Animals

Rescued Landfill Kittens “Doing Really Well” After Dramatic Crusher Discovery

Good News Post

Apr 21, 2026 — 2 min read

Image for illustrative purposes - credit Diana via pexels

By Animals Correspondent

A litter of kittens, only around two weeks old, are recovering strongly after being discovered inside machinery at a landfill site.

The five kittens, thought to be born to a stray cat, were found by workers at a waste facility in Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire.

Staff noticed them while inspecting equipment before restarting operations.

Mark Lambourne, who runs Shelter Paws Cat Rescue, was contacted and stepped in to collect the animals. He is now looking after them as they regain strength.

Although the kittens were dirty when first found, Lambourne said they have made excellent progress and have already gained about 100g each since being rescued.

Workers had been checking a crusher that had been inactive for several days when they spotted the kittens—three males and two females—huddled together at the bottom.

“The machine had been off for a few days and before they put it back on they did a quick service,” Lambourne told the BBC.

“They were looking at the machine and found five kittens at the bottom of it. I went right down and got them, they'd put them in a cardboard box for me,” he added.

At the time of the rescue, each kitten weighed roughly 100g, but their weight has since doubled as they continue to recover.

Lambourne is currently providing intensive care, feeding the kittens every three hours throughout the night.

“I’m doing syringe-feeding at the moment,” he told the BBC. “They’ve opened their eyes and are doing really good now, crawling around and making a lot of noise.”

A fundraising effort has been launched to support Shelter Paws Cat Rescue, helping to cover the costs of caring for the kittens and other animals in need.

Visit Shelter Paws Facebook page here

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