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Death scene for cat forces Chinese period drama to prove they had not killed it for real

  • The cat was filmed eating “poisoned” food and then falling to the ground in a dramatic death scene
  • Fans of the show thought it was too realistic to be faked

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A Chinese television show had to release a behind-the-scenes video explaining how the team had made the cat’s death look realistic. Photo: Marvelous Women
John Carney

When a popular character dies in a soap opera, it often causes a stir with its audience, but in the case of the Chinese streaming series Marvelous Women, it was the demise of a cat that upset viewers, in part because they were not convinced the feline survived the ordeal.

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The offending scene aired in late November and showed a character’s pet cat accidentally eating poisoned food before falling off a table and dying on the floor.
Blood spilled from the cat’s mouth and its leg began twitching at the end, leading online fans to claim the death was “too realistic” to have been faked.
The show is a period drama about a Qing dynasty family that has owned a tapestry business for generations. Photo: Marvelous Women
The show is a period drama about a Qing dynasty family that has owned a tapestry business for generations. Photo: Marvelous Women
As soon as the episode ended, a debate raged on social media about whether the cat had been hurt during filming, and viewers levied accusations of animal cruelty against the show.

Pet lovers demanded that the show prove that the cat was still alive and well, mainland media reported. The show’s production company made a statement clarifying its animal star, named Mimi, was not killed or injured during filming.

They said the blood was fake and was made with edible plasma and syrup. The cat’s realistic death throes were simulated by pulling a string tied to its leg.

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The criticism was so fierce that the show released a video showing the behind-the-scenes of the death. They followed up that video with an interview with Mimi’s owner, who shared the news that the cat had given birth to a litter of kittens.

“Cats are our best friends,” the show’s production company statement said. “We take their safety seriously and will continue to protect and care for them in the future.”

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