MELISSA Joan Hart has sparked an online debate after posting a video of herself punting her former co-star, Salem the Cat.
The actress’s talking black cat, Salem – voiced by Nick Bakay – was a staple character on the ABC sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch, on which she starred from 1996 to 2003.
However, it turns out Melissa, 49, wasn’t a big fan of the cuddly creature and made it known in a shocking Instagram clip.
In the video shared on Thursday, the TV star filmed herself stroking a fake black cat perched on her lap.
She wore casual attire of blue jeans and a skintight red tank top, with her blonde hair flowing straight down.
The words, “When people ask me if I’m a cat person,” were written over the clip.
Things then took an unexpected turn when a white blast of glitter appeared, and Melissa suddenly threw the cat in the air and kicked it out of sight.
The scene then magically turned into Melissa, formally dressed in a white dress and her hair in a ponytail, while petting a large dog at her feet.
“No Salems were harmed in the filming of this silly video. PS I like cats, but I love dogs!” the TV star clarified in her caption.
Although Melissa made it clear that the cat in the video wasn’t real, nor did she have magical powers like her character, Sabrina, fans had mixed reactions to her stance on cats vs. dogs.
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“Not going to lie this was a bit heartbreaking, poor Salem lol,” one person commented.
“Cats are the absolute best in this world, amazing creatures that should be treasured,” demanded another.
“Dyyying. Sorry cat people! Love kitties too. That was just the right kind of wrong Melissa,” said a third
“No! It’s okay to LOVE them both…” insisted a fourth.
“This just broke something in me,” reacted a fifth.
“I’m ok you not loving cats but saying it like that was just not funny for me,” added a sixth.
“This was unnecessary. People hurt black cats every day. This is not nice. Tasteless…” someone else wrote.
“That hurt. You can love both cats and dogs. No need to choose one,” chimed in another.
“Awwww but we all got black cats because of you!” one more pointed out.
Sabrina the Teenage Witch ran on ABC for seven seasons and was a part of the Friday night (TGIF) lineup.
Melissa’s co-stars on the show include Beth Broderick, Caroline Rhea, Nate Richert, Jenna Leigh Green, Lindsay Sloane, Elisa Donovan, and Martin Mull.
In June 2024, Melissa led the cast in paying tribute to Martin, who played Principal Willard Kraft, after his death.