More than six thousand people have signed petitions urging the RSPCA to prosecute Kurt Zouma over shocking footage of him kicking a cat.
The West Ham defender, 27, said he was ‘deeply sorry’ after the video of him physically abusing a Bengal cat in his home was shared online.
In a statement, the centre back said there were ‘no excuses’ for his behaviour and sought to reassure people his two cats are ‘loved and cherished’.
West Ham has also ‘unreservedly condemed’ Zouma for his actions, saying it had spoken to the Frenchman and would be dealing with the incident internally.
Zouma’s brother, Yoan, filmed the incident and uploaded the video to his Snapchat account on Sunday.
In the video, Zouma is seen chasing the cat, which is clearly distressed, through the house before slapping it.
After The Sun obtained the footage it was widely condemned by animal rights activists.
Metro.co.uk understands the Metropolitan Police has decided not to investigate the incident.
As it stands, Zouma will not face any criminal charges.
But the RSPCA, which has the power to prosecute, has suggested it could investigate the matter.
A spokesperson said: ‘This is a very upsetting video. It’s never acceptable to kick, hit or slap an animal, for punishment or otherwise.
‘We are so grateful to people who report suspected animal suffering to us and we would like to reassure people we will always look into and, if necessary, investigate any complaints made to us about animal welfare.’
One petition addressed to ‘the police’ calls to ‘have Kurt Zouma prosecuted for animal cruelty’ and has received more than 5,240 signatures within 24 hours.
While another addressed to RSPCA bosses and Cressida Dick, the commissioner of the Met Police, calls for Zouma’s animals to be removed. That has received more than 1,700 signatures.
The RSPCA’s prosecutions carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison for the most serious offences.
It has not revealed if any formal complaints were made, but said it had ‘received lots of messages’.
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