Qatar - The excitement was palpable at a press conference before the FIFA World Cup quarterfinal match between Brazil and Croatia, but when a cat jumped onto the table and was unceremoniously tossed off the stage, the mood shifted.

During an interview with Brazil's 22-year-old star Vinicius Jr., the athlete and the press team received an unexpected visitor. Shortly after the press conference began, a cat jumped onto the table and sat down right in front of the winger.

After a brief petting session, the media team member clearly grew annoyed with the cat's presence, leading him to grab the kitten and quickly toss the fine feline off of the table.

Journalists in the room seemed shocked by his treatment of the animal, and you can hear their astonished outcries in the short clips that are currently circulating on Twitter.

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The man, in turn, shrugs his shoulders and gives the soccer player a puzzled look.

The two then burst out laughing as the media member asks the striker, "What else could I have done?"

However, many social media users were less than amused by what they witnessed.

"Brazil should lose for this alone!" someone wrote angrily. "Just leave the cat there, it just wanted to listen," another person commented.

Others, however, seem unbothered by the man's reaction, with some commenting that the cat likely wasn't harmed in the process due to the short distance from the table to the ground.

While the court of public opinion may have mixed reviews, it's unlikely that anything will happen in the wake of kitty-gate.