Zhangjiagang, China – Police in Zhangjiagang have rescued 1,000 cats from a truck destined for a slaughterhouse. According to sources, a tip from animal welfare advocates led to the rescue of the cats who were part of an illegal meat trade.

The cats, which may have been pets, or strays, would have been slaughtered and served in restaurants as pork or lamb, reports CNN.

Activist Gong Jian tells the Chinese outlet, The Paper:

“Cat meat is sold at 4.5 yuan per catty, but mutton is 30 yuan per catty on the market. A cat weighs seven or eight kilograms, and after peeling, it is about four or five kilograms of meat. It is sold at the price of cat meat, pretending to be mutton and pork. The middle The difference is all profit, as long as they catch a cat, they make a profit.”

According to the publication, a “den” at an area cemetery was used to hold the cats before transport. The cats were nailed into wooden boxes and held upwards of a week before being loaded onto a truck destined for a slaughterhouse.

The rescued cats will be treated if they are sick or injured and healthy cats will be put up for adoption after the public has had a chance to see if any of them were stolen pets. All of the cats will be sterilized before being released.

These cats are extraordinarily lucky; there are no animal protection laws in place for cats and dogs in China.

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