During a months-long investigation, CNN infiltrated some of the encrypted chat groups in China which are promoting and distributing videos of cat torture. The investigation shows that a shadowy global network mutilates and kills cats for profit. These groups have expanded in scale and popularity around the world – and moved into more mainstream platforms including Telegram, X and YouTube. Consumers of these videos often have a sexual fetish for animal cruelty – known as “zoosadism” – deriving pleasure from watching the suffering of defenceless animals.
REBECCA WRIGHT: Every night after returning home from work, Chen opens his laptop and switches to his secret life as an undercover activist.
From his bedroom in eastern China, he spends hours witnessing scenes too graphic for a horror movie and trying to befriend people who would be his sworn enemies in real life.
Chen – a pseudonym to protect his real identity – is part of a team of internet sleuths whose mission is to shut down a shadowy global network that mutilates and kills cats for profit.
An exclusive CNN investigation shows that in the past year, these groups have expanded in scale and popularity around the world – and moved into more mainstream platforms including Telegram, X and YouTube.
Consumers of these videos often have a sexual fetish for animal cruelty – known as “zoosadism” – deriving pleasure from watching the suffering of defenceless animals, experts told CNN…
During a months-long investigation, CNN infiltrated some of the encrypted chat groups in China which are promoting and distributing videos of cat torture.
The chat groups provide a snapshot of an underworld where torture is trivialized and celebrated as if it’s part of a video game.
A culture of competition has also developed among members to suggest the most inventive style of abuse – while creating heroes out of the perpetrators.
CNN observed as members swapped stories of purported exploits and proposed new forms of depravity.
Chen was in similar groups. For years, he’s been watching gruesome videos and befriending torturers to gather enough information to track them down.
He’s part of an alliance of activists called Feline Guardians, who hope that drawing attention to the issue will pressure law enforcement globally to take more action – particularly in China.
“China is now experiencing a wave of cat abuse, from elementary school students all the way to the elderly participating in it,” Chen said.
Chen says the number of people involved in Chinese-based networks is “growing larger and larger,” and include foreigners outside the country.
Data gathered by Feline Guardians showed a 500% increase in new torture videos added to the Chinese Telegram groups they monitor between June 2024 and February 2025 – with a new video being uploaded on average around every 2.5 hours. In the first two months of this year, more than 500 new torture videos have been uploaded, with most coming from previously unknown abusers.
Some of this content is also available on mainstream websites, including a YouTube account seen by CNN which had “playlists” with more than 800 videos of cats being killed. After CNN requested comment, YouTube removed the channel and an associated one for “violating its policies,” and a spokesperson said, “content depicting violence or abuse toward animals has no place on YouTube”…
“It’s become a pretty international phenomenon,” said Jenny Edwards, a criminologist and specialist in animal sexual abuse, based in Seattle. “It is happening much more often than people realize.”
Activists say many of the cat torturers are based in China, where there are no laws against animal cruelty. Protected by an apparent culture of impunity, they make videos for consumers around the world – including in the United States, UK, Turkey and Japan.
CNN has submitted questions to the Chinese government about this issue, so far without response. SOURCE…
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