HAUST student Tang Chong Yuan is a serial cat abuser

Henan University of Science and Technology cat abuse case
Scene photos of Linlin’s killing: blood stains appear in the first two, and Linlin’s body in the third.
Key Details
Location	Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, China
Species Involved	Cats
Type of Abuse	Physical harm
Timeline
Date of Incident	c. December 2024 – September 14, 2025
Date Discovered	September 14, 2025
Date Closed	—
Status & Outcome
Case Status	Perpetrator taken home by family; university response pending public confirmation
Perpetrator	Tang Chong Yuan (唐崇远)
Aftermath	Massive outrage and condemnation; students mourning the loss of Linlin.

Serial cat abuser
Tang's Weixin posts showing his face
Name	Tang Chong Yuan (唐崇远)
Age	20 (at time of incident)
Occupation	University Student
Known Identifiers	ID and Phone(s) on record
Status	Sent home by family pending university action
Involvement	Perpetrator of long-term abuse and killing of campus cats, issued online threats against animal caretakers, and allegedly harassed female students.
Punitive Measure	Publicly exposed, reported to university authorities multiple times.

Tang Chong Yuan (唐崇远) is a student at the 河南科技大学 (Henan University of Science and Technology, HAUST) who, in September 2025, became the subject of a major online controversy for the long-term abuse and eventual killing of a beloved campus cat named 林林 (Linlin). Over a period of at least nine months, Tang allegedly engaged in a pattern of escalating violence, issuing threats against animal caretakers and other campus cats, all while the university administration was repeatedly alerted but reportedly failed to take effective action.

Timeline of abuse and escalation

According to numerous reports from students and campus cat caretakers, Tang Chong Yuan's actions followed a clear timeline of escalating violence and psychological torment.

Early Incidents (2024–Early 2025)

Tang's chats with 科大猫咪 on Douyin, along with his December 2024 social media post.

In December 2024, Tang posted photos of a small orange cat on his QQ space, projecting the image of a cat lover. However, on January 16, 2025, he contacted the campus cat rescue group, 科大猫咪救助 (HAUST Cat Rescue), claiming a kitten had died of feline panleukopenia and that he had buried it shallowly. Students suspect this was the same orange cat from his earlier posts, and that it was his first victim.

Linlin was discovered in a small bamboo grove on campus and later neutered, vaccinated, dewormed, and released by students. Tang was observed treating Linlin roughly and claimed ownership when approached.

In February 2025, a friendly orange and white cat, later named 林林 (Linlin), was found by students and cared for by the community, receiving sterilization and vaccinations. Tang soon began to exhibit rough behavior towards Linlin, such as grabbing it by the neck and limbs, and claimed to be its owner when confronted by other students.

A post allegedly from an account controlled by Tang suggested he had known Linlin (then called "Mianbao" by him) since January 2025.

Explicit Threats (March–May 2025)

• In March, Tang told an “Auntie” he killed a cat after being bitten, but later retracted the claim, saying it was for AI training.
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On March 24, Tang sent disturbing messages to a campus staff member (referred to as "Auntie") who cared for the cats. He claimed to have kicked to death a white cat with a black tail at the 西苑校区 (Xiyuan Campus), first feigning remorse before admitting he was "training an AI" and found the Auntie's shocked reaction amusing. A cat matching this description was later confirmed by students to have gone missing from that campus around the same time.

• On May 18, Tang threatened to kill Linlin, and a few days later threatened Abiao. Both cats were temporarily relocated, and Tang’s counselor was notified.
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On May 18, Tang explicitly threatened to kill Linlin in messages to the Auntie, stating, "An animal's life is worthless, cats disrupt the ecology, one less is one less." Students immediately relocated Linlin for its safety and reported Tang to his counselor, but no significant action was taken. Just days later, on May 23, he threatened another campus cat named 阿彪 (Abiao), claiming he would kill it "humanely." The students were again forced to move the cat. When confronted, Tang dismissed his threats as "just a joke."

In a group chat, students refuted Tang’s claim that Linlin and Abiao had bitten anyone.

In a group chat, one student claimed witnessing Tang chase a kitten from the grass into the small bamboo grove in the dark before summer break; he left after seeing others nearby.

One commenter claimed that numerous people have witnessed Tang abusing cats.

Screenshot of comments: one asks why no one noticed Tang’s prolonged abuse; another recalls him making odd remarks to Linlin and vowing to take it away during vacation.

The murder of Linlin

According to a source, Tang admitted to brutally slamming and stomping Linlin to death, and hospital staff confirmed by phone that Linlin was already dead upon arrival.

On September 14, 2025, Tang sent photos of Linlin's mangled and bloody body to the Auntie who cared for it. He admitted to killing the cat by repeatedly slamming it against a cat house and the ground, and then stomping on it with great force. When students arrived at the scene in the little bamboo grove, they found blood stains all over the place.

Blood stains at the location where Linlin was killed by Tang.

One comment says: While the body was still warm, Tang messaged the auntie on Weixin, saying "I killed it, there’s no point taking it to the hospital," then sat on the ground crying, saying "I really wish it were alive."

After the act, Tang took the cat's body to a veterinary hospital, where it was confirmed to have been dead on arrival. The vet noted that Linlin's eyes were completely bloodshot and his mouth was full of blood. His behavior at the hospital was described as highly manipulative; he held the cat's body, sat on the floor crying, and engaged in a half-hour "repentance," feigning grief and acting as if he were not the killer.

Tang's justification for the killing was that Linlin had bitten him while he was feeding it a cat treat. He also falsely claimed the cat disliked him because he had taken it to be neutered. Students and the campus rescue group immediately refuted these claims, confirming that they, not Tang, had arranged for the neutering. Multiple witnesses described Linlin as an exceptionally gentle and affectionate cat that would not attack unless severely provoked, leading to the conclusion that Tang's claim was a self-serving lie to justify his violence.

Perpetrator's profile and other allegations

Through online disclosures by fellow students, the perpetrator was identified as Tang Chong Yuan (唐崇远), a student of the 国际教育学院 (School of International Education), majoring in Automation, who started university in 2024 (国教自动化241).

One Xiaohongshu comment claimed Tang was a candidate for the 团员推优 honor for this year.

His counselor and others have claimed that he has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and is on medication. In addition to animal cruelty, students have also accused Tang of harassing female students on campus, including making late-night phone calls. Despite his history of misconduct, he was reportedly a candidate for the 团员推优 (League Member Recommendation) honor.

Community reaction and mourning for Linlin

Obituary for Linlin posted on Douyin by the university’s student cat rescue group.

The murder of Linlin sent a shockwave through the student community, prompting an outpouring of grief and anger. Linlin was described as a campus fixture, a "lively and gentle" cat beloved by many. Students shared fond memories of playing with him with cat wands, feeding him, and described him as a cat who would happily roll over and show his belly to anyone, with or without food.

• Commenters share memories and photos in Linlin’s remembrance.
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Students voiced feeling unsafe on social media after learning what Tang had done to Linlin

The brutal nature of the crime and Tang's history of violence also created a climate of fear. Students expressed concern for their own safety, with one commenting, "If he can torture and kill a cat, he might one day indiscriminately kill people. Having him at school is a hidden danger." Another described him as a "ticking time bomb." The incident also brought to light previous unsolved animal cruelty cases on campus, including a white cat that was impaled through the face with a dart.

One commenter mentioned an old cat abuse case at school.

University response and controversy

Comments on Xiaohongshu claimed that after discovering Linlin’s location, Tang repeatedly harassed it. Some students witnessed and tried to intervene, but could not save Linlin this time. He allegedly provoked cat-loving teachers, boasting about "handling" cats; the counselor reportedly said there was nothing they could do.

A major focus of the controversy has been the perceived failure of the 河南科技大学 (Henan University of Science and Technology) administration to act. Students and caretakers reported Tang's escalating threats and violent behavior to his counselor and other school authorities for nearly nine months. The response was consistently described as dismissive, with the counselor reportedly stating they were "powerless" to intervene.

One commenter claimed the school started banning students from online discussions of the case.

One commenter claimed to be a recent graduate and the school has a pattern of suppressing negative news.

After Linlin's death, students alleged that the university began actively suppressing information about the incident by having social media posts deleted and summoning student activists for "talks," presumably to protect the school's reputation during its campaign to achieve 双一流高校 (Double First-Class University) status. As of September 17, 2025, the university had not issued a public statement, and the only known action taken was that Tang's parents were called to take him home.

External links

• 林林 Media Files, including photos and videos gathered online in his remembrance - Archive.org