Kitten rescue: Cops rescued over 500 cats from becoming dinner

DANYANG, CHINA — Police in China’s in Jiangsu province arrested a man last Friday who had stolen more than 500 cats and was ready to sell them to restaurants. The cat thief, surnamed Sun, is suspected having stolen cats and sold them to restaurants near the city of Danyang for some time, local newspaper the Danyang Daily Post reported. Sun was caught when a villager surnamed Yang reported the theft of his cat to the police. Yang’s cat had been nursing five newborn kittens. He allegedly lured his quarry into cages by using sparrows as bait. During their investigation, police found dozens of cats crammed into seven or eight cages. Officers arrested Sun just as he was about to transport the felines to restaurants. Police said Sun told them some of the cats he caught were pets, others were street cats. Sun also said he sold the cats for the equivalent of $4.40 each. Police found more cats in a hut near a highway, some of them are in poor health. It is not known whether Yang’s cat has been found. In 2010, the Chinese government considered making it illegal for cats and dogs to be sold for food purposes. But the law was never adopted. In April, Taiwan became the first Asian country to ban the slaughter and consumption of cats and dogs, punishable by a hefty fine and up to two years in prison.