Sure, humans can eat meat. But, there are certain types that we stay away from such as dog and cat meat due to the risk of transmission of parasites and bacterial infections such as Clostridium botulinum.
Despite this, there are some countries in the world where cat meat consumption is still a thing. But, never would we think that Malaysia might be one of them.
Foreign photographer, Ragib Choudhury, took to his Instagram account to showcase an alleged cat meat stall hidden away in Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur. Not only were there cats in cages but he also apparently witnessed a cat being butchered to be sold for its meat.
He wrote, “Here, was the most uneasy I’ve ever felt. Hidden away in Kuala Lumpur’s busy Chinatown, I saw people moving in and out of a very worn-down doorway. It didn’t look like a place where a tourist belonged. And so, I urged my cousin to come with me to check it out, and rightly so, he refused. I decided to go in alone to check what was happening inside.”
“Walking through the narrow corridors, I saw mini office-like cubicles, each filled to the brim with various items. All I kept thinking was, this is something out of a NatGeo magazine. I took a few quick snaps and kept moving until I saw another cubicle with something that caught my eye.”
Having heard of incidences where people eat cats, Ragib shared that he was not prepared to see it for himself.
“In front of me, I saw a kitten in a cage with a ladle resting on top. At the time, I simply thought, ‘Oh, cool. probably someone’s pet‘. Again taking a picture and moving on,”
“The building soon opened up and I realised this was an indoor market with people selling fruits, vegetables and something a little more distracting. Though as I walked in, I immediately felt all eyes watching me, as if I didn’t belong – the place was grungy, incredibly dirty and a place I knew I shouldn’t have come to.”
That’s when he stumbled upon butcher stalls, though they were not selling chicken or beef.
“There was another cage on the counter, this time with 2 adult cats. There was a label on top of the cage this time that read: Not for sale – this is my pet – not for eating,”
“I then saw a lady who was dressed what felt like a Bond villain (she looked very cool to be fair) go up to the counter and there, right in front of me, the lady butcher cut up the cat meat. They both then started looking at me as I tried to discreetly take my last photos. All I knew was that I had to, and wanted to, get out of this place quickly,” he explained.
And get out of there, he did.
He went on to add that there was something about the air there, having never felt so unsettled in his life.
If this is true, we genuinely hope that the authorities take action against the butchers and rescue the poor cats.
You can check out his post here.
What do you think about this? Do feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
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