The Associated Press reports on a rising protest outside the Guangdong government office in Beijing. The protests were partly inspired by a series of articles recently in the Chinese press regarding the practice of rounding up cats in rural provinces, and butchering them for meat. On Monday, a Guangdong newspaper story claimed that about 1,000 cats were being transported to Guangdong for slaughter every day.

The cat meat industry in China has come under fire in recent years, as China's increasing affluence means that more people can afford to keep pets. Some people feel that the cat meat market has become more desperate and underhanded in its tactics, possibly due to the bad economy.

Animal rights activists have ambushed trucks loaded with cats for market, and in one case managed to liberate hundreds of cats. In Nanjing, "a major trading hub for cats," dealers come from all across the province bearing cats for sale. Although the cat meat dealer interviewed for the Associated Press article asserted that her cat meat came from legitimate cat farms, cat lovers have begun to worry about their cats being nabbed by a dealer on a "fishing expedition."

PETA has published a press release decrying the practice. Spokesman Michael V. McGraw issued a statement which focused on the treatment of cats destined for the butcher, and pointed out that China has no animal protection laws on the books.

Traditionally, cats were considered a legitimate food item for the Cantonese people, who have long been known as China's most inventive and adventurous gourmands.