Most civilized people shudder with horror to learn that the Koreans, Vietnamese and Chinese eat cats with the same appetite with which Europeans eat beef or poultry. How is it possible? After all, a cat is a purely domestic creature, it is our companion, friend, and family pet! This is disgusting and disgusting. But for Asians, the question “Can I eat cats” has long been resolved: “Of course. It’s not only delicious, but also incredibly healthy.” Let's take a closer look at the culinary preferences of cat lovers.
So, why and where do they eat cats consciously, knowing that it is cat meat on the plate? Of course, first of all, this is the birthplace of four great inventions - Celestial China. Eating snakes, scorpions, cockroaches, beetle larvae and unfortunate iguanas, which are butchered alive right in front of the buyer, is no longer shocking to anyone. But the fact that they eat cats in China causes either an attack of pity for the underappreciated rat catchers, or an attack of nausea (and more often than not, both). From the Cantonese recipe book you can learn how to properly butcher cats, how to prepare soups, stews and other cat dishes. The Chinese eat cats not as a special delicacy (although in recent years one can increasingly see exactly this wording in the media), but as inexpensive meat that is accessible to all segments of the population. Every Chinese can afford soup or fried cat meat, but for some reason dishes made from intestines and internal organs are much more expensive.
Of course, restaurateurs relish this phenomenon in a special way and make money out of thin air. In China, the popular dish “Battle of the Dragon and the Tiger” is snake meat plus cat meat with rice and vegetables. The “delicacy” costs quite a lot at minimal cost. Snakes are collected directly from the swamps. Cats are captured all over the country, stuffed by the hundreds into bamboo cages and transported by train to southern China, where a large number of cat lovers live. No expenses for raising animals - everything is “natural”.
If someone is indifferent to the fact that cats are eaten in China, then hardly anyone will remain indifferent to the method of killing animals. Cats, like dogs, are beaten to death with sticks and hung by the neck. It is believed that due to the huge amount of adrenaline in the blood, the meat becomes more tender and tasty...
In addition to the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom, cats are eaten in Korea and Vietnam. Fortunately for the barbels, Koreans eat cats much less often than dogs. However, tourists should be vigilant, since to this day you can taste this “exclusive” in many restaurants in Korea. But the Vietnamese consume cat meat for health purposes, believing that this meat helps with asthma, tuberculosis, heart and other diseases. In the backyards of Vietnamese restaurants you can often see cages with assorted cats - a clear sign that you should not order meat from this establishment.
Various animal rights organizations regularly hold protests against the consumption of cat and dog meat. Some provinces in China have banned the sale of cat meat. The authorities are especially harsh against restaurateurs, ranging from large fines to prison sentences for violators. Fortunately, the new generation is voluntarily abandoning the creepy tradition: young people are embarrassed to admit that in childhood, out of ignorance, they ate the meat of cats or dogs, and are promoting a friendly attitude towards these animals.
It’s scary to imagine, but there are countries where they eat cats out of ignorance. To the horror of his compatriots, this includes Russia. The joke “buy three shawarmas - build a cat” is only partly a joke. Cat meat can actually be found in a delicious concoction wrapped in pita bread (as can dog meat). Can you guess in which country they eat cats, mistaking a cat carcass for a rabbit carcass? That's right, in Russia. But we are not alone: for example, a Brazilian woman will never buy a rabbit whose legs have been cut off, since it is by these that one can determine whether the merchant is trying to slip a cat instead of a rabbit.
Is there any benefit?
Asian nutritionists and epidemiologists regularly publish in the media, telling why cats should not be eaten. They refute the myths that cat meat supposedly has medicinal properties and can somehow help in the fight against the disease. In part, the publication of scientific data is another way to prevent a decline in the number of cats in Asian countries. After all, the disappearance of cats means an increase in the rodent population and huge losses associated with crop damage.
Veterinarians often hear owners ask whether a cat can eat its kittens. Unfortunately, this phenomenon sometimes occurs and affects not only dead but also living cubs. This strange behavior occurs much less frequently in cats than in rabbits and pigs. However, a person who decides to start breeding cats needs to learn about their cannibalism in a timely manner in order to promptly take all the necessary measures to prevent this extremely unpleasant phenomenon.
When is it normal for a cat to eat kittens?
In some cases, the fact that a cat eats its newborn kittens is a normal instinctive behavior that is dictated by nature, and does not mean that there is something wrong with the animal.
Normal reasons why a cat ate a kitten include the following cases::
- stillborn kittens - the inanimate offspring are eaten by the cat along with the afterbirth to quickly restore strength and prevent damage to the den due to the decomposition of the kittens;
- sick offspring - the cat instinctively immediately knows whether the kittens were born healthy or sick. By nature, the animal has an instinct to raise only strong and healthy kittens, the waste of energy on which is justified in relation to procreation. Even when a domestic cat is well-fed and strong, it will not feed the sick offspring and will eat it immediately after birth or in the immediate hours after it;
- prematurity of kittens - if a cat has a miscarriage, she most often does not abandon the kittens, but eats them along with the afterbirth. She herself receives many nutrients from this that help her recover from a miscarriage;
- a very numerous litter - if more kittens are born than the cat can feed, she will keep only the strongest and strongest, and eat the weak ones without waiting for them to die. A cat can give birth to too many kittens every time;
- exhaustion of the body - if a cat brought a second offspring very quickly after the first, then, in order to save her life, she will kill the second litter, since her body is too weakened and she is not able to feed newborn kittens a second time. A female can normally give birth and raise kittens only once a year;
- lack of food (the pet does not suffer from this if it is fed correctly) - if a cat is starving, it cannot raise kittens and eats them to preserve its own life. In the future, she will be able to continue the family line.
In all these cases, the phenomenon of cannibalism, although unpleasant, is natural and should not frighten the owner. It is not fixed and is not preserved in instinct in a cat, so in the future it will not spread in a strong female to healthy offspring under favorable living conditions. If there is an adult cat in the house, then it can kill the kittens, not the cat. In such a situation, cats eat their kittens after finding them dead.
Pathological causes
A cat can eat kittens for unnatural reasons. The main ones include:
- hormonal imbalance, due to which the maternal instinct is not formed;
- mental disorders in the female;
- severe stress at the time of birth, leading to the fact that kittens are not perceived as offspring.
For such reasons, the eating of kittens is usually repeated over and over again, and the cat cannot be bred. The only way to preserve the offspring of such an unfortunate mother is to isolate the kittens from her immediately after birth. After this, the owner must independently feed the offspring, which is quite difficult.
In order to reduce the likelihood of your cat eating kittens, you need to provide her with proper feeding and proper care. If during pregnancy the owner maintains the good condition of the cat, then the risk that the kittens will be sick or the cat will not be able to raise them will be minimal. When a pet is put into breeding for the first time, it is worth consulting with a veterinarian and showing him the animal regularly throughout pregnancy.
The answer to the question do cats eat kittens is yes..
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Cats have a very well developed maternal instinct; it tightly bonds the baby and the mother. Thus, she completely surrenders to the child, showing maximum tenderness and love. But sometimes something makes us think about whether cats eat their kittens, or whether this is another unjustified legend. And to our horror, once again harsh reality wins.
Why do cats eat kittens?
It is rare, but it happens that cats eat their kittens, this happens immediately after the babies are born. In this case, maternal instinct and the smell of colostrum remained far in the shadow of cannibalism.
The reasons for devouring a baby are not as terrible as the fact of what is happening. Cats usually eat the placenta and kittens that are stillborn. Sometimes they can harm the baby when they gnaw the umbilical cord, or accidentally destroy it along with the placenta. But the mother can do this quite consciously. There are several reasons why cats eat their kittens. If a baby is born weak or with physical disabilities, then it is quite possible that he is doomed to die. Thus, the mother brings into life only strong and hardy offspring.
Another reason why a cat eats her kittens is that the animal’s maternal instinct may not be sufficiently expressed, and the baby, again, is thrown to the mercy of fate. Nature makes its life selection with particular cruelty.
Why do cats eat kittens?
The birth of babies usually takes place in a safe, warm and cozy place that the mother herself considers suitable for her babies. But there are such unfortunate cases when cats reveal where the kittens are and brutally kill them. They eat not only their own, but also other people's cubs.
For thousands of years there has been a theory that animals do this 
to bring the cat back to being ready to mate. Having given birth to babies, the mother loses all interest in the opposite sex, giving the child all her care and love, and the loss of the cubs provokes a new estrus.
Some experts believe that cats eat other people's kittens to make room for their offspring. And if they kill male cubs, it means they want to get rid of competitors in the future who will be able to lay claim to females and territory.
The animal world is quite cruel and sometimes has nothing to do with morality. But we must understand that their behavior probably has a reasonable explanation, because reflexes and a stereotype of actions have been formed over many millennia.
And are you with her? And finally, the long-awaited day has come when you will become a cat grandparent? The fact that tiny meowing lumps do not leave anyone indifferent - no one will argue. But... when you wake up in the morning, you realize with horror that there are no kittens in the box, but there is your cat, who is licking her lips satiatedly... What happened? Where did the kittens go? And, did your sweet, affectionate and kind cat... eat her babies?
Today, in our cat section, we decided to talk about one of the abnormal examples of cat behavior, this is a situation when a cat eats its offspring. Why is this happening? How can this be prevented? And is it worth punishing a cat for such a terrible offense?
Strong maternal instinct
Animals, especially females, have a very strong maternal instinct. Nature has established that a mother cat should take care of her kittens. Thus, there are many cases where a cat bravely rushed to protect her babies from a threat, and even sacrificed her life to save their lives. Based on this, we can assume that cat behavior such as destroying its offspring falls into the category of abnormal. However, animal psychologists and veterinarians argue that one should not rush to such an ambiguous conclusion. Very often there is a completely logical explanation for such, by our standards, brutal behavior.
Let us consider how such processes occur in Nature. Having given birth to offspring, the cat feels responsible for it, since it is she who must feed her kittens. But when the cat realizes that she doesn’t have enough milk for everyone... the mechanism of natural selection turns on. The cat chooses the most viable, active and strong kittens - these are the ones she will feed. But she refuses the weak or sick, preferring not to waste her milk on them. And, if in Nature a mother can abandon her baby, then at home, the cat understands that she will not be able to abandon him, therefore... in order not to torment the creature she gave birth to, and not to prolong its torment... the cat eats it.
By the way, a cat can also eat a kitten that has genetic abnormalities or diseases incompatible with life. Here again the principle of natural selection comes into play. And although in the “apartment” conditions it would be possible to leave such a sick kitten, the instincts of Nature in the cat are too strong. Thus, veterinarians and animal psychologists are still surprised at how a cat manages to identify a non-viable kitten or one with a developmental defect that is incompatible with life...
Third wheel
No matter how warm and friendly your relationship with your cat is, or perhaps even how much you were with her during the entire birth, picking up a newborn kitten is strictly prohibited. Your interference and curiosity can cost the baby his life. After all, a cat will perceive a baby who no longer has her scent as a stranger. And, with a stranger, and such a defenseless one at that, the conversation is short. By the way, you need to be especially careful with kittens born by caesarean section. The maternal instinct towards them in the cat’s body is asleep, since the birth was unnatural and all the natural instincts in her body did not start, therefore, she a priori perceives small kittens as strangers.
That is why there are often cases when cats who gave birth to kittens in this way abandoned them and never recognized the fact of their motherhood.
If you notice that your cat is behaving aggressively towards her offspring, it is better to isolate the kittens from her. The babies will have to look for another mother (not all cats are aggressive towards other people's kittens) or you will have to feed them with special mixtures. It is quite obvious that the babies’ chances of survival are not great, and everything will depend on your efforts and care, but at least the mother cat won’t eat them...
Wild chance
Nature dictates that after giving birth a cat eats the placenta and... stillborn kittens. However, due to a state of shock or temporary clouding of reason - call it what you want, the animal can confuse a living kitten with a dead one, and, carried away by eating the placenta, eat it too.
Also, there are often cases when, by gnawing the umbilical cord, a cat causes serious damage to babies. And, in this case, so that the kitten does not suffer, since it is no longer viable (by her standards)… she eats it.
Cats are selfish
All cats are a little selfish at heart, who do not like and do not want to share their owner with anyone else. In some individuals, such selfishness goes a little off scale and takes on hyperactive forms. Therefore, the cat sees the kittens as a potential threat to itself. Another candidate for a place in her master’s heart is not at all included in her plans, therefore, it is not surprising that she is trying to get rid of him as quickly as possible, and with such brutal methods.
By the way, cats that give birth to kittens for the first time are prone to this behavior. Therefore, owners of first-born cats need to be very careful... Selfishness can take over maternal instincts and a cat can eat its offspring, in which it will not recognize its children, but will only see competitors...
Cats are cannibals
A clear demonstration of a serious violation of the maternal instinct is cat cannibalism. It is noteworthy that cats that live in groups are more susceptible to this phenomenon. This often happens in nurseries. Such behavior indicates serious psycho-emotional disorders in the cat, as well as the lability of its psyche. In the case of such tendencies, it is better for the animal not to have any more offspring.
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 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 talk about where cats are eaten in Europe and other parts of the world.
Cat meat is taboo
Considering the questions of where cats are eaten, in which country, it should be said that in most parts of our planet, cat meat is considered taboo, that is, a food whose consumption for religious or social reasons is not welcomed and rejected. If any modern person in Western society is pointed to a certain dish and told that it is fried cat meat, then that person's hair will stand on end and, to put it mildly, he will lose his appetite. This reaction is purely psychological in nature and is associated with cultural values and the society in which a person grew up.
However, if the same words are said to, for example, a Chinese person, 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 prohibited for consumption?
When asked where cats are eaten in Europe, it should be said that nowhere, since European Union legislation prohibits the consumption of meat from this domestic animal. There are two reasons for this: firstly, in Europe, cat meat is considered taboo, and secondly, this ban is related to sanitary standards. Unlike beef or pork, there are no sanitary checks for cat meat to check for any pests or disease vectors that could be dangerous to humans. Therefore, any trade in cat meat faces heavy fines and arrest.
A ban on eating cat meat 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 where he offers his visitors to try fried cat meat prepared according to his grandmother’s famous recipe. Moreover, in his video, Moritz assured that in Switzerland, the meat of this domestic fluffy animal is consumed by 3% of his compatriots.
In the end, it turned out that the video was a “duck” and that Moritz Brunner and the restaurant did not exist. The video was filmed specifically by one of the organizations advocating for animal rights, which, using the example of cat meat, promoted their slogans to stop eating this animal product altogether.
Italian scandal
And yet, questions about where cats are eaten, in which European country, are not without meaning. A striking example is Italy. In 2013, the Association for the Protection of Animal Rights raised the alarm because it became known that many restaurants in Rome and other major cities used cat meat in their dishes, which was passed off as domestic rabbit meat.
Why Italy? In the first decade of the 21st 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 restaurants in Italy got their meat from. At the same time, the “cat business” was carried out not only in Rome, but also in many regions of the north of the country. All people involved in this case were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 3 to 18 months, as Italian law provides for this punishment for any abuse of domestic animals. However, there are still places in Italy where cats are eaten illegally.
Where else was cat meat consumed in Europe?
It is quite difficult to answer this question, since almost all countries ate cats. Cats came to Europe from eastern countries, and were introduced as a means of fighting rats. The rapid reproduction of these domestic predators was successfully used by people for their cuisine; this happened, as a rule, during periods of famine. In the Middle Ages, however, cat meat was considered a poor man's food.
If we consider recent history, we can say the following: it is known for sure that in 1940 in Germany the consumption of meat from dogs, cats and other animals, including animals from the zoo, was legalized. 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 “little flowers”
If we expand the list of countries where cats are eaten beyond Europe, then we must say that there are currently 2 countries where the meat of this animal can be sold and bought legally. These are China and South Korea. You can also buy cat cutlets illegally in Vietnam, Tahiti and the Hawaiian Islands (US state).
In China, a country where they eat dogs and cats, 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 prepared using meat, which is prohibited in the rest of the planet.
As for South Korea, it is generally estimated that about 8-10% of the population consumes cat meat.
The struggle in Vietnam and especially in Tahiti with the commercialization of the meat of the animal in question has led to little; in Tahiti, dishes based on it are considered traditional and are too closely related to the culture of the peoples of the country. In Vietnam, as well as in South Korea and China, there are too many people, but very limited resources for raising, for example, piglets or cows, so pet meat will be in demand here for a long time.
However, in recent decades there has been a strong influence of Western culture on these countries, which has led to a significant reduction in the volume of trade in cat meat, and in some cases to its complete abandonment. A striking example is the ban on all trade in cat and dog meat in Taiwan in 2017.
Why do many organizations in the world oppose the consumption of animal meat?
If we take into account the countries where cats are eaten legally, then the whole problem lies not in the very fact of the ban on meat for Westerners, but in how the extraction takes place. The fact is that cats and dogs are literally abused before they are eaten. In particular, they are kept in cages for weeks and months and inhumane methods are used to kill them. That is why many animal rights organizations, and many citizens of different countries, oppose the consumption of domestic animal meat for human consumption.
