China may ban eating dogs and cats

China is apparently succumbing to pressure from its affluent middle class to stop eating dogs and cats. Which I suppose is a good thing. As a pet owner, I'd much rather not eat my cat -- or have anyone else eat her for that matter. But why the taboo? Yes, pet owners do come to regard their pets as part of their families -- akin to having children -- but why just dogs and cats? There are people who keep pigs, cows, horses, etc., yet we don't seem to have the emotional reaction to their consumption -- either by us or in the meat that feed our beloved dogs and cats.

I think the taboo is silly, but also think our general consumption of meat needs to be rethought. Generally, we're ravenous when it comes to meat -- vegetarians excepted. There is a huge environmental cost to its consumption, and the taking of a life, regardless of whether it was raised specifically for that purpose, is done without a second thought. There is little respect or thanks given for the life that is taken to feed our needs -- our wants.

I'm guilty as well. It's easy to not wonder about it when the killing is done for us, far away from our homes and the meat is packaged clinically and sold in boutique environment. Like everything else we shop for at the grocery store, we never wonder where it came from, and never wonder if there was pain and suffering involved -- or if any thanks was every given.

I was recently told of a friend's daughter who asked if the cow slaughtered for the dinner table was afraid as it was led to its end. We exercise our imagination so little. Yes, yes, the cow that is your steak was afraid. Just imagine what your dog or cat would feel if you led it through a slaughter house for dogs and cats.

in reference to: Dogs and cats to be taken off menus in China | MNN - Mother Nature Network (view on Google Sidewiki)

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