CAT ABUSE CONTENT

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

Cat Torture Ring

WHAT

Psychological Impact

HOW

Legal Context

WHY

End This Cruelty

LET'S ACT!

Animal abuse takes many forms, from seemingly innocent practices, such as keeping certain animals as pets, to the more obvious, such as inflicting physical harm on an animal. SMACC is aware that there is a growing amount of social media content picturing extreme, graphic, and cruel acts of torture on cats, who are purposely physically and mentally harmed for the interests of those who wish to watch animal abuse videos.

Cat torture encompasses any act of cruelty or abuse towards cats that can lead to severe injury or death, such as beating, burning, or inflicting severe injuries until death.

Cat torture rings

Pictures: Feline Guardians Without Borders

Evidence collected by animal protection groups has shown that networks of cat torture rings exist and are responsible for brutally torturing and killing thousands of cats and kittens solely for entertainment. These sadistic networks disseminate video recordings of these gruesome acts on publicly accessible websites, as well as in public and private groups on platforms like Telegram and various international social media platforms.

This situation causes immense suffering, and death, to the animals involved and reflects a disturbing societal trend. SMACC is committed to supporting animal protection organizations and raising awareness about the actions the public can take when encountering such content.

Legal Context

While laws exist in many countries to protect animals, enforcement can be inconsistent. In some countries, emerging protections for animal welfare face significant challenges. SMACC’s members are actively working on securing animal protection legislation in countries where this is lacking.

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:

How to end cat torture

Warning Signs

Be vigilant for content depicting abuse, including graphic violence or injury to cats.

What to Do If You See Cat Torture?

Follow SMACC’s Five Steps to Stop Online Cruelty:

01.

BE AWARE

Understand what constitutes animal cruelty. Now that you know such networks exist, you might be able to recognize cat torture videos before even clicking on them. Common warning signs include:

Titles or captions with sensational or extreme language, such as "unbelievable punishment" or "watch till the end";
Thumbnails showing restrained, distressed, or visibly harmed animals;
Channels or accounts are known for posting graphic or controversial content.

02.

DO NOT WATCH

Protect your mental well-being by avoiding distressing content.

03.

DO NOT ENGAGE

Refrain from commenting or reacting to the content.

04.

DO NOT SHARE

Watching, commenting on, or sharing such content will circulate it further, so please refrain from any engagement.

05.

ALWAYS REPORT

Report the content directly to the hosting social media platform.

Or Report a Concern: Report the link of the cat torture content to our database. This helps gather evidence and better understand the issue, providing invaluable data for animal protection organizations.

Reporting Matters

Reporting to social media platforms is crucial for drawing attention to the issue and advocating for policy changes. Although content may take time to remove, your report is essential for driving change.

Report A Concern