Kurt Zouma condemned by West Ham for kicking pet cat - incident to be dealt with internally
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Published 08/02/2022 at 08:43 GMT
West Ham defender Kurt Zouma was videoed kicking his cat across the floor and slapping it in the face. More footage subsequently emerged of Zouma throwing shoes at the pet and chasing it round a room. West Ham said they "unreservedly condemned" Zouma's actions, while the player said there were "no excuses" for his behaviour.
Kurt Zouma has been condemned by West Ham for his actions
Image credit: Getty Images
Kurt Zouma has been "unreservedly condemned" by his club West Ham after being filmed kicking his pet cat.
The footage, which was reportedly taken by his brother Yoan, showed Zouma kicking the cat across the floor and slapping it in the face.
More video later emerged of Zouma throwing shoes at the cat and chasing it around a room.
West Ham said in a statement: "West Ham United unreservedly condemns the actions of 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."
Zouma released his own statement to say: "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."
The RSPCA also commented: "This is a very upsetting video. It's never acceptable to kick, hit or slap an animal, for punishment or otherwise.
"We are so grateful to people who report suspected animal suffering to us and we would like to reassure people we will always look into and, if necessary, investigate any complaints made to us about animal welfare."
Sky Sports have reported that the Met Police have decided not to investigate the video.
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