| In some countries you wouldn't want to keep your cat in an outdoor cat house or hardly even let them outside or at least not let them run free as the chances of them disappearing is too great. In most Western cultures, cats are rarely eaten outside of extremely desperate times. However, cat meat is sometimes used to prepare regional dishes in some areas of China and Korea. Some outrage has been generated when cats have been confused with the Civet cat (also sometimes called a "bearcat"), an Asian animal related to the mongoose that slightly resembles the domestic cat and is occasionally used as a source of human food. In many developing countries there is much poverty that can lead to people going to great and often times desperate lengths to obtain food. It is not at all uncommon for cats or dogs (as well as rodents) to be eaten if they can be caught. One time while living in India a country that is predominately Hindu and therefore vegetarian I was very shocked to see a group of people that where living on the street, skinning a cat and preparing it for the pot. In some Latin countries there is also a custom of preparing cat dishes at part of certain native foods. This trend is usually confined to the rural areas of these countries as opposed to many Asian countries where eating cat or dog is considered a delicacy and eaten by all with relish. Any country that has a portion of its populace surviving beneath the poverty line will probably pose significant risk to your pet feline if you are not careful. The simplest thing to do is not get your cat a outdoor house but rather have them live indoors with you and your family. |
