NETIZENS have expressed shock and horror following an Instagram post by a foreign photographer of an alleged cat butcher operating in Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur.
In the post, Ragib Choudhury from the United Kingdom attached several photographs of the outlet, which looks like any other butcher stall, except there were cats and kittens in cages.
According to him, he noticed people moving in and out of a very worn-down doorway in Chinatown and it did not look like a place where a tourist belonged.
“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 was 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. I had heard stories that people eat cats but it’s always been very difficult to picture it.
“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,” he wrote.
He said the building soon opened up and he realised it was an indoor market with people selling fruits, vegetables, and other things.
“As I walked in, I immediately felt all eyes watching me, as if I didn’t belong – the place was grunge, incredibly dirty, and a place I knew you shouldn’t have come to.
“As I kept walking, I felt like anything could’ve happened and yet I had to take a moment to process what I was seeing.
“I saw a butcher. Though one that wasn’t selling chicken or beef. There was another cage on the counter, this time with two 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’.
Ragib said he saw a lady go up to the counter and, there right in front of him, she cut up the alleged cat meat.
“They were 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.
“I raced for another dishevelled doorway and made it out. But there was something about the air in that place, I have never felt so unsettled in my life than when I was there,” he added.
Following his post, netizens are urging police and relevant authorities to investigate and take the necessary action.
Though expressing shock and disbelief, it was also pointed out that there have been cases of cat meat being sold in Malaysia in the past.
In 2019, The New Straits Times reported that Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) had learned of some foreigners in Selangor and Johor Baru who were allegedly killing cats and dogs for consumption.
Earlier in 2017, Harian Metro reported about how cats were being killed and sold for their meat for only RM12 per cat. – The Vibes, February 7, 2024
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