Ah, Japan. The food ... the culture ... the radioactive monsters that threaten to lay waste to cities.

Residents of a city in western Japan have been warned to stay away from a cat after it fell into a tank of poisonous chemicals.

The warning comes after a factory worker found yellow paw prints leading away from the container.

Security footage was then reviewed and the cat could be seen running away, leaving a trail of paw prints.

Which "factory worker" left the "tank of poisonous chemicals" accessible to local cats? I'd love to be a fly on the wall during the next staff meeting when they ask everyone that.

You can picture the responses:

In any event, the cat did manage to plonk his way right into the toxic chemical vat — reportedly "hexavalent chromium, a highly acidic and carcinogenic chemical which is orange and brown in color" — after which he got out and bolted:

Can't exactly blame him!

Workers, meanwhile, found telltale toxic footprints at the scene:

City authorities are urging the public to be vigilant:

Fukuyama city's environmental team warned the public not to touch "a cat that seems abnormal" but also said the animal might have died as a result of the incident.

There have been no sightings of the cat since the Tuesday incident. Maybe he gained invisibility powers?

Always a good decision to avoid any cats that look like they might be the start to a Godzilla screenplay!

P.S. Now check out our latest video 👇