An multinational network disseminating online footage of the torture of cats and kittens has members in the UK. The network reportedly comprises thousands of individuals who disseminate, distribute, and sell horrible photographs and films depicting the harm and death of cats.
In a group on an encrypted messaging application, there is evidence of British members advocating for people to adopt kittens from the RSPCA for the purpose of mutilation.
In May of this year, two adolescents confessed to the torture and murder of two kittens at a park located in Ruislip, north-west London. They are scheduled to be sentenced on Monday.
This story includes explicit content and accounts of animal cruelty.
A 16-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy, whose identities are withheld for legal reasons, pleaded guilty after the kittens were discovered mutilated and suspended. Knives, blowtorches, and scissors were discovered at the location.
Authorities are currently investigating potential connections to a broader network of individuals who abuse cats, recording, disseminating, and selling footage of these assaults over encrypted chat applications.
These groups originated in China, but known members are now active globally, including in the UK.
The extent of the network has been recorded by animal rights advocates Feline Guardians.
The organisation reports that from May 2023 to May 2024, a new video depicting the torture and execution of a kitten or cat was released roughly every 14 hours.
It reports the documentation of 24 active organisations this year, the largest of which comprised over 1,000 members. The most prolific torturer is thought to have recorded the torture and murder of almost 200 cats.
Chat discussions within a single group feature UK-based accounts deliberating how to acquire cats for the purpose of abuse.
A member elaborated on the process of adopting kittens from the RSPCA and shared application forms. Another post disseminated an advertisement for kittens available for purchase in the UK, stating a desire to “torture them so badly.”
The films and images are explicit and profoundly unsettling.
The content features images of cats subjected to drowning and electrocution. A movie hypothesises the duration a kitten in a cage can endure without sustenance.
Group members seem intent on causing maximum suffering. In online discussions, torturers describe their method of employing electrocution to revive a cat, so extending its pain.
New users are urged to create and share videos to expand their network access.
Evidence also suggested children were taking part in these groups. One member posted: “I’m 10 years old and I like to torture cats.”
In September 2023, the network even promoted a “100 cat kill” competition, during which members were encouraged to see how quickly the group could torture and kill 100 cats.
Videos depicting the horrific torture of cats first went viral in China in 2023.
The man responsible for two extremely graphic videos, Wang Chaoyi, was detained for 15 days by the Chinese authorities and forced to issue a “letter of repentance”.
But his footage developed a cult following and others began making similar content for Chinese and Western social media, gaining thousands of views, before groups developed on encrypted messaging apps.
One website even describes itself as a place for the “cat-lover community” and requests viewers “submit your work”.
Users can only gain access if they provide evidence of their own cat torture.
“Little Winnie” is a well known name used in the cat torture community for having a profile picture that mocks the Chinese leader Xi Jinping with an image of Winnie the Pooh.
Accounts with that name and profile picture are described as administrators in a number of forums.
In 2024, alleged sex offender, Scarlet Blake (pictured) of Oxford was jailed after she filmed herself torturing a cat before putting it in a blender.
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