NEWS AND COMMENT – QATAR FOOTBALL WORD CUP: The media officer to Brazil’s World Cup football team in Qatar 2022, grabbed hold of a tabby stray cat who had wandered onto the table at which they are delivering a press conference and throws the cat onto the ground. Nothing particularly special about it except that this press officer grabs the cat in a brutal way both by the scruff and also down the spine.
Note: I have referred to the cat as ‘it’ deliberately as it is in line with the attitude of this person. Normally I use ‘her’ or ‘him’.
This was an unnecessarily aggressive way to remove the cat from this press conference. No doubt the cat had stumbled into the press conference innocently.
People say that grabbing a cat by the scruff is okay. In this instance the man grabs the cat by the scruff (but unnecessarily aggressively) AND also grabs the cat down the spine where it would have hurt. There is less loose skin down the spine. This is NOT a recommended way to pick up a cat. It indicates ignorance of cats and a poor relationship with domestic cats.
It is disrespectful of the cat, and I would say the cat was hurt temporarily.
Apparently, the journalists who were interviewing the footballer at the press officers gasped when they saw what this man did. The news media say that the incident left journalists shocked.
The incident happened when the Brazilian forward Vinícius Jr. was at the conference and speaking to the media ahead of his team’s World Cup quarter-final match against Croatia. Incidentally, this match is being played right now as I dictate this.
The score after 75 minutes is Croatia 0 Brazil 0. Update: Croatia beat Brazil! Some say that Brazil was cursed after the cat incident 👍😉. What do you think? Is it a version of karma?
PETA, an animal rights organisation that I admire, weren’t impressed either. They tweeted: “What’s this guy’s problem?”
And according to Vet Street lifting a cat by scruff is problematic. Even if this was done properly (which it wasn’t) you don’t lift a cat by the scruff if they are an adult cat. A kitten is okay. Lifting an adult cat by the scruff only and then supporting the cat by the hindlegs is acceptable for a short time.
The way this man did it is unacceptable.
PETA added:
“We hope someone is looking after this sweet cat who is probably homeless — just like so many others.”
And journalist Gourdie tweeted: “Did he really need to throw it like that?!”
The sports reporter for The Sun rightly called the perpetrator a “douchebag”.
Below is a post about how to lift a cat off the ground!
Made me so mad had to wait a days to comment. He was petting the kitty before he violently grabbed it and threw it to the ground. He could have just picked her/him up and set on the ground. But cat haters have to be jerks.
Absolutely yes. I think he actions showed us that he dislikes cats.