A litter of five kittens, believed to be about two weeks old, is doing well after being found hidden inside machinery at a landfill site in Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire.
The tiny kittens, thought to have been born to a stray cat, were discovered by workers at the waste facility while they were checking equipment before starting operations again.
Staff spotted the kittens tucked inside a crusher that had not been used for several days. The group, made up of three males and two females, was found huddled together at the bottom of the machine.
Mark Lambourne, who runs Shelter Paws Cat Rescue, was contacted and quickly came to collect them. He has been caring for the kittens ever since as they recover and gain strength.
Although the kittens were filthy when they were first rescued, Lambourne said they are now doing extremely well. At the time they were found, each kitten weighed only about 100 grams, but since then their weight has doubled.
He explained that workers were carrying out a routine check on the machine before turning it back on when they noticed the kittens, a discovery that likely saved their lives.
Lambourne is currently giving them intensive care, including syringe feeding every three hours through the night. He said the kittens have now opened their eyes, are becoming more active, and are making plenty of noise as they crawl around.
A fundraising campaign has also been started to help Shelter Paws Cat Rescue cover the costs of caring for these kittens and supporting other animals in need.