A group of Telegram users are getting slammed for placing a bounty on beloved ‘side-eye cat’ Mr. Fresh, putting up money for the viral feline’s death.
Hello Street Cat is a Chinese-based application that streams the antics of local stray cats that are fed by donations from viewers, which prompt an electronic feeder to dispense food.
Mr. Fresh is arguably the most famous feline on Hello Street Cat, so named for his tendency to prefer fresh food. He took over the internetthanks to his facial expressions— namely his signature ‘side eye,’ which went viral as a meme on social media.
The kitty sparked a ton of attention toward the Hello Street Cat app… but not all of this attention is positive.
Cat lovers outraged after group puts bounty on ‘Mr. Fresh’
Instagram page ‘Feline Guardians Without Borders’ providedscreenshots of the bounty,which read: “Condition: Kill the internet-famous ‘brother fresh.’ Upon completion, wait for the outcry of at least three cat influencers to confirm the death.”
“Is this just an ill-intentioned joke?” the page wrote. “We can only hope that no abusers would dare to lay hands on this cat, as it is one of the most watched cats by cat lovers through the Street Cat App.”
A post shared by Feline Guardians Without Borders (@feline_guardians)
This isn’t the first time the Hello Street Cat kitties have faced negative attention due to the app’s popularity. The cats have beendragged away from their feedersbefore, and commenters also claim the feeders have been drowned with water.
Luckily, it looks like Mr. Fresh is in theprocess of getting adoptedafter paying a visit to the vet due to eye issues. However, commenters are calling on local cat lovers to watch over the Hello Street Cat kitties to prevent any harm toward them as news of the group’s bounty continues to shock users across the net.
Virginia Glaze is Dexerto’s Entertainment Editor in the US. She expertly covers trending stories across Twitch, Kick, YouTube, and TikTok – as well as fighting games and influencer boxing. Virginia also has bylines at Red Bull, GINX, and Bandai Namco. Contact her here: virginia.glaze@dexerto.com
