Kurt Zouma-themed 'stag do' was 'extremely sad' as Cats Protection slam cruel stunt

The stag do antics of a group pretending to be Kurt Zouma, chasing a cat, has been slammed as 'extremely sad' by Cats Protection. The lads, who found their stunt amusing, were dressed in West Ham shirts with 'Zouma' on the back, mocking his 2022 animal abuse case.

The footage from the undoubtedly alcohol-fuelled stag do in Headingley, Leeds, went viral over the weekend. The video shared on social media left many shocked that an incident which caused such public outrage could be made light of.

It was almost two years ago, in June 2022, when the Hammers' captain pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal by kicking and slapping his pet cat. The 29-year-old was sentenced to 180 hours of community service, received a 12-month community order, and was banned from keeping cats for five years.

Since then, Zouma has faced plenty of criticism, including a confrontation by a 6ft 7in Daily Star moggie on the court steps when he was held accountable for his actions. While the former Chelsea defender may have expected opposition fans to sing songs about the event, he probably never anticipated a British stag do basing their entire theme on his case.

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In a bizarre stag do video, onlookers were left puzzled as they watched a groom dressed as a cat being chased by a group of men donning full West Ham kits. Another clip captured the party on the Otley Run pub crawl in the student district, where they took turns to kick the groom up the backside outside a Cats Protection League charity shop, engaging in chants and gestures towards the premises, reports the Daily Star.

Cats Protection, the animal welfare charity that previously voiced "outrage" over Zouma's act of cruelty, has spoken out against the group's behaviour, criticising it for making light of serious issues surrounding animal welfare. Stefan Blakiston Moore, Advocacy and Campaigns Manager at Cats Protection, commented on the incident: "It's unfortunate to see people mocking animal abuse and the awful incident which led to a criminal conviction for Kurt Zouma,".

Moore further expressed disappointment with the public display, stating: "When the video surfaced, Zouma's actions were rightly condemned and to see people making a joke of it in a busy high street is extremely sad."

Zouma himself has shown contrition regarding his past actions. Reflecting on the impact of the incident last year, he remarked: "It's been a tough time for me and for my family. We've been through a lot. I made a mistake, I know - I made a bad one. I have to say sorry again for what I've done, but life is about moving on."