TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Demolition workers tearing down the collapsed Uranus Building in Hualien after it was toppled in the April 3 earthquake saved a cat from the structure on Saturday (April 13) morning.
The cat had appeared briefly several times earlier in the morning but disappeared before workers could attempt a rescue. However, around 2 p.m. the cat remained visible on the top of the structure, and rescue workers were able to grab it and take it to safety at 2:26 p.m., reported UDN.
The cat was first perched for about 20 minutes on one of the corner columns of the building, surrounded by rebar, which prompted workers to halt demolition work on the seventh floor and attempt a rescue.
The cat evaded the men at first, but one worker took the risk of stepping from the ladder truck onto the rubble-strewn building and was able to catch the cat in a net and bring it down to safety.

Though the cat was rescued, its owner was not as fortunate. In the moments after the building first collapsed on April 3, the owner, a 33-year-old vocational high school teacher surnamed Kang (康) rushed back into the building to save the orange tabby cat.
Unfortunately, 13 minutes after she reentered the building, a large aftershock struck, which caused the building to collapse further. The woman was later found crushed under a support column on a lower level of the building, reported SETN.
On Wednesday (April 10), another orange tabby cat was rescued from the building after it became stuck between a window and external burglar bars. It is believed the cat was pinned in the window for several days before rescuers freed it and reunited the cat, named “Orange,” with its owner.
The construction crew tasked with demolishing the Uranus Building has been advised to be on the lookout for pets that may still be inside the building. If an animal is spotted, crews will halt work and attempt to remove it from the structure, per UDN.
