Twitch called on to ban channel of cat breeder accused of animal abuse

Twitch channel Adorable_Kittens, which broadcasts livestreams of cats, has faced criticism on social media and calls for the platform to ban the account, after a lawsuit was filed against the cattery alleging “animal cruelty and selling sick kittens.”

A cattery from Florida called ‘Adorable Kittens’, which breeds and sells Scottish Fold and British Kittens, streams the animals playing, feeding and sleeping on their Twitch channel.

In October 2020, Twitch streamer Destiny claimed that another streamer, Alisha12287, was banned because “[Adorable Kittens] lawyer sent Twitch a letter and got her banned. That’s why her stream is banned right now.”

Alisha said that Twitch did not give a specific reason for her ban, but said she was emailed by a “specific business,” who “boasted” about the fact that they were the reason for her ban and claimed they had used an attorney to “shut her up.”

The channel, previously named adorablestars, changed names to ‘Adorable_Kittens’. It currently has over 116,000 followers, and is a partnered account.

On May 3, Twitch streamer Yabbe appealed to Twitch to “Please look into the evidence provided and stop allowing a dangerous kittymill to advertise freely on your site.”

Yabbe linked to a February press release from Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), confirming that it had “filed a lawsuit against Orlando-based kitten breeder and seller, Adorable Stars, on behalf of three individuals who purchased kittens from the breeder.

“The plaintiffs bring contract and tort claims and allege defendants are engaged in animal cruelty and neglect, as well as the unlawful practice of veterinary medicine without a license.”

Alongside numerous images of allegedly sick and mistreated cats and kittens, the press release states “Kittens sold by Adorable Stars have been found covered in ringworm, fleas, and parasites while also suffering from upper respiratory infections and feline panleukopenia, among other ailments.”

On the Adorable Kittens website FAQ, it says “All kittens will leave with a Health Certificate. With the health certificate that kittens has been checked by a vet, had their vaccine done, testings with negative results to be healthy for new home.”

The website also displays a copy of an ‘Outstanding Cattery Certificate’ from TICA (The International Cat Association), following an inspection by licensed veterinarian Pedro Santiago, DVM, on September 24, 2020.

However, a customer, who claims to have bought a cat from the breeder that later died, found an arrest record, showing charges for forging a veterinary certificate. The arrest took place in 2018.

Twitch has not responded to the calls on social media to reconsider their partnership with the channel. Twitch does not comment on community guideline violations to respect the privacy of users.