Man drop-kicks cat after pretending to stroke it

Animal charity RSPCA is investigating distressing footage showing a man violently drop-kicking a cat after pretending to stroke it.

The charity is hoping to identify the individual in the video so that criminal charges can be made.

The short but very upsetting clip was shared by the Protect All Wildlife Twitter account, and was accompanied by the caption: "Please RT. Let’s find this oxygen thief!!!"

The tweet has since accumulated nearly 19,000 retweets and the video - which was posted yesterday - has received 2.87m views.

"Thanks for tagging us - this has been reported and will be looked into," the RSPCA's official Twitter page wrote in response. "If you have further information regarding this please report to us on 0300 1234 999 - thanks."

The man who assaulted the feline is the only individual seen in the four-second clip. Clad in sportswear, trainers and a baseball cap, the man reaches down to stroke the cat before suddenly kicking the animal with a considerable amount of force.

Warning: please be aware that some people may find this footage extremely upsetting:

An individual - presumably the person filming the animal abuse - can be heard in the background laughing in response to the attack.

Actor and Comedian Ricky Gervais - who often uses social media to draw attention to acts of cruelty towards animals - shared the video with the hope of bringing the culprit to justice.

"I can't decide the best punishment for this dirty c***," the After Life star wrote.

Needless to say, a number of Twitter users have joined Gervais in condemning the vile act of abuse.