The Dark Lore of Hello Street Cat

If you’ve ever used social media, chances are you came across a series of comically low-quality videos of various cats eating through an automatic feeder. All these videos of funny-looking cats are sourced from a streaming app called “Hello Street Cat” (哈啰街猫).  Developed by the Guangxi Hachong Network Technology Co.,  Hello Street Cat was created in 2023 to stream and dispense food for stray cats via Intelligent Stray Cat Management Houses. Every time a user donated through the app, kibbles would be dispensed and the cats would be streamed, eating. These feeding live streams sparked lots of attention on the internet quickly, forming a community that would watch and admire these cats, with each cat given a unique nickname that described its looks or personality. However, in 2024, a scary Telegram announcement would bring to light the dark lore of Hello Street Cat.   

Among all the cats of Hello Street Cat, “Mr. Fresh” is arguably THE most famous cat ever. Mr. Fresh received his nickname from the fan community after a live stream where he would only eat fresh food dropped from the donations. In the past, a bird came inside the feeder and pooped on his kibble. Repulsed by the taste of bird-poop-covered kibble, he would never again eat food that wasn’t fresh, hence his nickname “Mr. Fresh.”  Due to his infected eye at the time, Mr. Fresh’s suspicious stare at the camera went viral on social media for his signature “side-eye.” Memes of his side-eye exploded and gained the attention of millions of fans on the Internet. 

(Mr. Fresh staring at the camera)

However, not all the attention he received was positive. In February 2024, the internet caught wind of a Telegram post that sparked much controversy and outcry. Messages from an anonymous group of Chinese animal abusers were revealed to have placed a bounty on the Internet’s beloved Mr. Fresh. The message read: “Condition: kill the internet famous “Brother Fresh,” upon completion wait for the outcry of at least three cat influencers to confirm the death. Bounty: **usdt. Bonus: put the corpse back to the street cat app station for ** usdt.”This revealed the animal abuse happening behind the scenes, gaining the attention of many media platforms. Cat Torture Clans across Chinese social media platforms would promote killing and placing bounties on these stray cats. In fact, animal abusers had already been targeting numerous other cats that appeared on Hello Street Cat, not just Mr. Fresh. Mr. Snack, or “Freeze-Dried Brother,” another popular cat, also had a bounty placed on him by animal abusers. 

(Mr. Snack/Freeze-Dried Brother eating kibble)

While Mr. Fresh and Mr. Snack are now adopted and kept safe from the bounties, the Cat Torture Clans still run rampant, continuing to target other Hello Street Cat cats. By March 17, 2024, a bounty had been placed on any cat that was killed and brought to a Hello Street Cat station. Other mistreatment of these stray cats seen on livestream include spraying water into the feeder and cats being dragged away by anonymous individuals. 

Furthermore, in February of 2024, Hello Street Cat posted a video on XiaoHongShu about an animal abuser in Changsha, China, who dismembered stray cats and threw their ears and paws into the feeders during a livestream. The Hello Street Cat team reveals:

“During [the] Chinese New Year of 2024, a heartbreaking cat abuse incident occurred. Li went to the cat house maintained by “Meow Meow Girl,” and threw the paws and ears of the stray cats he had tortured and killed into the food bowl, showing off his evil deeds and attracting viewers to his live-stream.”

Later, the Hello Street Cat team addresses the same animal abuse controversy: 

“After receiving notice, Jiemao (the company) immediately initiated emergency measures, suspending the live stream of the cat house and assigning operators to go to the site for verification.

After 39 days, with the support and help of the masses, a man in white, caught by the CCTV cameras, was finally identified as the suspect Li, and the police officially charged him for animal abuse. After being summoned, Li admitted to the charges. The cat abuser was subsequently arrested and placed in administrative detention under the law.

In recent years, incidents of animal cruelty have become commonplace, which makes us feel heartbroken. You don’t have to love them, but please don’t hurt them. Jiemao and the China Small Animal Protection Association have jointly launched an anti-animal cruelty petition that will be open until April 30. Let’s speak up for the animals!

1. After the petition ends, we will submit the signatures to the relevant departments via email and written letters in hopes of improving animal protection laws and regulations in China.”

While Hello Street Cat first seemed like a funny, light-hearted, and wholesome way to help feed stray cats, the dark lore and controversy behind it revealed the tragedies of ongoing animal abuse. Even with the support of a large fan community, these stray cats continue to face danger from cat torture gangs who target the Internet’s most adored cats, yet not all cats are fortunate to be adopted into safety like Mr. Fresh and Mr. Snack. To this day, many cats in China are still tortured daily by these horrible groups of abusers. 

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