TOKYO: Residents of a western Japanese city have been warned not to approach or come into contact with a missing cat that scurried off into the night after falling into a vat of hazardous chemicals.
When a worker at a Fukuyama metal plating plant arrived at work on Monday, the company said that they discovered cat paw prints extending out from the container.
The company has revealed grainy security camera footage of the furry escapee leaving the factory, seemingly unscathed.
Three meters (10 feet) down, the vat had hexavalent chromium, a substance that can lead to skin inflammation and is carcinogenic.
A firm official stated, “We immediately alerted police, the Fukuyama city, and neighbors near our factory,” declining to give their identity.
“We had never anticipated the need to take precautions to prevent small animals like cats from sneaking in, but the incident woke us up to that,” he said.
Locals were instructed by the city authorities to stay away from the animal and to call the police right away if they see it.
As of Tuesday afternoon, there had been no reports of sightings.
