Ever wondered how much damage one cat can cause? Nee? Well, a certain tomcat decided to show us by wreaking havoc in a Dutch town hall.
The town hall of Dokkum in Friesland had a surprise guest last Friday night. Only this guest didn’t bring wine and kaas. Instead, the furry interloper flooded the building with several centimetres of water, causing more than €10,000 worth of damage.
Some hairy evidence
Feline supporters may be wondering what evidence they have that it was a poes that caused the damage. Well, a contractor stopped by on the weekend and found a chair full of cat hair and several flooded rooms.
🚰🐈⬛
— Monica Keyzer (@MonicaKeyzer) May 14, 2023
Kan een kat zo’n kraan wel openslaan? Ik vind het nogal een beschuldiging. #Dokkum #kraan #kat #waterschade
Kat veroorzaakt waterschade.https://t.co/KlOZ8SZeDt pic.twitter.com/NgblrK25zK
Translation: Can a cat open a tap like that? I think it’s quite an accusation. #Dokkum #kraan #kat #waterschade Cat causes water damage.
Wondering how the sneaky feline got in in the first place? According to NU.nl, the cat crawled through a hole in one of the floors and opened the tap of a pipe in the process. Oeps!
An expensive accident
To make matters worse, month-long renovations to the town hall were just nearing completion when the damage occurred. Whilst the official opening of the town hall will still take place on May 22, 35 workstations of a total of 183 cannot be used due to damage.
Moisture soaked into the walls and furniture, and some water also got into the parking garage. Luckily the concrete floor was not damaged beyond repair and just needs some time to dry.
If you get shocked at how much your housecat is costing you after scratching up your couch, you can only imagine that Alderman Bert Koonstra is not impressed with costs ranging between €10,000 and €20,000!
“In Downing Street they have Larry the cat. We apparently have Doerak the tomcat here,” says Alderman Koonstra.
The water might have chased away any normal hydrophobic kitty, but this Dutch kat was only too pleased to stick around and watch the chaos unfold. Luckily, this made it easier for the cat culprit to be found and removed from the building.
Has a cat ever caused an expensive mess for you to clean up? Tell us about it in the comments!