Chinese police uncovered a massive illicit trade of cat meat and rescued over 1,000 cats that were being transported to slaughter-house.
The criminals had planned to sell the meat as pork or mutton, a BBC report said, citing state-affiliated media.
The police action came after a tip from animal welfare activists following which a truck full of cats was intercepted in the eastern city of Zhangjiagang.
The rescued cats were moved to a shelter, the outlet reported.
According to activists, cat meat can be sold for 4.5 yuan in China, which is approximately equivalent to 600g. They also noted that a single cat can yield four to five catties.