Cat Kebab, Anyone? Urban Hunters Caught in the Act

Michael Wester | Feb 10, 2014 9:00 am | 7 comments | 6692 reads

As if we don't have enough to worry about in terms of food safety here in Beijing, this tidbit arrived in this morning's Beijing News: Urban trappers in Xicheng District caught red-handed with stray cats in their traps say they intended to sell their bounty to Beijing streetside barbecue joints for use as lamb kebab meat.

The drama unfolded last week when a cat enthusiast who takes care of neighborhood strays caught a youth checking a trap she noticed nearby. In an apparent bid to outrage bird enthusiasts as well, the thieves had baited their traps with live sparrows.

The woman, surnamed Li, says the hunters claimed to have caught over 100 cats during the New Year holiday.

Because apparently there are no laws on the books regarding urban trapping, the two men were jailed for 10 days for "stealing."

With major retailers playing bait and switch with exotic-species delights (such as when Wal-Mart was caught selling fox as donkey meat in January) it should come as no surprise that streetside kebab sellers would slip through the regulatory gauntlet.

Officials reminded citizens that as delicious as stray cat kebab might sound, there are no food safety regulations on cat meat, so it's quite difficult to determine the safety of consuming it. In the interest of avoiding contracting such diseases as rabies and cat scratch fever from the felines, it's best not to eat them.

Photos: The Beijing News

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Re: Cat Kebab, Anyone? Urban Hunters Caught in the Act
Posted Feb 12, 2014 5:55pm by admin
(Reply to a previous comment)

Designated Drinker wrote:

and to think...Russian is probably just wasting all that good dog meat in Sochi...

probably related

"Comrade Xi, do me one solid and take heat off dog cull in Sochi by releasing horrendous pet news in your country, da?"

 

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Re: Cat Kebab, Anyone? Urban Hunters Caught in the Act
Posted Feb 12, 2014 5:49pm by admin
(Reply to a previous comment)

britomart wrote:

Well... If they're going to start trapping and killing the only natural predators of the city's immense rodent population, I do hope that the next step will be rat kebabs once all the felines are gone.

 

Biggrin Biggrin Biggrin Biggrin

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Re: Cat Kebab, Anyone? Urban Hunters Caught in the Act
Posted Feb 12, 2014 5:13pm by Designated Drinker

and to think...Russian is probably just wasting all that good dog meat in Sochi...

Re: Cat Kebab, Anyone? Urban Hunters Caught in the Act
Posted Feb 12, 2014 9:11am by britomart

Well... If they're going to start trapping and killing the only natural predators of the city's immense rodent population, I do hope that the next step will be rat kebabs once all the felines are gone.

Doubt wisely; in strange way / To stand inquiring right is not to stray; / To sleep, or run wrong, is. (Donne, Satire III)

Re: Cat Kebab, Anyone? Urban Hunters Caught in the Act
Posted Feb 10, 2014 2:13pm by Designated Drinker

Here kitty kitty....

Re: Cat Kebab, Anyone? Urban Hunters Caught in the Act
Posted Feb 10, 2014 1:52pm by admin

If what I've been eating at beijing roadside chuar stands has in fact been cat meat all along, I'd like to express my love for it right now.

Animal rights (and general kitty cuteness) issues aside, I see cat hunting as just about the only effective way I can imagine for the city to get a grip on the out-of-control stray cat population.

Of course it would only be a matter of time before ubran vagrants would begin kittynapping from peoples' houses to line their pockets.

 

 

Books by current and former Beijinger staffers

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Re: Cat Kebab, Anyone? Urban Hunters Caught in the Act
Posted Feb 10, 2014 9:42am by charlesliu

"Because apparently there are no laws on the books regarding urban trapping, the two men were jailed for 10 days for "stealing.""

I am outraged. Is there nothing sacred left?

If you're going to sell cat meat to be used as "lamb kebabs" at BBQ stands, be sure to own your cats first. Don't these people know the law?