Outrage over woman caught on tape putting cat in trash can

Outrage in the UK after security camera video showed a middle-aged woman dumping a cat into a trash can.

The footage shows the woman walking by the cat, and then stopping to pet her.

Unexpectedly she then picks the animal up by the scruff of its neck before throwing the cat into a nearby trash can and slamming the lid.

Lola the cat was trapped inside the enclosed bin for 15 hours before her owners heard her meowing and rescued her.

The cat was reportedly unharmed by her ordeal.

The animal's owners discovered how she got into the trash when they watched footage from a security camera they installed after their car was damaged by drivers.

The owners then posted the video on YouTube and set up a Facebook site called "Help Find the Woman Who Put My Cat in the Bin" which attracted hundreds of supporters.

According to several reports, the unidentified woman has in fact been tracked down and is  in protective custody because of all of the backlash.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Animals is investigating the case.