Locals in a western Japanese city have been warned not to approach or touch a missing cat after it fell into a vat of deadly chemicals and ran away into the night.
When an employee at a metal plating plant in Fukuyama arrived for work on Monday morning, they saw kitty paw prints heading away from the container, according to the firm.
The company shared grainy security camera footage that shows the cat leave the factory, presumably uninjured.
The city’s environmental team urged citizens not to approach “a cat that appears abnormal” but also stated that the animal may have perished as a result of the incident, according to the BBC.
According to the CDC, the 10-foot-deep vat contained hexavalent chromium, which is carcinogenic and can affect the eyes, skin, and respiratory system. The chemical appeared prominently in the 2000 film “Erin Brockovich.”
“We immediately alerted police, the Fukuyama city, and neighbors near our factory,” a firm representative said.
“The incident woke us up to the need to take measures to prevent small animals like cats from sneaking in, which we had never anticipated before,” he added.
Locals were advised not to approach the animal and to contact the police immediately if they encountered it. As of Tuesday afternoon, no sightings were confirmed.