Fukuyama officials in southern Japan have issued a warning to the animal, which was last seen on security tape leaving a plating plant on Sunday, telling people not to approach it.
Monday saw the discovery by a worker of a 10-foot (3-meter) vat of hexavalent chromium, a chemical that causes cancer and can cause rashes and inflammation if handled or inhaled. The trail of pawprints led to the vat.
An official from Fukuyama City Hall was quoted by the news as saying that it’s unclear if the cat is still alive.
Worker-partially removed sheet covering the chemical vat, according to Nomura Plating factory manager Akihiro Kobayashi, Fukuyama.
