Monica was lost at Shanghai Pudong airport on 17th December 2023 whilst her owners were in transit. Monica's owner searched, contacted the airport and posted to social media about her disappearance in the hope she would be found and returned.

On March 19th 2024, posts appeared in Chinese social media. A photo was posted of Monica in a torture chamber with electric rods, needles and an axe in the frame. The abusers demanded Monica's owner pay a ransom in crypto currency and requested they be contacted on Telegram by April or Monica would be tortured and killed. Monica was in the hands of one of the most cruel and sadistic cat torture groups in China.

Over the next few weeks, Monica's owner came up against a lack of interest and lack of help from authorities, failed negotiations and endless taunts from the torturers.

Monica's owner went to the police three times for help. It was only on the third occasion that police issued any official documentation but there was still no police investigation and no attempts were made by police to find Monica. The police advice was to continue negotiations with the torturer.

It was identified that Monica was in the hands of Peng Xiang. Monica's owner was able to have direct contact with him in Telegram messages where he insisted a ransom of crypto currency be paid for Monica's safe return. Not familiar with crypto, Monica's owner spent much time negotiating another form of payment and pleading with Peng Xiang not to harm Monica.

We know that Peng Xiang had already started torturing Monica whilst negotiating with her owner and had no intention of returning Monica alive. She went missing in mid-December and confirmation of her abduction was in March so it is unknown exactly how long she suffered.

We do know that Monica had pins stuck into every part of her body including her eyes and that the torturers said they were collecting anti-cruelty posts and would stick a new pin in her for each new post they saw. "She has 38 so far" they said. Monica was electrocuted with a cattle prod numerous times, she had her stomach skinned and at least one of her legs was completely smashed and finally removed completely.

In their Telegram chats they alluded to passing Monica around from person to person and discussing that her torture and killing was in revenge for another abuser, Xu Ruixiang being denied entry to a university because of his cat abuse history.

It is clear that Peng Xiang and his accomplices never intended to release Monica alive. The ransom was part of their sick game and a further way they could mess with the owner by giving false hope. They revelled in the misery they caused Monica's owner and the power they had over them. It was not just torture of Monica but psychological torture of Monica's owner.

Monica's story has a visceral effect on anyone who learns it. It shouldn't matter where the cat came from, all these babies are deserving of a beautiful life. There is however, something so devastating knowing Monica was a loved family pet who was stolen. We can all empathise with the pain, trauma and frustrating lack of help that her owner went through for many months. We can imagine the 'what if' thinking and unjustified guilt. It is something that will stay with that person forever. I hope if Monica's owner ever reads this that I believe Monica knew she was always loved by you, she knew it in her soul and it would have sustained her throughout what she endured.

The Victims