Cat falls into chemical vat in Japan – residents warned to stay away from animal

Residents of a Japanese city have been warned to stay away from a cat that reportedly fell into a vat of toxic chemicals and is now missing.

Footage from a surveillance camera shows the cat making an escape, leaving yellowish-brown pawprints in its wake on the factory floor at Nomura Plating in Fukuyama.

Residents have reportedly been told to look out for the cat that might be behaving strangely and stay away as it is possibly carrying carcinogenic chemicals on its body.

The vat contained the carcinogenic chemical hexavalent chromium. The chemical can cause skin irritation, respiratory problems, and blindness.

The company stated that factory workers are required to wear masks and rubber gloves while managing the substance.

A company spokesperson was quoted as saying by AFP: “The incident woke us up to the need to take measures to prevent small animals like cats from sneaking in, which is something we had never anticipated before.”

According to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, a member of the factory staff discovered the paw prints of the cat on the factory floor and alerted the authorities.

The environmental team of Fukuyama city cautioned the public against touching any “cat that seems abnormal” while also noting that the animal might have succumbed to injuries from the incident.

The whereabouts of the cat are currently unknown.

The Independent has reached out to Nomura Plating for a comment.