Residents of a Japanese city have been warned against approaching a cat that likely fell into a vat of toxic chemicals at a plating factory.
A search for the unlucky cat began after an employee at the Nomura Plating factory in Fukuyama discovered a trail of yellowy-brown paw prints leading away from a vat of hexavalent chromium, a highly acidic carcinogen.
Skin contact with the chemical can cause inflammation and inhaling it can lead to respiratory problems.
Employees at the factory wear masks and rubber gloves when handling the substance, the firm said, according to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.
It's unknown how the poor cat came into contact with the chemical which was stored in a three-metre-deep-vat, however, the cat is visible scampering away from the factory.
A representative of Nomura Plating Fukuyama Factory told Agence France-Presse that the firm immediately alerted the police, the city council, and neighbours near the factory.
They admitted that part of a sheet covering the tank appeared to have been turned over, providing access to the toxic chemical.
"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,” the representative said.
Locals have been asked to call police immediately if they see an "abnormal looking" cat but there have been no reported sightings so far.
Officials have speculated that the cat could already be dead due to the encounter.
