PLACENTIA BAY, N.L. -- Police in eastern Newfoundland have identified a 15-year-old girl who was shown in a video circulating on social media that they say featured the abuse of a cat.

RCMP in Placentia say that on March 8 they were made aware of the video that showed the abusive treatment of a cat in a barn.

Sgt. Kimball Vardy says the video showed young girls playing in a barn when the cat claws one of them after being picked up, leading her to toss it against a wall.

He says the cat hit the wall feet first and ran away, adding that it was not injured and was likely feral and not used to being picked up.

Vardy says the video gained a lot of attention online and was criticized by people about the animal's welfare, prompting police to investigate.

He says she admitted to what occurred and is being dealt with under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, though it wasn't yet clear what that would involve.