He may be small and cute, but he is apparently dangerous, too.
Russian influencer Hasbulla Magomedov is being called out for allegedly abusing his cat, Barsik.
The content creator — who goes by his first name on social media and stands at 3-foot-4, according to The Sun — first achieved his claim to fame in 2021 after several TikTok videos went viral showing off his lavish lifestyle, funny memes and work as a UFC ambassador.
In a 15-second clip that has since been removed from YouTube but is still making the rounds on the web, the 20-year-old NFT hawker is seen tugging the cat’s ears and giving it a hard smack on the head.
Barsik tries to flee away from his owner by running away and tucking himself inside a box for safety, but seconds later, Hasbulla returns and appears to throw a few more heavy hits to the feline’s head.
Viewers notice the distressed cat’s body language and seeming discomfort from his owner’s aggressive treatment.
The child-like man — who lives with a genetic disorder that gives him both stunted growth and a high-pitched voice — often features his gray cat and other animals on his social media platforms, so the disheartening video surprised many of his fans, who voiced their concerns on Twitter.
“That video of Hasbulla abusing a cat is terrible. Ruined my whole day. Someone get me that cat, it deserves to be loved and adored,” tweeted a concerned cat lover.
Others simply declared, “Shame” and “Poor kitty.”
One person wrote, “Someone get that cat away from him right now,” while another added, “This made me so f–king sad. I need to rescue this cat.”
However, some people apparently think the cat is fine, with one writing: “Bruh this 40lbs mf is not doing any harm, the cat is literally chilling thinking he’s petting it or smth.”
“Cat vs Hasbulla is a fair fight,” wrote one Hasbulla fan.
The Russian influencer, who has more than 8 million followers on Instagram and 51,000 subscribers on YouTube, posted a 15-second Instagram story Thursday morning responding to the backlash.
Speaking in Russian, Hasbulla claims he slightly pulled on the cat’s ear to discipline her, and he bristles at people attacking him for it.
He also claimed that he loves the cat very much and would not have kept it if he didn’t.
In the new video, Hasbulla caresses the feline, scratching its head and neck while the cat appears pleased with the gentle touch.
