CAT ABUSE CONTENT

What is cat torture? What is happening with cat torture content and how you can help. Learn more on this site and take action.

Cat Torture Ring

WHAT

Psychological Impact

HOW

Legal Context

WHY

End This Cruelty

LET'S ACT!

Animal cruelty can take many forms, from neglect to deliberate acts of violence. One alarming trend is the intentional torture of cats, filmed and shared online for entertainment or profit. Recent investigations have found that cat torture videos are being created, distributed, and sometimes sold for money, often through social media platforms, messaging apps, or obscure websites. The victims—both stray and companion cats—are often subjected to prolonged suffering and filmed in horrifying detail. Recent investigations show this cruelty is increasing. In 2024, one advocacy group recorded a 500% rise in cat torture videos from China alone, averaging one new video every 3 hours. Globally, an estimated 24 active online groups share such videos, some with over 1,000 members. BBC reporters uncovered encrypted chats where people discussed acquiring kittens for abuse.

This is not isolated or random. It’s part of a growing underground economy of cruelty—driven by clicks, curiosity, and sometimes commissions.

Cat torture rings

Ads are posted in the Telegram groups offering cats for custom torture to order for around $1,300. Telegram/CNN

These networks operate across borders, using apps like Telegram to sell or trade videos, and even offer custom recordings for as little as $20. Groups have been linked to members in China, Turkey, Malaysia, Japan, and Europe. Despite widespread distribution, these videos are often left online for days, weeks, or even permanently—especially when platforms lack content moderation in relevant languages.

Evidence from animal protection groups and media outlets shows that organized cat torture networks are operating across borders.

These groups use platforms such as Telegram to upload, sell, and share disturbing videos. Investigations reveal that:

New torture videos are uploaded as often as every few hours.
“Buyers” can commission custom videos, requesting specific cats, scenarios, or methods.
Monetary transactions have been traced, from $20 to over $1,000 per video, depending on the brutality or specificity of the content.
Accounts in China, Turkey, Southeast Asia, the U.S., and Europe have been connected to these acts.

Legal Context

Animal protection laws vary significantly across regions, and in many cases, those who commit abuse face no legal consequences.

Some countries still lack national legislation criminalizing animal cruelty, making prosecution difficult or impossible. Even when abuse is exposed by the media, activists, or the public, authorities may cite gaps in law or jurisdiction as reasons for inaction. In contrast, a growing number of countries have begun passing laws to criminalize online cruelty and strengthen enforcement, including provisions to prosecute perpetrators and remove harmful content. Some countries have introduced new measures. The UK’s Online Safety Act (2024) and the EU’s Digital Services Act now require platforms to remove animal cruelty content or face heavy fines. Taiwan’s updated Animal Protection Act also obliges platforms to cooperate in investigations.

Psychological Impact of Viewing Cat Torture

It’s important to emphasize that watching graphic videos of cat torture not only violates ethical standards but also normalizes violence, which in turn may encourage individuals to commit similar behaviors.

Witnessing such graphic violence is extremely traumatizing and can have a damaging psychological impact on viewers, especially children. Research has shown that exposure to animal cruelty can lead to antisocial or violent behaviors in the future.

For more information on the link between violence and animal abuse, see: