Ex-Chelsea star reveals cat attack remorse
Former Chelsea and France defender Kurt Zouma has revealed how he felt after footage was circulated of a cat-kicking incident earlier this year, which saw him ordered to carry out 180 hours’ worth of community service.
The West Ham star was also banned from being able to keep cats as pets for five years, after he admitted to kicking and slapping his pet cat.
He was also fined by his club for the incident and spoke about the controversy in an interview on its website, which was published on Friday.
“It’s been a difficult spell for me and my family. Obviously I have done something very bad and I apologize again for what I’ve done. I know it was very tough for people to watch and to see that and obviously I feel very, very sorry,” Zouma said.
“I have great remorse about it and now I’m trying to move on with my family and looking ahead. I learned from it, that’s the most important thing, I would say. Obviously, I had support from many, many people around me who helped me stay focused on football and I try to stay happy.
“The club has been unbelievable with me, the support that I received from my teammates, from the staff, and everyone at the club, and even from the fans, has been unreal, and they helped me stay focused on the game, to try to do my best on the pitch all the time and, obviously, I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done. This club is like my family,” he added.
Zouma’s abuse of the pet came to light after his brother Yoan filmed the attack and uploaded it to social media network Snapchat in February.
The clip showed Zouma kicking and slapping his cat in his house. At Thames Magistrates’ Court, Zouma pleaded guilty to two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal under the Animal Welfare Act.
Yoan Zouma admitted to one count of aiding, abetting, counseling or procuring his older brother to commit an offense, and had to carry out 140 hours’ community service.
Kurt Zouma was ordered to pay £9,000 ($10,000) in court costs, and after West Ham had fined him, the Premier League club ordered the Frenchman to make donations to nine different British and overseas animal welfare charities.
Allowed to continue playing despite the row, Zouma has started all 12 of West Ham’s league matches this season and should feature at home against Crystal Palace on Sunday.
