Eating Cat in the North of Spain in the Early Twentieth Century

Consumption of Domestic Cat in Madagascar: Frequency, Purpose, and Health Implications

“…Despite their often sentimental associations with humans (Medina 2007), cats are consumed (Schwabe 1996) for different reasons throughout the world and it is likely that millions of pet and feral cats are consumed globally per year; one report estimated that 4 million cats are consumed annually in Asia alone (Bartlett and Clifton 2003). In Cameroon, cat meat is consumed because it is believed that it will bring good luck (Ngwa-Niba 2003), while cats are raised and eaten for cultural reasons by farmers in Switzerland (Hall 2013).…”

“…Cats may also be a preferred food for individuals who have the economic flexibility to choose their protein sources, as wealthy individuals in China have also reported consuming cat meat (Yiu 2012). In addition to this, the consumption of cat meat has occasionally been linked to food insecurity, with one researcher describing it as a "famine food" (Medina 2007). For instance, French soldiers reported consuming cat during the Second World War (Medina 2007), Peruvians host an annual festival to honor their ancestors who were forced to consume cat meat for sustenance (Golgoswki 2011), and Italians have also resorted to consuming cat when other meats were not available (Clancy 2010).…”

“…In addition to this, the consumption of cat meat has occasionally been linked to food insecurity, with one researcher describing it as a "famine food" (Medina 2007). For instance, French soldiers reported consuming cat during the Second World War (Medina 2007), Peruvians host an annual festival to honor their ancestors who were forced to consume cat meat for sustenance (Golgoswki 2011), and Italians have also resorted to consuming cat when other meats were not available (Clancy 2010). Finally, although cat meat has been consumed historically-a recipe for cat can be found in one of the oldest cook books known in Europe from the 15th century-the sociocultural norms surrounding its consumption may be changing given that the status of animals as "edible" or "inedible" changes in time and space (Medina 2007).…”

“…Finally, although cat meat has been consumed historically-a recipe for cat can be found in one of the oldest cook books known in Europe from the 15th century-the sociocultural norms surrounding its consumption may be changing given that the status of animals as "edible" or "inedible" changes in time and space (Medina 2007). For example, as cats are increasingly viewed as pets, they may not be viewed as suitable for consumption (Medina 2007). Therefore, it is likely that cat-meat consumption differs based on social norms, economic circumstances, and personal preferences.…”

“…However, cat meat has been omitted from previous meat consumption studies in Madagascar (e.g., Razafimanahaka et al 2012), despite the presence of cats in many areas of the country (Junge et al 2008) and their status as a possible source of meat among Malagasy people (Tucker 2007). This may be because cat meat is not typically consumed in western cultures (Medina 2007) and non-local researchers may not have studied all potential food sources if they were considered "inedible" in their home cultures (MacClancy, Henry and Macbeth 2007). Thus the extent to which cat consumption may be used as a fallback food by poor, food-insecure Malagasy communities remains unclear.…”