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Is cat meat illegal in the Netherlands?

Partly. Cat meat is restricted in the Netherlands. Killing cats is banned, but the law exempts commercial production.

Animals Act art 2.10(1) bans killing designated categories 'except for the commercial production of animal products'; Animal Keepers Decree art 1.9 designates geese, dogs and cats (wetten.overheid.nl, version from 7 Jul 2026, read 15 Oct 2026).

Source: Wet dieren 2.10; Bhvd 1.9

• The Netherlands is one of 5 countries where cat meat is banned, and 4 more restrict it.
• Its neighbours: banned in 1 of 2 (Germany).
• In Europe: banned in 3 of 39 countries.

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Other countries that ban cat meat

AustriaGermanySpainUnited StatesKazakhstanAll 5 on the map ›

What else is banned in the Netherlands