Cat Casserole to Save Australia's Wildlife

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Friday, August 31, 2007 3:08 AM

[AntiFurSociety] Cat Casserole Plan to Save Australia's Wildlife

 

 

Cat casserole plan to save Australia's wildlife

By Nick Squires in Sydney

Last Updated: 2:54am BST 31/08/2007

 

An Australian has come up with a novel solution to the millions of

feral cats roaming the Outback: eat them.

 

A feral cat will eat almost anything that moves, including lizards,

small mammals and spiders

 

Wild cats - the escaped descendants of domestic cats - kill millions

of small native animals each year. Now the tables have turned and

they find themselves on the menu.

 

A bush tucker competition held at the weekend in Alice Springs, in

the Red Centre of the continent, featured something new: wild cat

casserole.

 

" It's a white meat, " said Kay Kessing, who came up with the

recipe. " They vary a lot. The first cat I cooked didn't have a strong

flavour. I put a lot of ingredients with it and made a beautiful stew.

 

" This cat that I've cooked is slightly larger. It has a slightly

stronger flavour, but not as strong as rabbit. "

 

A children's book author and illustrator, Mrs Kessing campaigns to

save wild-life from the depredations of cats and other introduced

animals, including camels, donkeys and wild horses.

 

Feral cats, which arrived with the British in 1788, now occupy most

of the continent. Studies of their stomach contents show they eat

almost anything that moves, including lizards, small mammals and

spiders, as well as 180 species of Australian native birds.

 

Mrs Kessing said she would never dream of cooking a domestic cat. " It

should always be wild, " she told ABC radio. " And we should be eating

donkeys and horse meat, like the French do. "

 

But health authorities in the Northern Territory warned that eating

cats could be risky. " It is not illegal to eat feral cat for your own

consumption, or your family's, " said Xavier Schobben, the director of

the health department.

 

" But there is no guarantee that any feral animal that hasn't been

subject to post-mortem examination is safe. "

 

While kangaroo and camel appear on Outback restaurant menus, feral

cat has yet to capture the nation's taste.

 

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syndication<syndication

 

Here another article posted by Jessica:

 

http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/22890/<http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/22890\

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Cooking of Feral Cat Draws Outrage from Cat Lovers

 

NewswireToday - /newswire/ - Scottsdale, AZ, United States,

08/30/2007 - After a feral cat was used as an ingredient in a dish

for a cooking contest, cat lovers from around the world are now

speaking out and showing their outrage.

 

One day after Cat Galaxy expressed its outrage over children's author

Kaye Kessing's use of a feral cat as a main ingredient in her entry

in a cooking contest, cat lovers worldwide are also are expressing

their disgust. Flippy's Cat Page, a well known and popular cat

website in Melbourne, Australia notified its cat loving members after

hearing the news about the cat being cooked from the radio station

for felines.

 

" That is so disgusting. People sicken me sometimes. No wonder I

prefer animals than people, " said Georgina Phillips of

Flippyscatpage.com.

 

The other members and readers of her web site agreed, and one of them

is already circulating a petition online to protest Kessing's

treatment towards cats which will then be forwarded to the Australian

government as well as to the RSPCA, the Cat Protection Society and

other animal rescue organizations to be viewed. The petition is also

calling for a worldwide boycott of Kessler's work as well.

 

" Her recent barbaric slaughter of stray and homeless cats to use them

as food is inhumane and morally irreprehensible. Shame on you Kay

Kessing! You are now being officially and very publicly boycotted, "

said Rachel Lorenz who started the petition.

 

After reading the story on ABC's (Australian Broadcasting Company)

website, another one of the Flippy's cat web site members, Jo Gray

also showed her anger and disgust towards Kessing.

 

" That is an utter DISGRACE! I'm shocked & horrified by this story.

Why, the woman is practically GLOATING!! So the cars are feral...that

does NOT make them fair game! " said Jo Gray of Melbourne Australia.

 

Cat Galaxy has also stepped up its efforts to educate the public

about feral cats and trying to get the word out that cooking cats is

wrong and is encouraging its listeners to spread the word.

 

" As a station for cats we're appalled how someone could be so bold to

stand up proudly and say they cooked a cat, especially as an entry in

a public event like a cooking contest. We're hearing from plenty of

cat lovers who also feel the same way we do. Hopefully, those

thinking of doing what Ms. Kessing did, will think twice and learn

that all cats are to be respected and loved, " said Nohl Rosen of Cat

Galaxy.

 

Rosen hopes that Kessing and others will get the message that killing

cats is wrong and hopes that this incidents like these will force the

public to become more educated about how to deal with feral cats.

 

" It's unfortunate that we have people who will harm a feral cat

because they see them as a nuisance. Maybe, this will finally

convince the public to become educated on how to properly deal with

the feral cat situation, and that a trap, neuter, return program is

the only way to deal with it, " Rosen added.