An employee of a security company in Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi province, has been fired for killing a pregnant cat with boiling water.

A video showing a woman yelling at a man who was pouring boiling water from a thermos bottle on a cat in a cage went viral after it was posted online on Monday.

The video attracted widespread public attention as the cat's fur was burned and there were wounds all over its body. The cat was pregnant, and four unborn kittens were found dead after it was sent to a nearby veterinary hospital.

The hospital said more than 70 percent of the cat's body was burned. It received treatment but died on Wednesday.

Police took the man to a nearby police station for investigation after receiving reports from people at the scene who told them the man said he was punishing the cat for eating his ham.

On Tuesday, after an animal protection volunteer who helped rescue the cat said the man who abused it worked for a security company in Taiyuan, the company issued a statement saying it had terminated the man's contract and offered 5,000 yuan ($730) to the hospital for the cat's treatment.

The local animal protection association said it hoped the former employee would make a public apology.

On Thursday, the man's family apologized for his actions in a video posted online and said they will admonish him to ensure such an incident never happens again.

The Law on Protection of Wild Animals prohibits the trafficking and abuse of wild animals, but there is no law in China dealing with the abuse of domesticated animals. With a growing number of animal abuse cases being reported, more voices are calling for such a law.

During the annual session of the National People's Congress this year, a number of deputies called for legislation mandating punishment for those who abuse animals.

Deputy Gao Zicheng said such legislation would promote social ethics, and another deputy, Zhao Wanping, described animal abuse as morally compromised behavior that not only violates public order but also infringes on the safety of people's lives and property.

Deputy Mai Shirui said China should enact an "anti-animal abuse law" to provide comprehensive protection for animals.