Lanna, a one-year-old cat, was found dead in a rubbish bin in the French city of Lille in July 2023.
The criminal court in France awarded damages to the cat, a decision that is being made for the first time in France.
The cat's owner admitted to beating him with fists and boards after the cat scratched his autistic child. The case was tried by the Criminal Court of Lille last Thursday for "cruelty to an animal".
Lanna's owner was sentenced to eight months in prison and banned from keeping a pet.
The court also awarded 100 euros in damages to the cat, a first in French legal history. The small but symbolic amount will be given to the League for the Protection of Animals (LPA).
Graziella Dode, a lawyer representing the LPA, expressed satisfaction with the outcome. "For the first time in France, the animal's injury has been symbolically recognized and compensated," she said.
She described the decision as "one more step towards the evolution of animal rights".
