‘Steer clear':’ Japanese city on alert after missing cat falls into toxic chemicals

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - People in a Japanese city have been warned to stay away from an “abnormal” cat, which is missing after it fell into toxic chemicals.

A worker in the western city of Fukuyama early this week found “yellow paw prints leading away from a container” at the Nomura Plating Fukuyama factory.

Later, authorities reviewed security footage and said “the cat could be seen running away, leaving a trail of paw prints,” the BBC reported.

The cat has been missing since and city officials issued an alert on Monday urging people to steer clear of the cat and notify authorities if it is found.

However, Fukuyama city's environmental team said the animal might also have died after the fall into the chemicals.

It had fallen in highly acidic hexavalent chromium. The chemical is orange and brown in color.