WARNING: This story contains images which people may find disturbing
West Ham defender Kurt Zouma has apologised for kicking and slapping his pet cat, with a video posted on social media seeing the France international attract criticism from animal welfare groups over his cruel behaviour.
The 27-year-old has been filmed attacking a Bengal cat in front of his brother, Yoan, with the animal in question seen desperately trying to escape some unwanted attention.
Zouma, who drop-kicks the cat at one stage before knocking it out of the arms of a child in another clip and throwing designer shoes in its direction, has issued a grovelling apology for his actions and insists the incident in question was an isolated one.
What has Zouma said?
The Hammers centre-half, who moved to the London Stadium from Chelsea in the summer of 2021, has said: “I want to apologise for my actions. There are no excuses for my behaviour, which I sincerely regret.
“I also want to say how deeply sorry I am to anyone who was upset by the video. I would like to assure everyone that our two cats are perfectly fine and healthy.
“They are loved and cherished by our entire family, and this behaviour was an isolated incident that will not happen again.”
Will Zouma face action?
The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill of 2021 means that animal abusers now face tougher sentences, with the worst culprits facing up to five years in jail.
No charges have been brought against Zouma, but the RSPCA are aware of the online footage.
A spokesperson for the charity has said: “This is a very upsetting video. It’s never acceptable to kick, hit or slap an animal, for punishment or otherwise.”
Dr Maggie Roberts, of charity Cats Protection, added: “Any person seen or suspected of treating an animal badly, whether this is physical violence, neglect or any other form of cruelty should be reported to the RSPCA.
“The police work closely with the RSPCA to investigate cases of animal cruelty. Cats are sentient beings and experience pain and fear. Beating up a cat will only cause it to suffer physically and mentally.
"We noticed that some people viewing the video online thought it was funny. We can assure them that this is not a laughing matter.”
What have West Ham had to say?
The Premier League outfit have condemned the actions of a player on their books, with the Hammers acting quickly after being made aware of the video.
A statement from the east London-based club reads: “West Ham United unreservedly condemns the actions of our player, Kurt Zouma, in the video that has circulated.
“We have spoken to Kurt and will be dealing with the matter internally, but we would like to make it clear that we in no way condone cruelty towards animals.”
