Zuma was seen kicking and slapping the cat, while laughter was heard in the background. Then the 27-year-old Frenchman chased the cat before throwing a pair of shoes at it and slapping it on the head in a clip published by The Sun newspaper.
The Animal Welfare Authority condemned Zuma’s actions as well, while West Ham said on Tuesday that it would deal with the player internally.
Zuma said: “I would like to apologize for my actions. There is no justification for my behaviour, which I feel very sorry for. I also want to say that I am deeply sorry to anyone who was saddened by the video. I want to assure everyone that our cats are in good health.”
He added, “They are loved and honored by the entire family, and this behavior is an individual incident that will not be repeated.”
And his club announced in a statement that “West Ham United have absolute reservations about the actions of our player Kurt Zouma in the video circulating.”
He added: “We have spoken to Kurt and will deal with it internally, but we would like to make it clear that we do not in any way condone cruelty to animals.”
The Royal Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals declared it “horrified”. She said, “This is a very bad video. It is absolutely not acceptable to kick, hit or slap an animal, for punishment or otherwise.”
