Disturbing Cat Torture Network With UK Ties Exposed

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A global network that shares videos of cats being tortured and killed has been found to involve individuals in the United Kingdom, according to a BBC investigation. 

This disturbing revelation comes after two teenagers from northwest London admitted to torturing and killing two kittens in a public park in Ruislip. The boy, aged 17, and the girl, aged 16, have pleaded guilty and are due to be sentenced. The animals were found mutilated and strung up, with scissors, knives, and a blowtorch discovered at the scene.

Police are now investigating whether the pair may be linked to a broader international network. According to BBC, some members of the network have discussed ways to acquire animals in the UK for the sole purpose of abusing them, including adopting from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). The groups also operate primarily on encrypted messaging platforms and are believed to have thousands of members worldwide.

The BBC, working with the animal rights group Feline Guardians, discovered that the network originally started in China but has since expanded globally. The group estimates that between May 2023 and May 2024, a new video of cat torture was uploaded every 14 hours. In total, 24 such groups were identified, with the largest one including more than 1,000 members. One individual is believed to have recorded over 200 separate acts of cruelty.

In one encrypted group, users with UK-based accounts were seen sharing adoption forms from the RSPCA and advertising kittens for sale with the stated intent to harm them. The posts reveal not only a disturbing desire to inflict suffering but also efforts to encourage others to do the same.

Volunteers from Feline Guardians infiltrated some of these forums, with one member, known as Lara, describing the content as heartbreaking and horrific. She reported that there seemed to be no limits to the cruelty inflicted, with videos showing cats being drowned, electrocuted, and starved. In one case, abusers discussed using electrocution to revive a cat mid-torture to prolong its suffering.

Perhaps most concerning is the apparent involvement of children. In one message viewed by the BBC, a user claimed to be just 10 years old and expressed enthusiasm for torturing cats. In September last year, the network even launched a so-called “100 cat kill” challenge, urging members to compete in harming as many animals as possible.

The BBC also uncovered the identity of a prominent figure in the community who goes by the name “Little Winnie,” using a profile image mocking Chinese President Xi Jinping. A volunteer from Feline Guardians posed as an acquaintance and eventually identified the individual as a 27-year-old man living in Tokyo. When approached, the man denied any involvement.

The lack of legal protection for animals in mainland China has been cited as a major issue. Activists warn that without enforcement, individuals continue to act with impunity. Lara, who has monitored these forums, believes that the problem will only grow if governments and law enforcement agencies do not intervene.

Feline Guardians has protested outside the Chinese Embassy in London, calling on Beijing to act. They argue that the lack of laws against animal cruelty in China means content like this can spread unchecked across the internet.

Ian Briggs, head of the RSPCA’s special operations unit, said: “Treating animals in this way is absolutely not acceptable and has no place in a modern society that is largely made up of kind, compassionate animal lovers.”

Johanna Baxter MP, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cats, warned that this trend was “a deeply worrying” one, particularly among young men. “Animal abuse often acts as a gateway, making future acts of violence easier to rationalise and commit,” she said.

Investigations are ongoing as pressure mounts on both British and international authorities to dismantle this network and put an end to the growing spread of online animal abuse.