A woman has been arrested on suspicion of cruelty to animals after allegedly punishing a kitten by wrapping it in cling film.

Police acted after a photograph of the six-week-old female Scottish Fold cat bound in transparent plastic went viral on social media on Tuesday.

A message said to be from the owner read: “I want to find a cat which we can hug and sleep together, that’s why I got a kitty, which should be easier [to sleep with].”

It continued: “The previous one would rest on my neck with its paws when we slept, but this one just doesn’t do it, I could only tie it up with plastic wrap.”

Police said they arrested the 45-year-old and rescued the cat from a flat on Fa Yuen Street in Mong Kok, after a routine search of the internet on Tuesday.

Inspector So Wing-shun said the kitten, which had been bought online, had no apparent injuries and would be taken care of by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The administrator of a Facebook page for pet trading said the woman had posted a message earlier this month saying she had bought the cat for HK$4,500 , but wanted to sell it for HK$5,000 because her boyfriend did not like it.

The woman posted the picture of the cat on Tuesday morning, prompting the administrator to alert the media and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

 - SCMP