In April 2019, a mainland Chinese student at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, then interning at Tencent, was publicly accused by her Shenzhen roommate of abusing the roommate’s cat while the owner was traveling. Public reports cited home surveillance footage showing chasing, hitting, kicking, pulling the cat’s tail, trapping the cat in a litter box, blocking its exit, and pressing its neck. HKUST said it would look into the matter and warn the student; Tencent said it would terminate the internship if verified.

Public allegation and surveillance footage

HK01 reported that the Weibo user “vseacuvuenm” publicly accused her roommate on April 30, 2019, saying the abuse occurred while she was traveling abroad. Sohu’s republication of Observer Network also noted that the owner posted animated images and chat records.

Reports described surveillance footage showing the accused chasing, hitting, kicking and pulling the cat’s tail. The owner said the conduct lasted more than an hour and that the cat had no ability to resist.

Concerns about repeated harm

The reports described further acts: confining the cat in a litter box for more than ten minutes, blocking gaps with furniture and cushions so it could not get out or breathe, and pressing the cat by the neck on a sofa.

In later communication, the accused reportedly justified the beating by saying the cat had urinated on her bed, and told the owner to call the police. The response became part of the public concern.

Responses by school and company

After the allegation spread, Tencent said it was taking the matter seriously and would terminate the internship if the facts were verified, while also providing psychological counseling.

HKUST said it would understand the incident, contact the student, try to facilitate a meeting, warn the student about the conduct, and provide support if needed.

Why it is archived

No public source reported that the cat died, but the described conduct was deliberate, prolonged and directed at a vulnerable companion animal.

This record is not meant to encourage doxxing or harassment. It preserves sources, facts, institutional responses and the boundary between evidence-based accountability and online retaliation.

Timeline

• Around April 27, 2019: surveillance footage reportedly recorded the roommate abusing the cat while the owner was away.
• April 30, 2019: the owner publicly reported the incident on Weibo; Tencent and HKUST responded.
• May 1, 2019: HK01 and Observer Network reported the case.

Public sources

• HK01：科大內地生狠踢扯尾虐打室友貓
• 搜狐转载观察者网：港科大实习生虐猫？腾讯：核实后将终止实习