'What's wrong with eating a cat?': Vietnamese man in Germany admits killing and barbecuing his neighbour's pet - but doesn't understand what's wrong with it 

  • Tran Qui used a bunsen burner to roast the cat belonging to pensioner
  • Said he missed 'tastes of home' so cooked cat and ate it with fish sauce dip
  • Police are investigating him for breaching animal cruelty and hygiene laws
  • Locals have put cat curfew on pets due to fears Qui has scoffed 30 animals

Tran Qui used a bunsen burner to roast the cat called Mungo who belonged to a local pensioner

Tran Qui used a bunsen burner to roast the cat called Mungo who belonged to a local pensioner

A Vietnamese man living in Germany has admitted killing and barbecuing his neighbour's cat - and was then bemused to find himself at the wrath of animal lovers.

'What's wrong with eating a cat?' said Tran Qui who used a bunsen burner to roast the cat called Mungo who belonged to a local pensioner.

Now local pet owners have put a cat curfew on their furry friends leaving home in the Rhineland town of Andernach as it is feared Qui may have scoffed 30 cats which have gone missing in recent months.

Police said they are investigating him for breaching both animal cruelty laws and hygiene regulations.

These specifically forbid consuming pets for food. If charged he could face up to three years behind bars.

A police spokesman said: 'He grilled the animal using a Bunsen burner in the courtyard of his block of flats. It is not uncommon in Asian cultures to eat cat meat. But it is not acceptable in Germany.'

Outraged neighbour Christina Sarwatka, cuddling her moggy Billy, said: 'Thirty cats have gone missing recently around here. I cannot let Billy out anymore. I am scared to death he will be eaten.'

Qui, a father of five, has lived in the town for two years and said he missed the 'tastes of home' - so he cooked the cat and ate it with a dip made of fish sauce, lime juice, coriander and garlic.

Despite an official ban on eating cats, restaurants in the Vietnam still offer the forbidden meat on their menus.

In fact, even in the Southeast Asian nation cat owners fear for their animals’ safety as the consumption of feline meat appears to be on the rise.

A snack of cat meat - colloquially known as 'little tiger' - is typically served with beer and eaten at the beginning of the lunar month.

Cats being sold for meat typically fetch from $50 to $70, depending on the size, which is a hefty sum for many in the impoverished nation.

While cat traders claim to breed the animals legitimately, there are hardly any regulations in place to verify this, so pet owners feat that their beloved moggies will be snatched to keep up with demand.

Feline meat is a delicacy in Vietnam. This picture  shows a cook preparing  a dish  with cat meat  at a restaurant in the country's capital Hanoi. The enduring popularity of 'little tiger' as a snack to accompany a beer in Vietnam means that cat owners live in constant fear of animal snatchers, despite an official ban

Feline meat is a delicacy in Vietnam. This picture shows a cook preparing a dish with cat meat at a restaurant in the country's capital Hanoi. The enduring popularity of 'little tiger' as a snack to accompany a beer in Vietnam means that cat owners live in constant fear of animal snatchers, despite an official ban

 

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