A man in China has been fired from a security company after he allegedly killed a pregnant cat with boiling water, Asia News Network reported.

In a video that went viral on the country’s social media, it showed a woman screaming at the man as he poured boiling water on a pregnant cat in a cage—sparking public anger. The cat’s fur was also shown being burned, with its body sustaining multiple wounds.

The cat and her four unborn kittens were pronounced dead in a nearby veterinary hospital, which also noted that over 70 percent of its body was burned.

According to investigations, witnesses said the man committed the deed as punishment for the cat eating his ham.

The company where he used to work terminated his contract and offered On Tuesday, after an animal protection volunteer who helped rescue the cat said the man who abused it worked for a security company in Taiyuan, the company issued a statement saying it had terminated the man’s contract and offered 5,000 yuan (AED2,747) to the hospital for the cat’s treatment.