A disturbing case of animal cruelty has emerged from Shenyang, Liaoning, China, where a woman allegedly abused multiple kittens at a local cat café, leading to the death of four and leaving others critically injured.
The incident occurred on August 3 at the Baoying Cat Café in Shenyang’s Shenbei District. According to a report by Litchi News, the café owner released surveillance footage showing the woman violently attacking the kittens inside a private room while staff were momentarily absent.
In the footage, the woman can be seen grabbing a small kitten with one hand and repeatedly punching it with the other. She then lifts the kitten high above her head and slams it onto the ground. The terrified kitten, visibly injured, immediately crawls into a cage for safety.
The café’s owner, Ms. Wang, recounted that she noticed the suspicious activity via the security monitor. “I saw something was wrong and rushed in to stop her. I refunded her and asked her to leave immediately. But after discovering the kittens were dead or seriously injured, I called the police,” she said.
As of August 6, four kittens—including some rare breeds like British Shorthair Golden—have died despite emergency treatment. At least two others remain in critical condition. Veterinary costs have already exceeded 10,000 yuan (approximately USD $1,400).
When questioned by police, the woman reportedly admitted to the abuse, stating, “I wasn’t feeling very good today. A series of reasons led me to do it.”
Shockingly, other cat cafés have also identified her as a repeat offender, having allegedly abused animals at their venues in the past before being kicked out by staff.
Due to the absence of specific animal cruelty laws in China, police advised Ms. Wang to file charges under “property damage,” since the café cats are considered valuable assets—each worth over 4,000 yuan. If total damages meet the legal threshold, a criminal case can be filed. However, emotional and public morality damages are not legally quantifiable.
The incident has sparked public outrage online and forced several cat cafés in Shenyang to suspend private room services. Netizens flooded social media with comments:
- “Why isn’t this person behind bars?”
- “You know what comes after harming animals? Something worse.”
- “If she can do this to helpless kittens, what else is she capable of?”
- “She blamed it on a bad mood? That’s horrifying.”
- “I’ve been to that café—the staff love the cats, and the place is spotless. This woman is disgusting.”
Internet users have also attempted to identify the woman, claiming she is a Ms. Deng, a resident of Shenyang’s Dadong District and an employee of Shenyang Railway Culture & Tourism. As of now, the company has not released a public statement.
