The annual religious festival of Santa Efigenia in Peru has a rather interesting menu, which both animal rights activists and government officials are trying to change.
According to the Associated Press, barbecued cat is the food at the festival and at least 100 felines will be consumed this weekend at the event in La Quebrada, a town south of Lima.
Congressman Juan Urquiza have joined activists this year to write the district mayor and Peru's health minister and demand a ban on the cat-eating festival. Claiming the event is against domestic animal protection law.
Animal activist have argued that eating the felines is also a health issue, but the festival attendants are defending their tradition, saying the consumed cats are bred specifically, with only a handful killed and eaten, for the event.
There have been no official reports of people suffering from diseases or illnesses related to cat eating. Health Minister Midori de Habich said that the practice should be stopped, but she not taken any action, as of yet.
According to the International Business Times, health experts said eating cat meat is not as dangerous as others might think. Health experts said that unless the cat has diseases, there should be no problem in eating them.
In some cultures in South America and Asia, eating cat is a perfectly acceptance practice. La Festival Gastronomico del Gato or The Gastronomic Festival of the Cat celebrates the time when the first settlers of the land had no choice but to eat cat meat to survive.
Festivals goers also display their cat meat cooking skills, with meals such as grilled cat with native herbs and spicy cat stew. Cat has been said to have a similar taste to rabbit meat.
