LONDON — Two cats belonging to French soccer player Kurt Zouma — who plays for West Ham United club in Britain — have been removed from his care following a controversial video that showed him kicking and slapping one of them inside his home in England.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), a British charity dedicated to animal welfare that carries powers to prosecute abusive pet owners, took the animals away on Wednesday afternoon local time, the BBC reported.
“The two cats are now in RSPCA care,” a charity spokesperson said, adding that they were continuing to investigate the incident along with police.
More than 100,000 people had signed a petition calling for Zouma to be punished after the video, which was first shared to Snapchat, was viewed by millions.
The video was first published Monday by British tabloid the Sun. In the footage, laughter can be heard as the 27-year-old, who also plays for the French national team, is seen chasing the animal around his home in the county of Essex.
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London Mayor Sadiq Khan said Wednesday that Zouma had “been cruel to a helpless cat,” and called on police and the RSPCA to prosecute the player.
Khan also said, “I think West Ham ... as his employer need to take action,” noting that many view footballers as role models.
Police in Essex told BBC Essex “urgent enquiries are ongoing” and that they are liaising with the RSPCA. Following the video and the backlash that followed, West Ham United said it would “deal with the matter internally,” the BBC reported.
Thousands on social media branded the footage “sick” and “disturbing,” while animal welfare groups and charities such as the Blue Cross condemned Zouma’s behavior and also joined calls for him to be prosecuted.
“The sheer level of violence is completely disgraceful,” the Blue Cross told the BBC on Wednesday.
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Zouma has apologized for his actions in the video, saying both his cats were “perfectly fine” and “cherished by the whole family.”
“I also want to say how deeply sorry I am to anyone who was upset by the video,” he said in a statement Tuesday, adding that the incident would “not happen again.”
On Wednesday, former England footballer Gary Lineker tweeted he was “shocked and appalled” that West Ham football club had selected Zouma to play in a match against Watford on Tuesday night despite the mounting outrage, calling it “a tone deaf decision” by the team’s manager, David Moyes.
While Moyes said he was “disappointed” in the player, he defended his decision to play Zouma on Tuesday, saying he was focused on getting results in the game — and that the cat issue was a “separate matter.”
Khan also said he was “disappointed” in the club’s decision to put Zouma on the pitch Tuesday night.
Zouma was booed from the stands on Tuesday, as some fans chanted “that is how your cat feels” when the player stumbled over and fell to the pitch in apparent pain during the game.
Chants referencing animal charities were also heard, with Watford fans yelling “RSCPA” whenever the player was in possession of the ball.
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