Three newborn kittens trapped in an industrial shredder were rescued by maintenance workers at a yard in Oyster Bay, Long Island, last Thursday.

Workers heard what one described as “screams” coming from the machinery, unscrewed the contraption and found three tiny black kittens inside. One worker covered them with a towel and called local animal rescuer John Debacker.

Debacker, 33, of Bellmore — known locally as a “catman” — pulled the kittens to safety. Video on his Facebook page shows the tiny animals purring inside the machinery. He said the shredder “would have completely obliterated them if the machine was turned on.”

The kittens are now with a bottle feeder and doing well, Debacker said, and will eventually be put up for adoption once they are old enough.

How the kittens ended up in the shredder remains unclear. The story has prompted renewed calls for businesses to check machinery and hidden spaces for stray animals before switching equipment on.