25 cats rescued from Japan mall after explosion

Twenty-five cats were rescued unharmed from a shopping mall in Kashima, Japan, after a deadly earthquake and a later explosion damaged the building, the operator of Cat Cafe MOFF said Thursday.

The cats, including Momo, Kohaku, Tango and Shandy, were inside the cafe on the ground floor of the Aeon mall when a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck on Tuesday.

The mall was evacuated. The cafe said employees returned to retrieve the cats, but they left again when a large explosion, likely caused by gas, ripped through the building.

With permission from the fire service, police and the mall operator, MOFF's manager entered the building on Wednesday and rescued all 25 cats, the company said. The animals later arrived in Hiroshima, where the company has another cat cafe.

The company said the cats were given individual care after the journey from Kumamoto and were “spending their time quietly and calmly.”

Authorities in the southwestern Kumamoto region said at least 34 people died in the earthquake. Seven bodies were found at the mall.

The cats' rescue drew widespread attention online, including relief from some social media users and criticism from others who said the focus should remain on the human toll. Some users also called for the animals to be adopted rather than returned to a cat cafe.