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Original poster

Cats going missing in my area - is any of this true?

70 replies

Tambatamba · 10/10/2023 08:54

A lot of cats seem to be going missing in my local area and one person was talking about cats being taken by dog baiting rings. Then the conversation descended into 'Eastern Europeans taking them to eat them' and 'a microchip was found in a Chinese takeaway.'

Surely the last two theories are xenophobic nonsense?

Has anyone got this going on in your area?

OP posts:
Grumpyoldpersonwithcats · 10/10/2023 09:18

Eastern Europeans taking them to eat them' and 'a microchip was found in a Chinese takeaway.'

Common racist tropes without any evidence.

Theunamedcat · 10/10/2023 09:24

I'm cautious about dismissing it all because in my area (many MANY moons ago) our local takeaway was shutdown (one we didn't use thankfully) half an alsation dog was found in the freezer they openly admitted in court they ate it but claimed it was for personal consumption only (duly reported in the local newspaper) it was also reported the inspector was so distressed he was under medical care there were other bones and various debris found in the back alley too the poor man was medically retired

Soubriquet · 10/10/2023 09:26

I very much doubt it’s true. More likely to be cats have gone missing due to injuries or death, or people think they are being helpful by taking what they think is a stray cat to the vets

Theunamedcat · 10/10/2023 09:28

Tambatamba · 10/10/2023 08:54

A lot of cats seem to be going missing in my local area and one person was talking about cats being taken by dog baiting rings. Then the conversation descended into 'Eastern Europeans taking them to eat them' and 'a microchip was found in a Chinese takeaway.'

Surely the last two theories are xenophobic nonsense?

Has anyone got this going on in your area?

We do however have a lot of cats being deliberatly poisoned with antifreeze the only person who was arrested was Polish claimed he just wanted to make the cats throw up not kill them painfully but after the first few there was a big fuss and leaflets were put out everywhere telling people to keep there antifreeze safe and detailed all the risks in Polish English and Welsh he had no excuse except he hates cats

Highandlows · 10/10/2023 10:02

Two things in some countries people eat dogs and cats. I do not see why they would stop doing it here. Dogs fights apparently also exist illegally and they need bait. They use dogs may be cats too. Why are people so incredulous? Or is it that believing this make them feel like third world mentality?

OhDoSitDownAndShutUp · 10/10/2023 10:03

Look up YULIN meat festival, which takes place every June.

Also, dog-baiting does go on.

Grumpyoldpersonwithcats · 10/10/2023 10:04

Theunamedcat · 10/10/2023 09:24

I'm cautious about dismissing it all because in my area (many MANY moons ago) our local takeaway was shutdown (one we didn't use thankfully) half an alsation dog was found in the freezer they openly admitted in court they ate it but claimed it was for personal consumption only (duly reported in the local newspaper) it was also reported the inspector was so distressed he was under medical care there were other bones and various debris found in the back alley too the poor man was medically retired

Name the restaurant, show me the newspaper report.

And an inspector so distressed by half a dead dog and a few bones in a back alley that he was under medical care? 🤣🤣🤣🤣 (Nice added 'evidence' though)
I have heard this story ENDLESS times (always 'my local Chinese') from people all over the country (and it's widely repeated outside the UK as well) Used to be stories about this where I lived when I was a kid. Always half an Alsatian too...
Read up on Urban legends.

Note: I'm not denying that sometimes people do steal or poison cats.

Original poster
Tambatamba · 10/10/2023 10:58

They definitely sound like urban legends.

OP posts:
margotrose · 10/10/2023 11:24

Theunamedcat · 10/10/2023 09:24

I'm cautious about dismissing it all because in my area (many MANY moons ago) our local takeaway was shutdown (one we didn't use thankfully) half an alsation dog was found in the freezer they openly admitted in court they ate it but claimed it was for personal consumption only (duly reported in the local newspaper) it was also reported the inspector was so distressed he was under medical care there were other bones and various debris found in the back alley too the poor man was medically retired

Do you have proof of this please?

Because I've heard the same thing repeated multiple times over the years - just with different breeds.

The inspector has never had to be medically retired over it before though 😂

CurlewKate · 10/10/2023 11:43

Lot of racists on this thread....

Myfabby · 10/10/2023 11:45

CurlewKate · 10/10/2023 11:43

Lot of racists on this thread....

Lots on racists on Mumsnet. SO SHOCKING!

Original poster
Tambatamba · 10/10/2023 12:38

www.snopes.com/fact-check/cat-chinese-food/

OP posts:
Original poster
Tambatamba · 10/10/2023 12:59

Nobody can ever even come up with an article that corroborates what they're saying.

To me, it just comes across a bit like all the stories of terrorists telling people not to go into certain shopping centres. Originally it was the IRA (an Irish person) and in later iterations it was a Muslim person. It really does just seem like racism.

OP posts:
fedupandstuck · 10/10/2023 13:09

Cats are by nature prone to wandering, finding new homes and generally doing their own thing. In the course of all that, they get run over by traffic, attacked by other cats, dogs, foxes and so on, and so end up "missing".

The only confirmed case of deliberate cat killing that I can find actual evidence of was a man in Brighton - https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jul/30/brighton-cat-killer-steve-bouquet-jailed-for-five-years

The suspicions about a cat killer in Croydon was eventually found to be foxes

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/london-serial-cat-killer-foxes-b1973375.html

Anything along the lines of "my local takeaway", microchips, gangs is xenophobic or racist conspiracy madness.

Coolblur · 10/10/2023 13:23

During the summer cats were going missing in our area. Some were unfortunately killed on the roads nearby, but several were found at a country park a few miles away. Theres no way that many cats walked that far across the countryside. People were clearly stealing and dumping them, probably for 'a laugh'. Hmm
I'd say that sort of thing is far more likely than dog baiting by 'foreigners' or the Chinese takeaway rumour.

Efacsen · 10/10/2023 13:58

I heard the Alsation story in Liverpool 20 years ago - never appeared in local press or any other corroboration

Maybe worth noting that the Brighton cat-killer wasn't any kind of 'foreigner' but 100% local

margotrose · 10/10/2023 14:01

The thing is, cats go missing everyday. I'm a member of several local "lost animal" groups on Facebook and at least 4-5 cats are posted on there daily.

Most come home after an extended wander, but a decent number do get hit by cars or get reported as strays, or get themselves lost and end up several miles from home. Unfortunately, it's one of the risks of letting cats out to roam.

There's a reason why a lot of countries are now encouraging the use of catios and even making it illegal for cats to roam off the owners property.

SidekickSylvia · 10/10/2023 14:19

Does anyone remember the guy just browsing the rightmove photos of his neighbour's house? (I think it was on twitter) and his cat was asleep on the neighbour's bed. Cats are opportunists, so I'd rather think that they're just rationing their attention between the neighbourhood, and forget to return home sometimes.

margotrose · 10/10/2023 14:22

SidekickSylvia · 10/10/2023 14:19

Does anyone remember the guy just browsing the rightmove photos of his neighbour's house? (I think it was on twitter) and his cat was asleep on the neighbour's bed. Cats are opportunists, so I'd rather think that they're just rationing their attention between the neighbourhood, and forget to return home sometimes.

I will always remember the time when we had two black cats of our own, and our neighbours black cat managed to get in through the bathroom window and pinch their food. It took DH several hours to realise that the cat scoffing the biscuits wasn't ours and that we had an extra cat in the house Grin

Honestly, cats are opportunists, scroungers and chancers. Most are quite happy to eat wherever they can get a meal - they have no loyalty whatsoever.

Evermean · 10/10/2023 18:03

Highandlows · 10/10/2023 10:02

Two things in some countries people eat dogs and cats. I do not see why they would stop doing it here. Dogs fights apparently also exist illegally and they need bait. They use dogs may be cats too. Why are people so incredulous? Or is it that believing this make them feel like third world mentality?

Why would the stop doing it here? Because it's illegal maybe? Jesus do people really believe this racist shit.

Theunamedcat · 10/10/2023 19:02

margotrose · 10/10/2023 11:24

Do you have proof of this please?

Because I've heard the same thing repeated multiple times over the years - just with different breeds.

The inspector has never had to be medically retired over it before though 😂

Show quote history

Like I said it was in the newspapers when I was very young (and I'm now old so it's not exactly something you can google) its not like they were serving anything pet wise they just came from an area where dog was considered food they didn't steal anyone's pet either they acquired it through friends they didn't seem to understand it was wrong honestly if they had kept it in there own freezer no-one would have known and they probably would have passed the inspection!

Original poster
Tambatamba · 10/10/2023 19:09

People always say there's a newspaper article and there is so far not one article I've managed to find or see.

OP posts:
FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 10/10/2023 19:10

Dog fighting goes on.

Original poster
Tambatamba · 10/10/2023 19:11

The dog fighting is one thing but microchips turning up in a takeaway?

OP posts: