About 47 cats have been rescued from a parked car with suffocating heat, animal welfare workers have reported.
The cats had been living in the vehicle with their owner, who had recently become homeless but did not want to leave the animals behind.
They were found in the car while parked in a rest area in the US state of Minnesota.
Temperatures in the area rose to 32ºC (90F) on Tuesday, the day the cats were rescued. Inside the car, it would have been much hotter.
Despite the heat, most cats, ranging in age from less than a year to more than 12, had only minor medical problems.
Image: Image: Animal Humane Society
Ashley Pudas, a researcher at the Animal Humane Society, said:
“And he let us help them.”
The owner had been living with the cats for some time but had not left them alone. He had previously given up 14 more cats living in the car.
Once the 47 cats have been examined and treated, they will be neutered and made available for adoption.