Shelter Cats Turn On Sink Faucet, Cause $5K in Damage to Florida Humane Society

— -- Curiosity may not have killed these cats, but it did cause thousands of dollars in damage to the shelter that houses them.

At first, the Florida Humane Society in Pompano Beach thought the serious flooding that caused at least $5,000 in damage originated from a burst pipe. Upon further inspection, employees realized that it was one of the cats that had turned on a sink faucet that was left running for about 17 hours, ABC affiliate WPLG in Miami reported.

The water caused serious flooding in the building, seeping into walls and several other rooms, and the Humane Society is now seeking donations to help replace countertops, walls and cabinets that need to be torn down due to mold, according to WPLG.

In addition, food, cat litter and other items in storage were ruined from the running water.

The shelter is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, which may explain why it took so long for the running sink to be noticed. Florida Humane Society President Carol Ebert told WPLG she was not alerted to the problem until about 7:15 a.m. Thursday.

The only part of the building affected is the side that houses the cats, according to WPLG, and the running sink was located in one of the cat rooms.

It is unclear which cat is the culprit, but shelter employees have their suspicions about which one was responsible for flipping the switch, WPLG reported.

During the flooding, the cats were safely elevated in their beds, away from the water, But several cats will need to be moved out of the shelter while the building is renovated.