Cat Causes Flooding in Dutch Town Hall, Damages Amount to $353,000

AMSTERDAM: A cat caused the town hall in Dokkum, Netherlands, to flood, resulting in damages amounting to EUR325,000 (USD 352,600), according to the city administration, reports the German News Agency (dpa).

The cat was found in the town hall during construction work in May of last year, reported broadcaster Omrop Fryslan on Friday.

As the cat could not be captured, the building in the Friesland province was temporarily locked. It is believed that the cat then turned on a faucet, causing unnoticed water leakage that soaked furniture and walls and seeped through the floors into the basement.

The damage was so extensive that several staff members had to work temporarily in other buildings. Several walls and floors had to be replaced.

At a municipal council meeting on Thursday night, council member Bert Koonstra presented the final bill amounting to nearly EUR325,000.

“Insurance will cover the damages,” he said. “We can now close this cat case.”

It could not be definitively proven that the cat was indeed responsible for turning on the faucet, as no one witnessed the animal doing so.