Kurt Zouma's cats are now with the RSPCA, the animal welfare charity have confirmed.
Sickening footage of Zouma abusing his cat in video was shared online by The Sun and caused a huge stir on social media.
In the disgusting clip, filmed by his brother, Yoan, Zouma picks up the cat before dropping it and kicking it across the kitchen of his £2 million mansion.
Advert
He also threw a pair of shoes at the feline and laughed as he did.
There have been calls for the 27-year-old to be sacked by West Ham, with the RSPCA being inundated with complaints.
Over 100,000 people have signed a petition calling for the former Chelsea man to be prosecuted.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the charity say Zouma's two cats have been taken off him and are safe and sound.
Advert
"We'd like to reassure people that we're investigating and the cats are safe and in our care," they wrote on Twitter.
"We have been dealing with this since before the clip went viral online and we need to follow the proper legal process and not discuss due to UK GDPR laws."
Zouma, who said he was "deeply sorry" for his conduct, started West Ham's 1-0 win over Watford on Tuesday and was met with boos by both sets of supporters.
Advert
Watford fans chanted "That's how your cat feels!" after he went down with an injury during the game.
Defending his decision to select Zouma for the win, Hammers boss David Moyes said: "I know how people feel, but I'm also a football manager here.
"My feeling was that Kurt has apologised and I understand a lot of people will not just be accepting of an apology.
Advert
"But to me he came out and [apologised] honestly and I had to do my job."
In a statement, Essex Police said they are liaising with RSPCA and that “urgent enquiries are ongoing.”
Meanwhile, West Ham have fined Zouma two weeks wages, said to be "the maximum amount possible" and will donate the money to animal welfare organisations.
Featured Image Credit: Image: PATopics: Kurt Zouma, West Ham United, Premier League
