View source for HAUST student Tang Chong Yuan is a serial cat abuser

[[Category:September 2025]]
[[Category:Long-term_Incidents]]
[[Category:Henan]]
[[Category:Cats]]
{{Infobox Case
| case_name = Henan University of Science and Technology cat abuse case
| location = Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, China
| date_of_incident = c. December 2024 – September 14, 2025
| type_of_abuse = Physical harm
| perpetrator = Tang Chong Yuan (唐崇远)
| case_status = Perpetrator taken home by family; university response pending public confirmation
| image = Tang Chong Yuan case.png
| species = Cats
| date_discovered = September 14, 2025
| aftermath = Massive outrage and condemnation; students mourning the loss of Linlin.
| caption = Scene photos of Linlin’s killing: blood stains appear in the first two, and Linlin’s body in the third.
}}
{{Infobox Person of Interest
| name = Tang Chong Yuan (唐崇远)
| status = Sent home by family pending university action
| age = 20 (at time of incident)
| occupation = University Student
| 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.
| pii_status = ID and Phone(s) on record
| title = Serial cat abuser
| image = Tang Chong Yuan Weixin posts showing his face.jpg
| caption = Tang's Weixin posts showing his face
}}
'''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).<ref name="cai_se_di_qiu">{{cite web|author=彩色地球守护人|url=https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/d8JwPnXoodUISfsfx0qebQ|title=为小猫林林发声!河南科技大学开元校区学生长期虐待校园猫并威胁他人!|website=Weixin Official Accounts Platform|date=September 16, 2025|access-date=September 18, 2025|language=zh-Hans}}</ref> 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.<ref name="L&H_xiaohongshu">{{cite web|author=L&H|title=好害怕被纱|website=Xiaohongshu|date=September 14, 2025|access-date=September 18, 2025|language=zh-Hans}}</ref>

== 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) ===
[[File:Tang Chong Yuan case Jan 2025.jpg|none|thumb|636x636px|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.<ref name="xiaohongshu_26967904815">{{cite web|author=小红书号:26967904815|url=https://www.xiaohongshu.com/explore/68c7c351000000001b0213b6|title=晚安, 林林|website=Xiaohongshu|date=September 15, 2025|access-date=September 18, 2025|language=zh-Hans}}</ref> 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.<ref name="cai_se_di_qiu" /> Students suspect this was the same orange cat from his earlier posts, and that it was his first victim.<ref name="cai_se_di_qiu" /><ref name="kedamaomijiuzhu_xiaohongshu_comments">{{cite web|author=科大猫咪救助|url=https://www.xiaohongshu.com/explore/68c776e6000000001d01ce1d|title=讣告|website=Xiaohongshu|date=September 17, 2025|access-date=September 18, 2025|language=zh-Hans}}</ref>
[[File:Tang Chong Yuan case Feb 2025.jpg|none|thumb|636x636px|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.<ref name="cai_se_di_qiu" /> 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.<ref name="cai_se_di_qiu" /><ref name="Z_xiaohongshu_comments">{{cite web|author=Z~|title=Deleted Xiaohongshu post|website=Xiaohongshu|date=September 15, 2025|access-date=September 18, 2025|language=zh-Hans}}</ref>
[[File:Tang Chong Yuan Linlin post.jpg|none|thumb|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) ===
<gallery mode="packed" heights="240" caption="In March, Tang told an “Auntie” he killed a cat after being bitten, but later retracted the claim, saying it was for AI training.">
File:Tang Chong Yuan case March.jpeg
File:Tang Chong Yuan case March II.jpeg
</gallery>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.<ref name="cai_se_di_qiu" /> A cat matching this description was later confirmed by students to have gone missing from that campus around the same time.<ref name="cai_se_di_qiu" /><ref name="Z_xiaohongshu_comments" /><gallery mode="packed" heights="240" caption="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.">
File:Tang Chong Yuan case May.jpeg
File:Tang Chong Yuan May II.jpeg
</gallery>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."<ref name="cai_se_di_qiu" /> Students immediately relocated Linlin for its safety and reported Tang to his counselor, but no significant action was taken.<ref name="cai_se_di_qiu" /> 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."<ref name="cai_se_di_qiu" />
[[File:Tang Chong Yuan case Linlin and Abiao.jpg|none|thumb|In a group chat, students refuted Tang’s claim that Linlin and Abiao had bitten anyone.]]
[[File:Tang Chong Yuan case before summer vacation.jpg|none|thumb|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.]]
[[File:Tang Chong Yuan abuses cats.png|none|thumb|One commenter claimed that numerous people have witnessed Tang abusing cats.]]
[[File:Tang Chong Yuan eerie behavior.png|none|thumb|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 ==
[[File:Tang Chong Yuan admitted to killing Linlin.png|none|thumb|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.<ref name="cai_se_di_qiu" /> 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.<ref name="kedamaomijiuzhu_douyin">{{cite web|author=科大猫咪救助|url=https://v.douyin.com/83XVbDpnpZY/|title=讣告|website=Douyin|date=September 15, 2025|access-date=September 18, 2025|language=zh-Hans}}</ref> When students arrived at the scene in the little bamboo grove, they found blood stains all over the place.<ref name="L&H_xiaohongshu" />
[[File:Tang Chong Yuan case Linlin blood.jpg|none|thumb|Blood stains at the location where Linlin was killed by Tang.]]
[[File:Tang Chong Yuan case feign grief.png|none|thumb|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.<ref name="kedamaomijiuzhu_xiaohongshu_comments" /> 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.<ref name="L&H_xiaohongshu" /><ref name="kedamaomijiuzhu_douyin" />

Tang's justification for the killing was that Linlin had bitten him while he was feeding it a cat treat.<ref name="Lan_xiaohongshu_2">{{cite web|author=藍|url=https://www.xiaohongshu.com/explore/68c6dae2000000001c030787|title=河科大唐某虐猫全过程|website=Xiaohongshu|date=September 15, 2025|access-date=September 18, 2025|language=zh-Hans}}</ref> He also falsely claimed the cat disliked him because he had taken it to be neutered.<ref name="Lan_xiaohongshu_2" /> 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.<ref name="L&H_xiaohongshu" /><ref name="Z_xiaohongshu_comments" />

== 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).<ref name="kedamaomijiuzhu_douyin" /><ref name="Z_xiaohongshu_comments" />
[[File:Tang Chong Yuan league member.png|none|thumb|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.<ref name="cai_se_di_qiu" /> In addition to animal cruelty, students have also accused Tang of harassing female students on campus, including making late-night phone calls.<ref name="L&H_xiaohongshu" /><ref name="Lan_xiaohongshu_3">{{cite web|author=藍|url=https://www.xiaohongshu.com/explore/68c7755a000000001c010f83|title=杀死她的一只猫|website=Xiaohongshu|date=September 15, 2025|access-date=September 18, 2025|language=zh-Hans}}</ref> Despite his history of misconduct, he was reportedly a candidate for the 团员推优 (League Member Recommendation) honor.<ref name="Z_xiaohongshu_comments" />

== Community reaction and mourning for Linlin ==
[[File:Tang Chong Yuan case Douyin Linlin obituary.png|none|thumb|600x600px|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.<ref name="Lan_xiaohongshu_1">{{cite web|author=藍|url=https://www.xiaohongshu.com/explore/68c6ec8c000000001c031bc3|title=春日里自由的猫咪|website=Xiaohongshu|date=September 15, 2025|access-date=September 18, 2025|language=zh-Hans}}</ref> 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.<ref name="kedamaomijiuzhu_douyin" /><gallery mode="packed" heights="150" caption="Commenters share memories and photos in Linlin’s remembrance.">
File:Tang Chong Yuan case Linlin comment.png
File:Tang Chong Yuan case Linlin comment 2.png
File:Tang Chong Yuan case Linlin comment 3.png
File:Tang Chong Yuan case Linlin comment 4.jpg
File:Tang Chong Yuan case Linlin comment 5.png
File:Tang Chong Yuan case Linlin comment 6.png
File:Tang Chong Yuan case Linlin comment 7.png
File:Tang Chong Yuan case Linlin comment 8.jpeg
</gallery>[[File:Tang Chong Yuan case campus safety comments.png|none|thumb|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."<ref name="L&H_xiaohongshu" /> Another described him as a "ticking time bomb."<ref name="kedamaomijiuzhu_douyin" /> 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.<ref name="Z_xiaohongshu_comments" />
[[File:Tang Chong Yuan case past school incident.png|none|thumb|One commenter mentioned an old cat abuse case at school.]]

== University response and controversy ==
[[File:Tang Chong Yuan case school counselor.png|none|thumb|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.<ref name="cai_se_di_qiu" /> The response was consistently described as dismissive, with the counselor reportedly stating they were "powerless" to intervene.<ref name="Z_xiaohongshu_comments" />
[[File:Tang Chong Yuan case school response.png|none|thumb|One commenter claimed the school started banning students from online discussions of the case.]]
[[File:Tang Chong Yuan case school suppress.png|none|thumb|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.<ref name="Lan_xiaohongshu_1" /><ref name="Z_xiaohongshu_comments" /> 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.<ref name="kedamaomijiuzhu_xiaohongshu_comments" />

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[https://archive.org/details/Linlin-social-media-photos 林林 Media Files, including photos and videos gathered online in his remembrance - Archive.org]