A DeKalb man, who admitted to police that he hit a cat in the face with a hammer, was sentenced this month after pleading guilty to aggravated animal cruelty, according to court documents.

Krystopher J. Ousley, 24, of DeKalb was sentenced on March 5 to 120 days in jail with credit for 34 days served, DeKalb County court records show.

That sentence was handed down by Circuit Court Judge Joseph Pedersen during the same hearing in which Ousley pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated cruelty to animals, a Class 4 felony. He also pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor domestic battery charges, court documents show.

Ousley was accused of striking a short-haired orange cat in the face with a hammer, and neglecting multiple other animals, including dogs and guinea pigs, police wrote in court records filed Aug. 22, 2025. On that day, he was charged with one Class 4 felony count of aggravated cruelty to animals, two misdemeanor counts of cruel treatment to animals and three misdemeanor counts of failing his owner’s duties.

He was indicted by a DeKalb County grand jury on Sept. 19, 2025, and could have faced up to three years in prison.

DeKalb police began investigating Ousley on Aug. 13, 2025, after receiving several reports alleging Ousley had been cruel to animals in his care. One of the reports included photos of the orange cat, suffering “a severely bloody face,” according to the synopsis.

Officers wrote that Ousley admitted to hitting the cat in the face with a hammer in an effort to get the cat out of a bathroom, according to court records.

While investigating, police said they also learned that Ousley had allegedly dragged Mochi, a Shiba Inu, “on cement concrete during a walk,” injuring the dog’s stomach, according to court records.

Mochi, as well as S’Mores, a Yorkshire Terrier, were seized by police on Aug. 22, 2025.

As a part of his sentencing order, Ousley is required to undergo a psychological evaluation before June 11, according to the court filing.

He also is required to complete the DeKalb County Domestic Violence Offender Partner Abuse Intervention Program.