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Domestic and feral cats, while an unusual source of food to me, are both a reasonable choice for dinner and an over-populated threat that would benifit from some population reduction. In my extensive research that contributed to this article, one of the best sources was an article from BBC regarding how this subject has been addressed in Australia. Natural, or feral, cats have become a serious ecological issue there, and one can only imagine that this problem will eventually spread to the US and beyond.

It seems that the large number of natural cats has had a threat to hundreds of species of small native fauna including marsupials, lizards, birds and spiders.

The solution to this problem has been found by studying the Aboriginal tribes and analyzing their timeless solution. They appear to prefer their natural cat food prepared by roasting them whole (after appropriate skinning and dressing) over an open fire.

The flavor of natural cat is likened in these reports as similar to that of wild rabbit or free-range chicken. (of course)

There have been cooking competitions held at an outback food competition in Alice Springs, with a variety of preparations ranging from a basic stew to an apparently impressive feline casserole. The natural cat is diced and fried until brown, and then placed in a sauce of fruits and vegetables and allowed to simmer for four or five hours prior to serving.

I was unable to find any sources which were able to provide a comparison of natural (or feral) cat to that of a domestically raised one, but judging from my experience with rabbit, chicken, duck and the like I would imagine that the free-range variety would tend to be a bit tougher and gamier than one specifically raised for consumption.

As with the other animals mentioned, the longer simmering times will of course result in a much more tender presentation when finally served.

Of course one of the attractions of free-range chicken is the advertised freedom from the amounts of chemicals and the like that domestic animals are exposed to, so natural cat would presumably contain lower concentrations of household chemicals and pesticides and thus be considered more healthy to consume; but the uncertainty of being unsure of what the feral cat had been exposed to provides a counterpoint to that factor as well.

Regardless of that minor factor, the removal of those natural or feral cats from the environment for consumption will apparently allow more species of birds, lizards, chipmonks and the like to survive and thrive, so bon appetite!

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