The behavior of cats is often unpredictable, despite the fact that they have lived with us for several millennia. However, what happened to a group of cats in Japan was a tragic warning of a catastrophe that turned out to be extremely large-scale.
On average, cats sleep about 15 hours a day. And although this is probably a luxury for us, still a cat day is much more than soaking up in a warm bed, because they also do other “cat entertainments” like hide and seek in the most secret places and begging for food with meows. However, in the 1950s, cats began to behave in a way that was not explained by the “usual” quirks of cats. Grunge writes about it.
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According to Hank Greene, locals noticed something similar to “dancing” cats: “They twitched chaotically, making terrible sounds. By 1956, people began to behave the same way.”
What happened to the Japanese city?
The uncontrolled movements of cats (and subsequently humans) are the multiple consequences of mercury poisoning, according to the WHO.
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The Chisso Corporation, which was in the area, was throwing something very dangerous and threatening into the reservoir. The plant produced a significant amount of waste mercury that simply fell into the water.
According to the World Health Organization, most mercury poisoning comes from eating fish and shellfish that have been previously contaminated with the chemical compound methylmercury, and from inhaling mercury vapor during industrial processes.
In Minamata, the former is more likely to have happened. As soon as mercury entered the bay, the inhabitants of the reservoir were also poisoned. This, for its part, influenced the local residents, as well as animals that consumed fish and other gifts of the river.
According to the WHO, the uncontrolled movements of cats (and subsequently humans) are the many consequences of mercury poisoning. In addition, victims may suffer from impaired memory and sleep, as well as kidney failure.
Minamata disease, as the tragic outbreak is now known, affected at least 50,000 people.
In 1996, the Japanese government launched a program to provide compensation to victims. It provided for a monthly payment of approximately £120 and a lump sum payment of £1,500 from the chemical company itself.
However, the incredible scale of the disaster and the provision of adequate compensation continue to be a problem today. And the tragedy itself is a kind of reminder that although mercury exists in nature, it is man and his behavior that have a significant impact on the environment and all its spheres.
As we adapt to the rapid pace of change in our world, social responsibility must be key. If this does not happen, nature will find a way to take everything into its own hands and teach us a lesson painfully enough.
