A Vietnamese restaurant closed for killing 300 cats a month for soup

In a landmark moment for animal advocates, a controversial restaurant and slaughterhouse in Vietnam has shut its doors after years of killing hundreds of cats each month for soup.
This closure isn’t just a win for animal rights—it’s a symbol of shifting attitudes in a country where the consumption of cat meat has long been shrouded in silence. Now, with growing public support for change, the tide may finally be turning.

A grim practice brought to an end

For five years, a small restaurant in northern Vietnam quietly operated behind closed doors, preparing a dish known locally as “thịt mèo”—cat meat soup. Each month, an estimated 300 cats were drowned, cooked, and served to customers, many of whom believed the dish brought good luck or relief from misfortune.

But these weren’t just stray animals. In many cases, they were beloved pets, stolen from their homes under cover of night. The restaurant’s owner, Pham Quoc Doanh, has since admitted to his role in this dark trade, expressing deep regret. “I sincerely apologise for my actions,” he stated, acknowledging that many of the cats slaughtered may have once had families.

A second chance—for the owner and the cats

Rather than punishment, the resolution came through transformation. An animal welfare organisation stepped in, brokering a deal to shut down the restaurant and its adjoining slaughterhouse. In return, Doanh will receive funding to convert the sites into a grocery store—a pivot that may offer a more hopeful path forward.

Meanwhile, twenty cats were found alive on the premises. They’ve since been rescued and are being cared for in a shelter, where they’ll be placed for adoption. “These cats and kittens escaped a terrible fate,” said Quang Nguyen, the NGO’s Vietnam director. “But this is just the beginning.”

A country caught between tradition and change

Cat meat consumption isn’t mainstream in Vietnam, but it remains part of the cultural fringes. Old beliefs persist—that eating cat meat can ward off bad luck or illness—even as more and more citizens speak out against the practice. A recent survey from October 2023 found that 71% of Vietnamese people support a ban on the cat meat trade.

Still, the numbers remain sobering: nearly one million cats are killed each year in Vietnam for their meat. The theft of pets fuels much of this supply, creating both emotional and ethical outrage.

Nguyen and his team are pushing for stronger legislation. “We won’t stop until there’s a nationwide law banning the cat meat trade,” he says.

A small step, a big message

This restaurant’s closure might seem like a small, isolated event. But in a broader context, it’s a clear signal that public opinion is shifting—and that alternatives to cruelty are both possible and supported.

For animal lovers, pet owners, and those who believe in kindness over tradition, this is a win. And for twenty cats who lived to see another day, it’s nothing short of a miracle.

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