Vietnam's hidden cat meat trade: Pets stolen, slaughtered and sold as 'little tiger'

The dog meat trade is far from the only problem.

More than 400 cats were found crammed into cages. At first glance, the site might have looked like a breeding facility — but the reality was far more disturbing.

The cats had been destined for slaughter, their bodies to be processed and sold as meat. Most had been caught off the streets and locked up.

Among them, a significant number appeared to have owners — some were still wearing collars. In addition to the living animals, dead cats were found stored on ice.

The scene described above came from the bust of a large-scale cat meat distribution ring in Vietnam — and the operation that was dismantled represents only a fraction of the country's nationwide trade.

Vietnam's cat meat industry has long been overshadowed by the more widely covered dog meat debate, drawing comparatively little attention. But a closer look reveals an even grimmer reality.

According to Humane World for Animals, an international animal protection organization, and local police, the largest cat meat bust on record took place in Ho Chi Minh City on June 11. About 400 live cats were recovered, and when dead animals stored before sale were included, the total reached nearly 500.

The suspects used traps to catch stray cats and stole pet cats from their owners, then caged the animals and sold them by weight at 70,000 dong (about 4,000 won) per kilogram. They admitted to collecting cats across southern Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City, over the past three years.

Vietnam is considered one of the most active markets for cat meat. Yet there are no cat farms — operators steal cats from streets and homes, then move them through multiple layers of middlemen before delivering them to slaughterhouses and restaurants.

Some cats arrive at slaughterhouses still wearing collars — evidence that even household pets are being taken indiscriminately. Of the roughly 400 cats found in this latest bust, about 40 were returned to their original owners.

Such cases are not rare in Vietnam. According to animal welfare organization Four Paws, approximately 3,695 cats were reported stolen in the country between 2022 and 2024 — and that figure covers only cases that were formally reported.

Phuong Tam of Humane World for Animals' Vietnam office said thousands of cats are stolen, trafficked and slaughtered for food across the country every month. "Most cats ultimately end up killed and eaten at slaughterhouses or restaurants," she said.

Cat meat is sold in parts of Vietnam under a local name meaning "little tiger." It is consumed as a delicacy in some northern regions, where demand is sustained by superstitions — including a belief that eating black cats can cure various ailments and ward off bad luck.

The practice is far from a fringe habit. A Nielsen survey commissioned by Humane World for Animals in September 2023 found that 21 percent of Vietnam's population consumes cat meat — a significant market given the country's population size, and one reason estimates suggest about 1 million cats are killed each year.

That does not mean Vietnamese society broadly accepts the trade. In the same survey, 71 percent said they supported banning the consumption and trade of cat meat. A separate Four Paws survey conducted in 2021 found that 95 percent of Vietnamese respondents said eating cat meat was not part of Vietnamese culture.

As pet ownership rises in Vietnam, public opposition to the cat meat trade has grown alongside it — fueled in part by the realization that traders steal even owned pets to meet demand, a problem that has become a recognized social issue.

The Nielsen survey found that 87 percent of Vietnamese respondents had experienced, directly or indirectly, having a pet stolen.

There are also concerns that the trade could spread disease. Rabies is the most prominent example: Vietnam records 70 to 100 rabies deaths annually and has set the elimination of rabies by 2030 as a national goal.

Critics warn that the mass capture, transport and slaughter of cats with unknown origins and vaccination histories creates blind spots in disease prevention efforts.

The Vietnamese government has launched a phased transition project aimed at ending the trade in dog and cat meat in line with its 2030 rabies elimination target. The move also reflects concerns that the consumption of dog and cat meat damages the country's international image and could deter tourists.

However, trading and consuming cat meat is not currently illegal in Vietnam. A legal gap has existed since 2020, when a law that had prohibited cat consumption as part of a rat-control policy was repealed. Advocates are now calling for clear legal protections to be restored and enforced.

Kitty Block, CEO of Humane World for Animals, said the rescue operation underscores the need for stronger legal protections. "Restoring and enforcing clear legal protections will be one of the most effective ways to end this trade and prevent future suffering," she said.

Meanwhile, Humane World for Animals is continuing its work to end the cat meat trade in Vietnam through its Models for Change program.

The program helps cat meat restaurant owners, slaughterhouse operators and facility managers shut down their businesses and transition to other livelihoods. Since launching in Vietnam in 2022, the organization has worked with local governments to support industry workers in switching trades, treat and rehome rescued animals, and run rabies prevention campaigns.

The model was previously used in South Korea's campaign to end the dog meat trade. From 2015, Humane World for Animals Korea signed agreements with dog meat farmers, helping them close their farms and transition to other work such as crop farming or logistics. According to the organization, 18 farms were shut down as a result, and more than 2,700 dogs were rescued and placed for adoption.