In the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, a group of approximately 40 demonstrators gathered to protest the sale of cat meat at the Fangji Cat Meatball restaurant. Protestors initially demanded that any live cats on the premises be freed or turned over to them, but the shop owner had already removed them from the premises. Instead, a search of the kitchen revealed cat meat and a whole, skinned cat in the fridge, which reduced some of the protestors to tears. The restaurant was chosen as the site of the protest because workers at the restaurant had been seen killing cats in the street, something which concerned parents said was traumatic for children attending school nearby.
The owner of the shop defended the sale and consumption of cats - which are, along with dogs, considered to be traditional, comforting fare in the province - but said that he would close his shop.
Perhaps due to outside influences and the increasing popularity of having dogs and cats as pets, the animal rights movement is gaining momentum in China. An increasing perception of these animals as companions and not food could eventually put a stop to the practice all together.
A local beauty queen, who participated in the protest, even urged people to "stop eating cats and dogs and become civilised."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-18-2006 @ 6:53PM
dan said...
But what I want to know is: how does it /taste?/
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6-18-2006 @ 8:40PM
Franz Hemingbeck said...
I've eaten both cat and dog in China and I found both to be sumptuous once I got past my initial squeamishness.
I think it is human prejudice to keep some animals as pets, while turning others into meals. People should be able to eat whatever animal they want as long as it isn't endangered.
And like it or not, Fluffy and Spot taste just as good as Elsie and Rocky Jr.
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6-18-2006 @ 10:56PM
Camille Bauman said...
Franz certainly has a point, but....you won't catch me eating any pussy.
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6-18-2006 @ 11:24PM
Angela Pitt said...
May my cats forgive me for saying this; there are more than one way to skin a cat. My love to you always, Mickie, Max, Shrimpy and Michelangela (my cats, living and deceased.) I'll never eat any cat or
dog, sorry.
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6-18-2006 @ 11:38PM
Ming said...
That beauty queen's comment is part of a movement in china to become more western. Just like that artile a few week back regarding starbucks in china. The chinese associate everything western with prestige and success, like drinking coffee even when they don't like it.
This is a case of the same, her comment is show that she's "civilized" and western.
I agree with the above commentor, let people eat what they want as long as it isn't endangered.
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6-19-2006 @ 12:02AM
Hawk said...
Either let people eat any kind of animal, no matter what its status... or let people eat no animals.
Elevating some to 'ok' status and leaving others as fit to be stuffed into pens, unabled to move or see daylight.. that seems a lot like human society's stance on mind-altering substance, acceptable speech, etc.
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6-19-2006 @ 5:45AM
James said...
Homer ate his pet lobster. :p
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6-19-2006 @ 1:50PM
Cameron said...
If you won't eat a cat or a dog, why do you eat any other animal? It's not fluffy and cute, so its ok?
I'll get flamed to high hell for this, especially on a food blog, but no animals should be eaten, fluffy or otherwise.
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6-19-2006 @ 3:14PM
Franz Hemingbeck said...
If it bleeds, I feed.
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6-19-2006 @ 4:08PM
James said...
#8 Cameron
Animals are a foodsource whether you and your animal loving hippies buddies like it or not. I highly doubt your cavemen ancestors were vegans.
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6-19-2006 @ 4:48PM
Cameron said...
#10
Well, perhaps they weren't but now we know better, and I'd like to think we've evolved. I certainly don't want to be equated with "cavemen", do you? Kunckle-dragger.
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6-19-2006 @ 10:11PM
nox said...
Well, perhaps they weren't but now we know better, and I'd like to think we've evolved. I certainly don't want to be equated with "cavemen", do you? Kunckle-dragger.
There's no reason to be calling names here. I wholeheartedly support the eating of any animal, as long as its not endangered. I daresay that you 'hippy' evolved types will eat animals such as cat or dog be there a food scarcity one day. Might I even dare to imagine that you might be lowered to even eating rat?
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7-06-2006 @ 9:32AM
Cara said...
May i please point out that all maner of wierd things being eaten are considered normal these days. Such as frogs limb and snails and in some country's, poisonus fish?
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