Eating cats in China (not a joke).

[Indrajala]

This is for real. A lorry full of cats destined for hot pot.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... g-pot.html

[lowlydog]

Grrrrrrr! Woof! Woof! Woof! old habits die hard.

[pueraeternus]

This is for real. A lorry full of cats destined for hot pot.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... g-pot.html

This is disturbing and depressing. As one of comment posters in the Telegraph article wrote, eating dogs and cats are not common among the Chinese, and certainly most overseas Chinese consider that barbaric. In many of the large cities in China, the people treat pets the same way as most Westerners do.

[lowlydog]

Eating Dogs!!! "What you talking about Willis?"

[Indrajala]

This is disturbing and depressing. As one of comment posters in the Telegraph article wrote, eating dogs and cats are not common among the Chinese, and certainly most overseas Chinese consider that barbaric. In many of the large cities in China, the people treat pets the same way as most Westerners do.

Sure, but almost nobody cares about the cows which are just as intelligent and emotional as the cats...

[David N. Snyder]

Sure, but almost nobody cares about the cows which are just as intelligent and emotional as the cats...

There is no logic in exempting the meat of some animals on customary grounds while not exempting all meat.

To be consistent:
A vegetarian would not want to eat a cat just as much as not eating a cow.
An omnivore who eats a cow should be just as willing to eat a cat.

[pueraeternus]

To be consistent:
A vegetarian would not want to eat a cat just as much as not eating a cow.
An omnivore who eats a cow should be just as willing to eat a cat.

That is true to some degree. However, I think most people consider pets to be an extension of their human family, hence they don't eat them. If not, based on the above hypothesis, then an omnivore would be also willing to eat humans.

[pueraeternus]

Sure, but almost nobody cares about the cows which are just as intelligent and emotional as the cats...

True. It is true that humans tend to not want to eat animals that are considered cute, cuddly, or are culturally considered companion animals. But this is not a bad thing, since it limits the number of animals being considered as livestock.

[zenkarma]

I gather the dish is called "Tiger and Dragon Locked in Battle" and that it also contains snake. Does anyone have the recipe?

[Indrajala]

Sure, but almost nobody cares about the cows which are just as intelligent and emotional as the cats...

True. It is true that humans tend to not want to eat animals that are considered cute, cuddly, or are culturally considered companion animals. But this is not a bad thing, since it limits the number of animals being considered as livestock.

Chickens are apparently quite affectionate once you get to know them. They have good memories and remember the pecking order, so to speak.

[pueraeternus]

Chickens are apparently quite affectionate once you get to know them. They have good memories and remember the pecking order, so to speak.

chickensoupchicken.jpg (38.27 KiB) Viewed 741 times

[gregkavarnos]

I dunno about you but I find these here pretty cute and cudly:

calf.jpg (10.21 KiB) Viewed 705 times

lamb.jpg (7.75 KiB) Viewed 708 times

[nirmal]

As the saying goes in China "We'll eat any animal with its back towards the sun"

[lowlydog]

Yipes!! I might have to defend myself around here.

[gregkavarnos]

There's a joke out there, I dunno if it will be considered racist (if people take offense to it please PM me to delete it) that goes like this:

What is the only thing with four legs that a Chinese person will not eat?

The table!

Seriously though. I spent a month travelling around China and was amazed at the variety of lving beings that Chinese use in their dishes. I even had the joy of living in a hotel in Guangdong whose entrance opened into a food market. I had the snake venders stall as the first thing I saw every morning when I left the hotel.

Animal rights are a bit of a non-issue in China.

[Devotionary]

I gather the dish is called "Tiger and Dragon Locked in Battle" and that it also contains snake. Does anyone have the recipe?

As someone from Chinese descent, I actually find this quote quite funny/unfortunately true. :p

After all, chicken feet are pegged as "Phoenix Claws" in Chinese restaurants.

No wonder the Chinese also have vegetarian mock versions of everything! Mock abalone, mock duck, mock bacon, mock beef etc...

[Music]

I am a vegetarian, but is it wrong for a buddhist to eat all this? Even a buddhit has to eat to survive.

[lowlydog]

I am a vegetarian, but is it wrong for a buddhist to eat all this? Even a buddhit has to eat to survive.

Animals, even dogs exist in a constant state of generating craving and aversion, there is no escape for them. Every fibre of their body is vibrating with craving and aversion, and we wish to escape this habit. Ingesting these vibrations, what kind of vibrations will you have?

[Indrajala]

I am a vegetarian, but is it wrong for a buddhist to eat all this? Even a buddhit has to eat to survive.

Vegetarianism is a lesser of evils. If you're going to eat meat, why have a bias for cute cats while happily devouring cows and pigs?

In this case it seems people are eating the cats as a luxury (and probably as a conversation piece) rather than out of a necessity to survive, which makes the act even worse.

[Alex123]

I wonder: What if rather than euthanizing bad dogs/cats, why not make meat and sell it? If nobody buys it, then give it to the homeless for free. That seems to be better use than just euthanizing them.