Kittens rescued from van moments before it was crushed at Cambridgeshire scrapyard

A scrapyard worker rescued four stray kittens from a van that was about to be crushed after hearing their cries.

The tiny 10-day-old kittens were discovered inside the van on Friday (10 May) after the vehicle had been transferred to the scrapyard in Cambridgeshire from another site the day before.

As the machine was getting ready to crush the vehicle, a worker heard the kittens’ cries from inside the van and opened the door to investigate.

Within the hour, the kittens were taken to nearby Woodgreen Pets Charity in Godmanchester, where they underwent an urgent veterinary check. Apart from being very hungry, the kittens were all healthy.

Helen Stapleton, head of intake and rehoming at the charity, said: “It’s because of the quick actions of the scrapyard worker that these kittens survived. If they hadn’t cried out in time, it’s awful to imagine what could have happened.

“We don’t know where their mum is but it’s possible she was a stray cat and choose the van as a quiet place to give birth, but then the vehicle being moved to a different site meant she was unable to get back to them. It’s likely the kittens had been without her for at least 24 hours, so they would have been very hungry.

“They very enthusiastically took their milk without any fuss before going home with one of our fosterers. Luckily, they were in surprisingly good condition. They all had their eyes open and were very vocal – something that saved their lives.

“Sadly, over the past year, we’ve seen more and more stray and abandoned pets coming through our doors due to the cost-of-living crisis. We urge anyone who’s struggling to care for their pet to reach out for support; our behaviourists offer free advice to members of the public and we can provide help to keep pets in the home wherever possible.”

Woodgreen’s veterinary team assessed the kittens to be only 10 days old and likely had been without their mum for 24 hours, which can be harmful to kittens so young. Staff at Woodgreen immediately hand-fed the hungry youngsters with a milk replacement formula – their first meal for some time. They will continue to need feeding round-the-clock, every few hours, until they get bigger.

The kittens, named Mercedes, Mazda, Ford and Lexus by staff at the charity, are currently doing well and staying with an experienced Woodgreen foster carer. They will then be ready to find new homes when they’re around eight to 10 weeks old.

Woodgreen features on Channel 4’s The Dog House series.