Shamed Kurt Zouma mocked by Newcastle United fans with blow up cats

Shamed West Ham defender Kurt Zouma who was filmed by his brother kicking a cat was mocked by Newcastle United fans during today’s Premier League clash.  

The visiting fans who travelled to the London stadium for the lunchtime match held up inflatable cats in response to the controversy surrounding the French international. 

Zouma, who is being investigated by the RSPCA over the incident, returned to action after pulling out of West Ham’s last match citing illness. 

Newcastle United fans mocked West Ham’s Kurt Zouma by holding up inflatable cats during their side’s visit to London this lunchtime. The French defender had been filmed by his brother lashing out at his cats earlier this month

The French international, pictured, was recalled to the West Ham team today after dropping out of the squad for an unspecified 'illness'

The French international, pictured, was recalled to the West Ham team today after dropping out of the squad for an unspecified ‘illness’

Newcastle fans also chanted at the West Ham player: 'Heyyyyyy, Hey Zouma, Oooh, Aahh, I wanna knowww, how you kicked that cat'

Newcastle fans also chanted at the West Ham player: ‘Heyyyyyy, Hey Zouma, Oooh, Aahh, I wanna knowww, how you kicked that cat’

Kurt Zouma was filmed by his brother lashing out at his cat earlier this month

Kurt Zouma was filmed by his brother lashing out at his cat earlier this month

Newcastle fans booed Zouma every time he touched the ball during his side’s 1-1 draw. 

As well as the inflatables, Newcastle fans chanted: ‘Heyyyyyy, Hey Zouma, Oooh, Aahh, I wanna knowww, how you kicked that cat.’

Zouma was fined two weeks’ wages worth an estimated £250,000 by his club after the footage of the cat was posted online. 

However, his manager David Moyes picked him to play against Watford hours after the footage was discovered. 

He was due to play last weekend against Leicester City, but pulled out due to injury.   

Zouma and West Ham have faced widespread criticism over their handling of the scandal, with some people calling for the French international’s sacking.  

The Hammers have been engulfed recently by the controversy surrounding defender Kurt Zouma and the mistreatment of his pet cat.

Zouma, who was fined two weeks’ wages, was selected to play against Watford in the immediate aftermath of the incident being made public, and would have started against Leicester last weekend had illness not ruled him out at the last minute.

Commenting after the incident, West Ham manager David Moyes suggested pleaded for forgiveness for his star player, who has had his two cats confiscated by the RSPCA. 

The charity is investigating the video of him kicking and slapping the animal.

The French defender will attend RSPCA courses and Hammers boss Moyes, who says he can ‘look himself in the mirror’ for still picking the player, hopes he can be rehabilitated like a drink-driver.

He said: ‘We all make mistakes in life. The boy is incredibly remorseful. He’s incredibly upset at what he did – he did a terrible thing.

‘But if it’s the case that there’s no forgiveness, then… we’ve all made mistakes and we’ll all continue to make mistakes in life.

‘We have to give people opportunities. He said he got it wrong, made a big mistake, so I’m hoping people will see it in a different way and see it with forgiveness.

‘The club are doing everything they possibly can. We’ll send him to the RSPCA who are going to help him, just like if somebody had a drink-driving offence, we’d get them help.

‘We’d hope those people would get better and never do that again.’

Zouma, pictured, was fined £250,000 by West Ham - after he club responded to the shocking video

Zouma, pictured, was fined £250,000 by West Ham – after he club responded to the shocking video

Zouma has been fined the maximum two weeks’ wages, which will go to animal charities, but there are still calls for him to be suspended while an online petition to get him prosecuted has topped 300,000 signatures.

The 27-year-old’s brother Yoan has been told he can no longer play for his club, Dagenham, until the RSPCA has completed its probe.

Defending the club’s decision to fine Zouma, Moyes said: ‘I think the financial side is as heavy as the club can give. I hope that the charities will benefit greatly from it. At the moment we’ve just come through a pandemic where the charities have struggled.

‘I wish this situation had never happened. I wish we weren’t even talking about this. But if any good is going to come out of this, then they are going to get a substantial money, the charities.

‘I can understand the public’s opinion. But I’m also one of the public. I see myself as a football supporter, a human being.

‘I understand where everybody else is with this, I really do. I can’t condone it, what he’s done. But as a football club, and me as a football manager, we are doing what we see fit.’