Animal charity the RSPCA has taken West Ham defender Kurt Zouma’s two pet cats away after videos emerged on social media of him kicking and slapping one of them.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is liaising with Essex Police about the incident.
France international Zouma has apologised and West Ham say they are dealing with the issue “internally”.
“The two cats are now in RSPCA care,” said a charity spokesperson.
“Our priority is and has always been the wellbeing of these cats.
“They’ve been taken for a check-up at a vets and then will remain in our care while the investigation continues.
“We’re grateful to everyone who expressed their concern for these cats. We were dealing with this issue before the video went viral online and are leading the investigation.
“We continue to investigate so we cannot comment further at this time.”
