Kurt Zouma has issued a grovelling apology after West Ham condemned a shocking video of him kicking his cat.
Further clips, obtained by The Sun, show the Frenchman, 27, slapping his pet’s face and another hurling a pair of designer shoes as the cat tries to escape.
Zouma’s brother, Yoan, filmed the disturbing footage, which was posted to Snapchat on Sunday afternoon.
The first clip is captioned “sa commence”, translating to “it is starting”, before being replaced by laughing face emojis in later clips.
West Ham have released a statement condemning his actions and vowing to “deal with the matter internally” whilst Zouma has insisted the attack was an isolated incident.
He told The Sun: “I want to apologise for my actions. There are no excuses for my behaviour, which I sincerely regret.
“I also want to say how deeply sorry I am to anyone who was upset by the video. I would like to assure everyone that our two cats are perfectly fine and healthy.
“They are loved and cherished by our entire family, and this behaviour was an isolated incident that will not happen again.”
West Ham’s statement read: "West Ham United unreservedly condemns the actions of our player, Kurt Zouma, in the video that has circulated.
“We have spoken to Kurt and will be dealing with the matter internally, but we would like to make it clear that we in no way condone cruelty towards animals.”
An RSPCA spokesperson said: “This is a very upsetting video. It’s never acceptable to kick, hit or slap an animal, for punishment or otherwise.”
Dr Maggie Roberts, of charity Cats Protection, said: “Any person seen or suspected of treating an animal badly, whether this is physical violence, neglect or any other form of cruelty should be reported to the RSPCA.
“The police work closely with the RSPCA to investigate cases of animal cruelty. Cats are sentient beings and experience pain and fear.
"We noticed that some people viewing the video online thought it was funny. We can assure them that this is not a laughing matter.”
Zouma rose through the ranks at French club Saint Etienne before being signed by Chelsea in a £12million deal in January 2014.
He had loan spells at Stoke City and Everton during his seven-and-a-half year stint at Stamford Bridge, during which he made over 150 Blues appearances.
He left Chelsea permanently to join West Ham in a £29.8million deal last summer, signing a four-year deal at the London Stadium.
The defender has made 15 appearances for the Hammers, recently returning from a hamstring injury.
But just his second appearance in two months against Kidderminster Harriers in the FA Cup on Saturday ended with him forced to battle on in injury time after picking up a knock.
The incident with his cat allegedly took place the following day.
