www.Messybeast.com: a Real Eye Opener for Animal Lovers
April 2nd 2008 21:00
Messybeast. What an intriguing web site name. It came up on a Google I did about feline deformities. The name conjures up images of…well, messy beasts and other monsters, not cats. But the depth of research on this site is just astounding, especially on he feline deformities section. For those interested in feline veterinary issues there is every deformity one can think of: fat cats, large cats, dwarf cats, one-eyed cats, cats with two tails, cats with two ears, conjoined kittens, winged cats and a whole lot more. Some of the pictures are purely heartbreaking and you can understand why a vet would want to put some of these cats/kittens down.
There’s also a section on the how wide spread cat eating is in the world. The author, Sarah Hartwell, argues that the revulsion Westerners feel towards certain countries’ practices of eating cats could be due more to “Western Imperialism” than by a desire to abolish animal cruelty. Citing the example of battery hens and other “efficient” Western farming practices, Hartwell argues Westerners are just as guilty of cruelty to animals as any other culture in the world. Not only that, she says some animals routinely eaten by Westerners would be considered taboo or sacred in other cultures.
The one big eye opener is Hartwell's history of cat eating in Western countries. As an Asian, I’ve copped accusations that my relatives and I eat cats and dogs (we don’t) so I’ve always wondered if Westerners have done the same thing in history.
Hartwell is not the only person with these views. My friend Olwen says cats and dogs are like any other animal ie a food source and that Westerners should realise that not all cultures eat the same foods or share the same taboos.
The only way to avoid these taboos on a global scale is to become a vegetarian. Interesting stuff. I’ll leave it for you to be the judge but you might want to check out the links below.
Messybeast website
Messybeast cat eating section
There’s also a section on the how wide spread cat eating is in the world. The author, Sarah Hartwell, argues that the revulsion Westerners feel towards certain countries’ practices of eating cats could be due more to “Western Imperialism” than by a desire to abolish animal cruelty. Citing the example of battery hens and other “efficient” Western farming practices, Hartwell argues Westerners are just as guilty of cruelty to animals as any other culture in the world. Not only that, she says some animals routinely eaten by Westerners would be considered taboo or sacred in other cultures.
The one big eye opener is Hartwell's history of cat eating in Western countries. As an Asian, I’ve copped accusations that my relatives and I eat cats and dogs (we don’t) so I’ve always wondered if Westerners have done the same thing in history.
Hartwell is not the only person with these views. My friend Olwen says cats and dogs are like any other animal ie a food source and that Westerners should realise that not all cultures eat the same foods or share the same taboos.
The only way to avoid these taboos on a global scale is to become a vegetarian. Interesting stuff. I’ll leave it for you to be the judge but you might want to check out the links below.
Messybeast website
Messybeast cat eating section
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