Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Premier league footballer kicks cat and gets away with it...

355 replies

Gonnagetgoing · 08/02/2022 13:48

A footballer Kurt Zouma (apologies if already been mentioned here) has been videoed kicking his cat and chasing it yet West Ham says they've condemned his actions and he's apologised.

AIBU to be disgusted with him?

foul foul man

OP posts:
TheOnlyMrsMac · 09/02/2022 19:03

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

LexMitior · 09/02/2022 19:05

@TheOnlyMrsMac LOL

astroboy45 · 09/02/2022 19:10

@BABAHOTEL sigh it’s as if you’re being purposely obtuse but ok

DirectionToPerfection · 09/02/2022 19:11

Any decent person is both against racism and against animal cruelty, I think that goes without saying.

A tiny defenceless animal being subjected to extreme violence is going to evoke a strong emotional response, it's absolutely shocking. The cat has absolutely no chance against a man that's about 20 times bigger.

BABAHOTEL · 09/02/2022 19:14

[quote astroboy45]@BABAHOTEL sigh it’s as if you’re being purposely obtuse but ok[/quote]
nope just stating the bloody obvious and the total inaccuracies in your posts.

BABAHOTEL · 09/02/2022 19:15

@TheOnlyMrsMac brilliant post!

GreenLunchBox · 09/02/2022 19:23

@PlanetNormal

The RSPCA are a charity. They are not the police, despite their cosplay uniforms and silly job titles, eg ‘inspector’. They have no legal powers to enter a property or confiscate any animals in that property. Zouma should have told them to piss off.
Well, this is true whether people think you're trolling or not. They cant just remove animals without the police
BABAHOTEL · 09/02/2022 19:26

@GreenLunchBox no one is questioning their powers, but would it really be a wise thing to tell the RSPCA to piss off? He clearly hates the cats, so why keep them?

TheOnlyMrsMac · 09/02/2022 19:28

I understand from a DC that Zouma is being racially abused on social media - the vile monkey emojis and so on. I'm sure that he got some of this before his violent abuse of the cat, but racists - most of whom will care not one jot for the cat - will use it as an excuse to racially abuse him some more.

Let's be clear: boo him, chant 'that's how your cat feels' when he's down injured, take the cats into RSPCA care, investigate him for animal cruelty and safeguard his children and his wife, fine him, bench him, sack him, sack his manager for playing him, cancel his sponsorships and the club's sponsorships, prosecute him and ban him from keeping animals, make him a social pariah - he and the club and his brother deserve all that.

But if you racially abuse him, then that makes you as much of a scumbag as he is. A different scumbag, but still a scumbag.

VladmirsPoutine · 09/02/2022 19:29

I'm surprised he hasn't been arrested yet. Either way people won't stop until they have blood. I don't condone his actions at all but my goodness it's been an eye-opener.

Tiana4 · 09/02/2022 19:29

Cats remember
His cat was trying to get away and was probably very confused and scared

Horrible to hear him and his brother laughing
He drop kicked it, slapped it out of his young child's hand, proper threw shoes at it and chased it.

None of that was funny in the slightest yet the person (his brother?) holding camera videoing it was laughing???

What do they do when they are not videoing it if they thinks that it's acceptable to physically punish a pet?

If he treats a pet like that, how does he treat his children?

I bet he loses his sponsorships

I hope RSPCA are investigating

If I was his partner/ family member, he'd be out in his ear and cat can sleep in his bed. He wouldn't be allowed back until he was properly remorseful and realised abuse to anyone or any animal is ok nor funny

runforyourdog · 09/02/2022 19:29

I think this is so much worse than the woman who kicked the horse. She had obviously lost her temper and probably not a totally evil person in day to day life (although not condoning that behaviour either) also a horse is a lot different to a cat due it sheer size!!

This footballer guy was just awful. Like fuck that wasn't a one off thing. Why were they laughing about it?? And in front of the kid? Just awful. He should definitely get fired.

runforyourdog · 09/02/2022 19:30

Like fuck that was a one off thing.

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 09/02/2022 19:33

@VladmirsPoutine

I'm surprised he hasn't been arrested yet. Either way people won't stop until they have blood. I don't condone his actions at all but my goodness it's been an eye-opener.
Eye opener in what way?

What I find chilling in his actions was the interaction between him, the child and the cat.

Pancakeorcrepe · 09/02/2022 19:33

Why are some stupid idiots conflating this issue with racism in football? FFS.
So you can’t care about racism and animals at the same time? They are two entirely separate issues.
Racism in general enrages me and animal abuse enrages me. Racism at football is less shocking than racism in general, just because it goes hand in hand with hooliganism. I already expect drunk and ignorant people demonstrating horrible behaviour at games. I don’t expect a priviledged footballer earning shitloads of money to be kicking his cat around, with a kid nearby who showed absolutely no reaction so it must have been something that kid witnessed many times. I do hope he gets insulted and booed for the rest of his life not with racist insults but insults that reflect his awful behaviour. He is an absolute scumbag of a human being. I’m not a fan of football in general and the behaviour of the clubs, athletes and fans leaves a lot to be desired. At this stage I don’t think it brings any benefit to society as a sport.

BABAHOTEL · 09/02/2022 19:34

@runforyourdog

Like fuck that was a one off thing.
The child did not seem to be distressed, he picked the cat up and stayed in the room. I think if that had been my child and he had witnessed his dad doing that, he would've picked the cat up and either run to his bedroom, out of the house with it even. He definitely would've been hysterical that the cat was hurt.

I am sorry I find the child's reaction very worrying, it seems to be that he wasn't shocked about this, so therefore what has he seen before,

DirectionToPerfection · 09/02/2022 19:35

@TheOnlyMrsMac

I understand from a DC that Zouma is being racially abused on social media - the vile monkey emojis and so on. I'm sure that he got some of this before his violent abuse of the cat, but racists - most of whom will care not one jot for the cat - will use it as an excuse to racially abuse him some more.

Let's be clear: boo him, chant 'that's how your cat feels' when he's down injured, take the cats into RSPCA care, investigate him for animal cruelty and safeguard his children and his wife, fine him, bench him, sack him, sack his manager for playing him, cancel his sponsorships and the club's sponsorships, prosecute him and ban him from keeping animals, make him a social pariah - he and the club and his brother deserve all that.

But if you racially abuse him, then that makes you as much of a scumbag as he is. A different scumbag, but still a scumbag.

I don't see anyone claiming otherwise?

Of course racial abuse is horrific. The type of people who engage in it are probably abusive in other ways too.

Zouma suffering racial abuse is appaling but it does not excuse his behaviour.

BABAHOTEL · 09/02/2022 19:37

@Pancakeorcrepe

Why are some stupid idiots conflating this issue with racism in football? FFS. So you can’t care about racism and animals at the same time? They are two entirely separate issues. Racism in general enrages me and animal abuse enrages me. Racism at football is less shocking than racism in general, just because it goes hand in hand with hooliganism. I already expect drunk and ignorant people demonstrating horrible behaviour at games. I don’t expect a priviledged footballer earning shitloads of money to be kicking his cat around, with a kid nearby who showed absolutely no reaction so it must have been something that kid witnessed many times. I do hope he gets insulted and booed for the rest of his life not with racist insults but insults that reflect his awful behaviour. He is an absolute scumbag of a human being. I’m not a fan of football in general and the behaviour of the clubs, athletes and fans leaves a lot to be desired. At this stage I don’t think it brings any benefit to society as a sport.
We cross posted!

You have just said exactly the same as me about the child's reaction. It is chilling isn't it and I think if this has been witnessed before, then it is child abuse.

What a can of worms you have opened Zoumas!

VladmirsPoutine · 09/02/2022 19:41

By the end of this week I fully expect he will have been dropped from the team.

TheOnlyMrsMac · 09/02/2022 19:48

@PlanetNormal

The RSPCA are a charity. They are not the police, despite their cosplay uniforms and silly job titles, eg ‘inspector’. They have no legal powers to enter a property or confiscate any animals in that property. Zouma should have told them to piss off.
Just to come back again on this post - ! - what Zouma actually did, according to a statement on the club website at least, was deliver the family's two cats to the RSPCA for assessment. Now, I'm sure that he was advised that he either handed them over 'voluntarily' to the RSPCA or the police would assist the RSPCA in removing them. He's not daft. He knows he needs to be seen to do the right thing from now on in terms of handing the cats over, paying the club fine - oh, this will be donated to an animal charity, of course! - and issuing an apology. It's called damage limitation and bad news management, for him and West Ham. Most of us won't be convinced by it. The poster above probably describes what Zouma would actually like to do if he wasn't in the media and sponsor spotlight.
LuckyAmy1986 · 09/02/2022 19:50

Why are some stupid idiots conflating this issue with racism in football? FFS

It’s a shame we can’t talk about one without the other coming up, and just have it as a sole discussion about the animal cruelty we have witnessed, as it would have been if he had been white.

But do I reckon the general public are more outraged about this than if it had been a white footballer? Yes, probably… don’t get me wrong I think people still would have been fuming and disgusted. But I think him being black gives some people more ammunition. And makes them want to see him punished even more. It gives people something to froth at the mouth about

TrueBuys · 09/02/2022 19:57

He is a vile excuse for a human being and should be dropped by his club, sponsors and jailed. He is meant to be a role model.

BABAHOTEL · 09/02/2022 19:59

@LuckyAmy1986

Why are some stupid idiots conflating this issue with racism in football? FFS

It’s a shame we can’t talk about one without the other coming up, and just have it as a sole discussion about the animal cruelty we have witnessed, as it would have been if he had been white.

But do I reckon the general public are more outraged about this than if it had been a white footballer? Yes, probably… don’t get me wrong I think people still would have been fuming and disgusted. But I think him being black gives some people more ammunition. And makes them want to see him punished even more. It gives people something to froth at the mouth about

I absolutely do not agree with this, I do not agree that if he was white that people would've wanted less punishment!
AAAAAGHH · 09/02/2022 20:03

@LuckyAmy1986

Why are some stupid idiots conflating this issue with racism in football? FFS

It’s a shame we can’t talk about one without the other coming up, and just have it as a sole discussion about the animal cruelty we have witnessed, as it would have been if he had been white.

But do I reckon the general public are more outraged about this than if it had been a white footballer? Yes, probably… don’t get me wrong I think people still would have been fuming and disgusted. But I think him being black gives some people more ammunition. And makes them want to see him punished even more. It gives people something to froth at the mouth about

Absolute bullshit. Nowt to do with colour of his skin and everything to do with abusing a defenceless animal!
Terfydactyl · 09/02/2022 20:05

[quote astroboy45]@BABAHOTEL of course not! I’m not saying you have to choose between which situation to care about or sign petitions for. Even regarding the situations at the Euros, many people speak about racial abuse being wrong but then there’s those that don’t see it as a MAJOR issue. Something involving an animal tho, every single person thinks that’s bad and has something to say about it.

@TooTiredForAdventure thanks for the links but again, my point wasn’t that no one in the world cares. My point was is that it seems when things have to do with an animal or mistreatment of an animal, everyone has an opinion or something to say. Racism in football occurs so often it’s almost like people are like err no biggie. I would literally bet my life that every single person that’s commented on this thread or felt disgusted by what he’s done has not had the same energy when it comes to racism in football. I’m not saying no one in the world cares. That’s all🤷‍♀️[/quote]
This thread is about a cat being abused though. If you want to see what is thought about racism anywhere then you start a thread. If no one replies, you got the answer.
Plus these things go around in cycles. Racism may be the next big thing in the news because some very obvious racism happens, and then the threads on the subject will show you people care. Or not.