Soccer player Kurt Zouma has had his pet cats removed from his care after a video emerged on social media appearing to show the West Ham player kicking and chasing them.
As reported by ESPN, the video was shared to Snapchat by Zouma's brother Yoan on Monday.
In the footage, he can be seen appearing to chase one of the cats, before slapping it out of a child's hands. Another clip appears to show the French player kicking the animal like a soccer ball,
On Wednesday, the 27-year-old West Ham player issued an apology for the video, saying: "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 behavior was an isolated incident that will not happen again."
After the horrendous footage went viral, the Anti Animal Abuse group set up a petition on Change.org, calling for all animals to be removed from Zouma's care.
As of this writing, it has amassed over 150,000 signatures.
Now, per Sky News, a statement from the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) reads: "The two cats are now in RSPCA care. Our priority is and has always been the well-being 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."
West Ham United has also released a statement on the footage, reading: "West Ham United unreservedly condemns the actions of our player, Kurt Zouma, in the video that has circulated."
It adds: "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."
The team faced criticism from fans and celebs after choosing the play Zouma during Tuesday's game against Watford.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan told Sky News on Wednesday: "It's despicable. I think a number of things need to happen urgently. I think the RSPCA and the police need to work together to prosecute this player.
"I'm disappointed in David Moyes and West Ham. I know how important three points are, but I think they should have shown leadership and dropped him last night."
"It normalizes his abhorrent behavior," Khan added.
The Sun reports that West Ham has decided to drop Zoumer from their next game, as well as fining the star £250,000 ($339,200) - which reportedly equates to two weeks of the player's wages.
Essex police has also confirmed that they are investigating the incident.
