.thelocal.ch/20160212/swiss-restaurant-serving-cat-food-sparks-outrage|access-date=October 8, 2020|website=www.thelocal.ch|archive-date=October 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013224832/https://www.thelocal.ch/20160212/swiss-restaurant-serving-cat-food-sparks-outrage|url-status=live}}</ref> The Swiss parliament rejected changing the laws to protect dogs and cats from human consumption in 1993.<ref>{{cite web |title=Forget chocolate or cheese: Cat and dog meat is Swiss delicacy |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/world/forget-chocolate-or-cheese-cat-and-dog-meat-swiss-delicacy-2469626 |website=www.scotsman.com |date=January 2, 2013 |access-date=24 February 2021 |language=en |archive-date=December 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201230155651/https://www.scotsman.com/news/world/forget-chocolate-or-cheese-cat-and-dog-meat-swiss-delicacy-2469626 |url-status=live }}</ref> An animal-rights group collected 16,000 signatures in 2014 to outlaw the consumption of cat meat in Switzerland.{{cn|date=May 2025}}

===Other areas===
Cats were sometimes eaten as a [[famine food]] during harsh winters, poor harvests, and wartime. Cats gained notoriety as "[[wikt:roof rabbit|roof rabbit]]" (''{{ill|Dachhase|de}}'') in [[Central Europe]]'s hard times during and between [[World War I]] and [[World War II]].<ref name="messybeast">{{cite web |url=http://www.messybeast.com/eat-cats.htm |title=Cats - Friend Or Food |publisher=Messybeast.com |access-date=June 14, 2010 |archive-date=March 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100320023719/http://www.messybeast.com/eat-cats.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Oceania==
===Australia===
[[Indigenous Australians]] in the area of [[Alice Springs, Northern Territory|Alice Springs]] roast [[Cats in Australia#Feral cats|feral cats]] on an open fire. They have also developed recipes for cat stew. Some other inhabitants of the area have also taken up this custom, justified on the grounds that felines are "a serious threat to Australia's native [[fauna]]".<ref>{{Cite news|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6974687.stm|work= BBC News|title= Australians cook up wild cat stew|date= September 2, 2007|first= Phil|last= Mercer|access-date= December 16, 2008|archive-date= February 26, 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210226151024/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6974687.stm|url-status= live}}</ref>

==South and North America==

===Argentina===
In two 1996 TV reports from different networks, Telefe Noticias<ref name="TELEFE1906">{{cite AV media |date= 1996 |title= Rosario Gente pobre come Gatos |trans-title= Rosario, paupers eat cats |language= es |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGz9iZ3Z9MQ | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211118/RGz9iZ3Z9MQ| archive-date=2021-11-18 | url-status=dead|access-date= January 10, 2018 |publisher= Telefé Noticias }}{{cbignore}}</ref> and Todo Noticias,<ref name="TN1996">{{cite AV media |date= 1996 |title= Rosario Comen Gatos |trans-title= Rosario, they eat cats |language= es |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0X5_r1BlAU | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211118/X0X5_r1BlAU| archive-date=2021-11-18 | url-status=live|access-date= January 10, 2018 |publisher= Todo Noticias }}{{cbignore}}</ref> some citizens in a [[shanty town]] in [[Rosario, Santa Fe]], [[Argentina]], stated that, during an economic crisis, they had to feed the neighborhood children with cat meat, and commented, "It's not denigrating to eat cat, it keeps a child's stomach full".

Although the validity of these reports has been questioned in a book by journalists Gabriel Russo and Edgardo Miller,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tiempo.infonews.com/nota/89339/nunca-se-comieron-los-gatos-en-rosario |title=Nunca se comieron gatos en Rosario |language=es |url-status= dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150106103721/http://tiempo.infonews.com/nota/89339/nunca-se-comieron-los-gatos-en-rosario |archive-date=January 6, 2015 }}</ref> these authors didn't produce any evidence nor taped confession of someone stating that was responsible for the forgery. Moreover, it's been reported that the then-mayor of Rosario was the source of the rumor that the TV networks fabricated the story just to discredit the city's municipal government.<ref name="Uno2000">{{cite news |author= <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= El triste recuerdo de los "come gatos" de Rosario |trans-title= The sad memories of the "cat eaters" |url= https://www.diariouno.com.ar/pais/el-triste-recuerdo-de-los-come-gatos-de-rosario-04092014_BJG1hlWMS7 |language= es |work= Diario Uno |date= 2000 |access-date= January 10, 2018 |archive-date= January 11, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190111055205/https://www.diariouno.com.ar/pais/el-triste-recuerdo-de-los-come-gatos-de-rosario-04092014_BJG1hlWMS7 |url-status= live }}</ref> In 2013, Josefa Villalba, a former municipal council member in 1996, stated that prior to the TV reports, she reported to the local municipal government the fact that children were being fed with cats, but the municipal government heads tried to silence her.<ref name="Radio3_2013">{{cite news |author= <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= Ex concejala ratificó la existencia de comegatos en Rosario |trans-title= Former municipal council member ratified the existence of "cat eaters" in Rosario |url= https://www.rosario3.com/noticias/Ex-concejala-ratifico-la-existencia-de-comegatos-en-Rosario-20130626-0018.html |language= es |work= Diario Uno |date= June 26, 2013 |access-date= December 9, 2020 |archive-date= November 10, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201110092854/https://www.rosario3.com/noticias/Ex-concejala-ratifico-la-existencia-de-comegatos-en-Rosario-20130626-0018.html |url-status= live }}</ref> Contemporary reporting by the journalist Ricardo Luque of [[La Nación]], a newspaper of record of Argentina, reproduced a quote from an inhabitant of the shanty town, "When the kids come to ask for something to eat, there's no point in giving them anything, so we go out and hunt cats, anything to feed them".<ref name="LuqueLaNacion">{{cite news |author= Ricardo Luque |title= En una villa comen animales domésticos para sobrevivir |trans-title= In a shanty town they eat domestic animals to survive |url= https://www.lanacion.com.ar/economia/en-una-villa-comen-animales-domesticos-para-sobrevivir-nid172344/ |language= es |work= [[La Nación]] |date= May 8, 1996 |access-date= December 9, 2020 |archive-date= February 14, 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220214152842/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/economia/en-una-villa-comen-animales-domesticos-para-sobrevivir-nid172344/ |url-status= live }}</ref>

===Peru===
Cat is not a regular menu item in [[Peru]], but is used in such dishes as [[fricassee]] and stews most abundant in two specific sites in the country: the southern town of [[Chincha Alta]] ([[Ica Region]], [[Afro-Peruvian]] mostly) and the north-central [[Andean]] town of [[Huari, Peru|Huari]] ([[Ancash Region]]). Primarily used by [[Afro-Peruvian]]s, cat cooking techniques are demonstrated every September during a festival known as "El Festival Gastronomico del Gato" (the Gastronomic Festival of the Cat) or "Miaustura", part of the festival of [[Ephigenia|Saint Efigenia]] in the town of La Quebrada in [[San Luis District, Cañete]].<ref name="FEATURE - 'Cat-eaters' take note - feline feast at Peru festival">{{cite web| url = http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/12575/newsDate/28-Sep-2001/story.htm| access-date = February 16, 2008| title = 'Cat-eaters' take note — feline feast at Peru festival| date=September 28, 2001| first=Missy|last=Ryan| work = PlanetArk.com| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040911063224/http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/12575/newsDate/28-Sep-2001/story.htm| archive-date = September 11, 2004| url-status = dead}}</ref>

In October 2013, a judge banned the annual festival, which was held every September in La Quebrada to commemorate the arrival of settlers who were forced to eat cats to survive, citing it as cruel to the 100+ cats specifically bred for the event, which involves being kept in cages for a year prior the Festival. The judge also cited concerns over the safety of the meat, which drew criticism from residents who contend that cat meat is far richer than rabbit or duck, and that it has been long consumed globally without any deleterious effects.<ref>Golgowksi, Nina (October 15, 2013). [http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/judge-bans-peruvian-town-annual-cat-eating-festival-article-1.1486233 "Judge bans Peruvian town's annual cat-eating festival"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925105822/https://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/judge-bans-peruvian-town-annual-cat-eating-festival-article-1.1486233 |date=September 25, 2020 }}. ''[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]'' (New York).</ref> The festival was nevertheless held again in 2017.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://peru21.pe/lima/miaustura-festival-canete-comen-carne-gato-video-376748-noticia | title='Miaustura': El festival de Cañete donde comen carne de gato (Y que indigna a muchos) &#91;VIDEO&#93; | date=August 23, 2019 }}</ref>

That same month, magistrate María Luyo banned the festival of Curruñao in the small town of San Luis. Locals say that the festival, which sees cats being drowned, skinned, and tied to fireworks and blown up, dates back to the practice of eating cat on the part of African slaves who worked on sugar-cane plantations in colonial times, and is part of the religious celebrations of [[Ephigenia of Ethiopia|Santa Efigenia]], an African-Peruvian folk saint. Luyo stated in her ruling that the festival "fomented violence based on cruel acts against animals which caused grave social damage and damaged public health", and that minors could be "psychologically damaged" by watching the events.<ref>Collyns, Dan (October 18, 2013). [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/18/peru-judge-suspends-cat-race-feast "Claws out as Peruvian judge suspends annual cat race and feast"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160501004059/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/18/peru-judge-suspends-cat-race-feast |date=May 1, 2016 }}. ''[[The Guardian]]''.</ref>

===United States===
In December 2018, the [[Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act of 2018]] was signed into federal law, making the commercial slaughter and trade of cat meat illegal and punishable by a fine of $5,000, except as part of Native American religious ceremonies. Previous to that bill, consuming cat meat was legal in 44 states.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wrdw.com/content/news/President-Trump-Signs-the-Farm-Bill-Making-Dog-and-Cat-Meat-Illegal-in-the-United-States-503308841.html|title=President Trump signs the Farm Bill making dog and cat meat illegal in the United States|date=December 21, 2018|agency=[[Associated Press]]|work=[[WRDW-TV]]|access-date=December 27, 2018|archive-date=April 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200413153311/https://www.wrdw.com/content/news/President-Trump-Signs-the-Farm-Bill-Making-Dog-and-Cat-Meat-Illegal-in-the-United-States-503308841.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
<!-- Argentina section removed as the reference stated it was a hoax. Please, do not add it back in without a reliable source -->

== Religion ==

=== Islam ===
[[Islamic dietary laws]] forbid the consumption of cat meat as it is a terrestrial [[Predation|predator]].<ref>{{hadith-usc|usc=yes|muslim|21|4752}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|work=Sahih Muslim|title=Sahih Muslim 1934a - The Book of Hunting, Slaughter, and what may be Eaten|url=https://sunnah.com/muslim:1934a|access-date=April 20, 2024|archive-date=April 20, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240420040131/https://sunnah.com/muslim:1934a|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Judaism ===
Jewish [[Kashrut]] laws forbid consuming cat meat as it is a predator. As well as not being a predator, a mammal must both chew [[cud]] and have [[cloven hooves]] in order to be considered kosher.<ref>{{cite web|author=Rabbi Louis Jacobs|date=January 31, 2014|title=Kosher Animals|url=http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/kosher-animals/|access-date=September 15, 2017|work=My Jewish Learning|archive-date=September 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170916053137/http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/kosher-animals/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|work=Judaism 101|title=Kashrut: Jewish Dietary Laws|url=http://www.jewfaq.org/kashrut.htm|access-date=September 15, 2017|archive-date=May 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512220900/http://www.jewfaq.org/kashrut.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
== Opposition to cat meat consumption ==
As the ownership of cats as pets has become increasingly popular in [[China]], the opposition to cat meat consumption has also grown. In June 2006, a group of 40 animal welfare activists stormed Fangji Restaurant in [[Shenzhen]], a restaurant specializing in cat meat, and managed to force the restaurant to stop selling cat meat.<ref>"Activists protest against cat eating in Shenzhen." In: ''Xinhua.'' June 18, 2006. [https://archive.today/20140323174334/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-06/18/content_4712234.htm]</ref>

This occurred approximately two years after the establishment of the Chinese Animal Protection Network (CAPN),<ref>Website of the ''Chinese Animal Protection Network'' (CAPN). [http://www.capn-online.info/en.php]</ref> which began organizing well-publicized protests against the consumption of dog and cat meat in January 2006, initially in [[Guangzhou]] and then in more than ten other cities.<ref>Zheng Caixiong: "City bans popular Cantonese dish of snake and cat." In: ''China Daily.'' November 6, 2007. [http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2007-11/06/content_6232431.htm]</ref><ref>Merritt Clifton: "Guangzhou bans eating snakes--ban helps cats." In: ''Animal People.'' November 2007. [http://www.animalpeoplenews.org/07/11/guangzhoubanseatingsnakes11_07.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080304213111/http://www.animalpeoplenews.org/07/11/guangzhoubanseatingsnakes11_07.html|date=March 4, 2008}}</ref>

In February 2020, Four Paws published the market analysis report, “The Dog and Cat Meat Trade in Southeast Asia: A Threat to Animals and People", and together with the Change For Animals Foundation, called on the [[government of Vietnam]] to reinstate previous laws explicitly prohibiting the trade of cat meat.<ref name="bestforpets">{{cite web |last1=Nguồn gốc giống Mèo đông dương |title=BestForPets |url=https://bestforpets.org/dogs/ |website=vtv.vn |access-date=9 June 2023}}</ref><ref>"A FOUR PAWS report on the dog and cat meat trade in Southeast Asia" on February 11, 2020, at Dogcatmeat.four-paws.org [https://dogcatmeat.four-paws.org/the-truth/a-four-paws-report-on-the-dog-and-cat-meat-trade-in-the-southeast-asia]</ref><ref>"Spezialgericht 'Little Tiger': Handel mit Katzenfleisch in Vietnam boomt" on August 12, 2020, in Tt.com [https://www.tt.com/artikel/30746623/spezialgericht-little-tiger-handel-mit-katzenfleisch-in-vietnam-boomt]</ref>

==See also==
* [[Dog meat]]
* [[Horse meat]]
* [[List of meat animals]]
* [[Taboo food and drink]]
* [[Springfield, Ohio, cat-eating hoax]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Cats as food}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150108205708/http://www.zonaeuropa.com/20060620_1.htm Website on cat meat in southern China]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080228054018/http://www.ccapn.ngo.cn/index_EN.php Chinese Companion Animal Protection Network]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080911132233/http://www.capn.ngo.cn/ACReport2007_en.doc Chinese Animal Protection Network: Our work against consumption of cat dog meat] (Microsoft Word document)

{{Meat|state=collapsed}}
{{Cuisine}}
{{domestic cat}}

[[Category:Cats]]
[[Category:Meat by animal]]