Thousands of defenseless cats & kittens are suffering in the absence of animal cruelty laws in China, where videos of brutal cat torture make their rounds online. This content is spreading rapidly, with thousands of people from outside of China participating in creating & distributing this violent content.
The following facts concern the rise of organized online animal torture communities targeting cats & kittens, with confirmed participation from individuals residing in many countries all over the world. Torture groups operate internationally, using encrypted chat rooms, mainstream social media platforms & dedicated websites to coordinate extreme acts of cruelty. The issue has significant safeguarding implications. There is a well-established link between animal cruelty & violence toward people, particularly within domestic abuse and other high-risk contexts.
Organized online torture activity first emerged ca. 2015, initially traced to groups in China. In 2022, a central torture group was established by a Chinese man living in Japan. This entity operates via a dedicated website & major platforms such as X, Facebook, Instagram, QQ, TikTok. To gain access to the groups core chat rooms, applicants must submit a video of themselves torturing & killing a cat. This serves as an initiation ritual & proof of commitment to the community.
- Membership can reach 1’000 active participants at any time. Members share torture methods, coordinate acts of cruelty & circulate video recordings.
- Documented acts include burning, boiling, amputation & prolonged mutilation.
- Between May 2023 & May 2024, a new torture video was published every 14 hours 34 minutes on average.
- By February 2025, upload frequency had increased by 510%, with a new video every 2 hours 38 minutes.
- Videos are first shared in closed groups, then re-posted to major platforms, often evading detection and moderation.
- Findings have been independently corroborated by investigative journalism, notably CNN, news.com.au & the BBC.
3‘500+ Cats tortured since 2023
Documented cases of severe abuse orchestrated through encrypted channels. The true number is likely significantly higher as the network expands.
90% Chinese made
The vast majority of content originates from China due to a complete lack of comprehensive animal cruelty laws to deter abuse.
2 hours 38 minutes
By February 2025, a video showcasing the torture & execution of a cat is uploaded every 2 hours 38 minutes to online Chinese torture communities.
24+ Groups documented
More than 20 separate groups have been documented. The largest group exceeded 1,000 members. Researchers believe the most active individual recorded over 300 cat torture videos.
2‘000+ Memberships
Between May of 2023 & May of 2024, more than 2’000 members were discovered in the largest of three known groups. Many other smaller groups existed.
130+ Social media accounts
Between April & May 2025, over 130 X accounts shared posts promoting animal abuse. One Mandarin-language post refering to “cat abuse” was viewed over 570 times during the same period.
Cat torture viewers and participants have been found on every continent & linked to other serious crimes. Just a few examples:
UK & Europe
Participants in the torture networks have been identified in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain & other countries. In 2025, two teenagers were arrested for torturing kittens in London.
USA & North America
In the US & Canada, researchers have discovered links between Neo-Nazi adjacent groups like 764, Order of the 9 Angles & cat torture. In other US & English-speaking groups, members encourage minors to hurt themselves and share “hurtcore” content.
Turkey
Domestic terrorist group C31K in Turkey shows a link between incel ideology, child abuse content & cat abuse. These links are not unique to Turkish cat torture groups & are seen all over the world.
China & Asia
China is the hub for cat abuse content, but this content is prevalent across Asia and the Middle East. Chinese cat torture group participants express incel ideology, share revenge porn, and promote child sexual abuse content.
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Source: @kuro_aki_nekochantachi — Instagram
Beyond direct monetary profit, there are links with zoosadism (sexual gratification from animal suffering) & extreme misogyny.
Members often explicitly target cats because they associate cat ownership & affection with women.
The Cow Cat case. In March 2023, an abuser in China captured a stray black & white cat and subjected it to a highly publicized 3-day torture. The abuser mockingly posted messages boasting that throughout the 3 days of severe abuse, the cat “never made a single sound” & only gasped for breath. The perpetrator was exposed, but due to the absence of anti-animal cruelty laws, he couldn’t be jailed. A group of his online “followers” established even more aggressive, deeply encrypted channels on Telegram to continue the practice.
That’s how The Cow Cat became the symbol of outcry for anti-animal cruelty laws.
Why is cat torture allowed to thrive?
1. Absence of anti-animal cruelty laws
2. Impunity and mild penalties
3. Strict political but weak moral censorship
The exact number of victims will never be known. It’s not just stray, stolen & adopted cats who are tortured on- & offline. The perpetrators are actively breeding cats to use in their torture videos.
Thousands of cats will forever remain nameless, tortured out of their lives on video for money or entertainment.
Here are some victims who were identified:
Source: @tortitudestyle — Instagram
Cow Cat was starved, declawed, derpived of sleep and punctured with a hot iron. S/he was bound to a tree and subjected to further beatings. Cow Cat was then placed in a plastic bag and burned alive. The torture was prolonged over 36 hours.
Fireball was starved and eletrocuted. Her entire body was skinned including her face. Then whilst slowly dying, she was subjected to further electrocution. After her heart stopped beating, she was shocked back to life to endure more torture.
Little Calf was cut across his belly and mouth. He was stabbed in both eyes. And his internal organs were deliberately exposed before he passed away.
Theodore was subjected to electrocution. He had all his limbs cut off with a knife. He was then beheaded.
Monica was stolen from an airport whilst her owner was in transit. She had over 40 pins stuck into her body. She was electrocuted with a cattle prod and her stomach was skinned. One of her legs was smashed before being removed completely.
More victim stories you will find here.
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To take action against cat torture networks, please go here.
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Follow these Instagram accounts & websites to learn more about cat torture networks & what else you can do to help change the situation:
@yosee.takahashi
@feline_guardians_japan, felineguardiansjapan.com
@projectnomore_official, projectnomore.net
@global_abuser_database
@feline_guardians_belgium
@fortheanimals2
@feline_guardians.chris
@feline_guardians_india
@tortitudestyle
@feline_guardians_czechia
@unya0720
@natcatactivist2
@libe.rty332
@felineguardiansuksw
@patricmatusco
@guardianesfelinosmdq
@vivireports
@kuro_aki_nekochantachi
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STOP CAT TORTURE NETWORKS
