The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-02-20
FEEDING ON FELINES.
sausaGes In New York that are said to |
made OF Cat Meat.


made OF Cat Meat.
The New York Mercury asserts that
some of the residents OF that city are ac-
customed to buying sausages and other
food partly made up of the flesh of
young kittens. The Mercury says men
go about at night hunting cats, which
they put into bags as soon as caught.
It's article continues:
When q sufficient number OF victims
has been obtained, the cat-hunter takes
his homeward way and empties his bag
of his evenings spoils. The largest and
fattest having been selected, they are
quickly killed, either being knocked in
the head or having their throats cut,
while those too lean are reserved to fat
ten for future use. The slaughtered
cat is then skinned, the skin being of
some value, especially the white and
black ones, and the meat prepared for
chopping Mixed with little bull
meat, or sometimes alone, it is then
chopped and made into the desired
bolognas, and is ready for sale. Most
of these cat hunters manufacture the
sausages and sell them themselves, thus
combining the occupations of manufac.
turer and tradesman on the smallest
scale, while others sell the meat to small
butchers. The manner in which this
business in cats was discovered and in
vestigated is of interest. Certain Off
cials, a few months ago, in tour through
the eastern part of the city in search of
alleged abuses, were surprised to find
evidence of this traffic in more ways
than one. A reporter of the Mercury
discovered three or four men who made
business of getting, keeping, and
breeding cats. Two Of these men manu-
factured and sold bologna sausages in
quantities. A woman told the reporter,
not knowing his errand, that short
time ago she had purchased one of these
sausages, but its appearance and taste
was so peculiar that she was afraid to
eat it, and threw it away. 1t is most
difficult to obtain accurate information,
as these men are most reticent regard
ing themselves. Many of them do not
speak any English, and are evidently
afraid their business will be discovered.
The cats, when caught, are sorted out,
and those reserved for fattening are
kept either in large boxes or in small
yards adjoining their captors' houses.
The advantage of the boxes is, that they
can be more easily concealed and kept
in smaller compass, sometimes in small
cellar or room but they are not pre-
served in such good condition in this
way as when allowed more freedom, 80
it is not resorted to except in cases of
necessity. The boxes have Stats nailed
in front Of them, and the occupants are
fed at stated intervals with some iatten-
ing compound. When yard is used,
the tops of the surrounding. walls are
smeared with substance known to
these cat-dealcrs which the animals de-
test and will not cross. A collection of
cats thus imprisoned presented most
amusing spectacle when seen by the re-
porter. About hundred cats, of all
sizes and ages, were sleeping, eating,
quarreling and caterwauling in various
attitudes. All grades of cat society
were represented, from the handsome
Angora and Maltese, to the prosaic,
homely backyard Tom, that makes night
hideous with his yells, and murders
sleep. Great care has to be used, it is
said, to prevent the old Tom cats from
eating their young. The "uncles,
cousins, and aunts" could indeed be
reckoned up by DOZENS" and seemed
to constitute anything but happy
family.