Harrowing footage of Vietnam’s cat meat trade

Harrowing footage from a Vietnamese meat market shows helpless cats being stuffed into rusty ‘death cages’ to be skinned, butchered and boiled. Known as ‘little tiger’, cat meat is considered a source of strength in the Southeast Asian country, supposedly warding off bad luck and boosting libido.

Some of the cats in the video are wearing collars, suggesting they were once pets before they were snatched. A local cat rescuer called Quyen took the video in Ho Chi Minh City last month to show the world about the superstitious trade. Michele Brown, CEO of Fight Dog Meat charity, shared the video, adding: ‘Cats are the forgotten victims of the dog meat trade

‘Recently dog meat has drawn a lot of attention, but cats get almost noneThe tradition is wrapped in superstition. The meat is eaten at the start of every month to ward off bad luck, boost libido, and even to gain the agility of the cat.
‘But it’s a dreadful situation. The butchers want tough meat so they terrorise the cats in the belief it will flood them with adrenaline. ‘Cats are space sensitive, so they throw them all in the death cages and kill them outside then lay the carcasses on top. ‘Some of these cats are house pets taken from the streets by snatchers, you can hear how terrified they are.’


Cat meat is considered a delicacy in Vietnam, and specialty restaurants that serve it are reportedly booming, with dishes fetching as much as £57. Ms Brown said people in Vietnam have died from eating the meat, which she says is occasionally sourced from stray cats. ‘Despite this, I am still coming across foreigners with a “when in Rome attitude” to trying it out. ‘This is all the more reason to help the animal rescue teams and raise awareness.’


Metro.co.uk