Video: Cat sneaks into Dokkum town hall and causes €10,000 in flood damage

A cat snuck into the newly renovated town hall in Dokkum, opened a tap, and caused 10,000 euros in water damage. The flood damage also means that part of the renovated building can’t be used yet, Omryp Fryslan and Leeuwarder Courant reported.

Renovation work started at the building, which falls under the municipality of Noardeast-Fryslan, in September. The opening will happen soon, but the left wing will have to remain closed for a while yet due to the cat.

Renovators found the first signs of the cat last week Friday, finding hair on one of the office chairs. They looked for the critter but couldn’t find it.

A day later, they found the floor covered in a few centimeters of water. “A devastation,” alderman Bert Koonstra told LC. There was moisture in the walls and the furniture, and water leaked through the floor into the parking garage. He estimates the damage at between 10,000 and 20,000 euros. “Really crazy.”

The workers closed the tap, tracked down the cat, and removed it from the premises. Luckily, the concrete floor into the parking garage was not irreparably damaged, Koonstra said.