This is the heartwarming moment a mother cat and her two kittens were rescued after she gave birth in a car engine.

The trapped cat family was discovered after the car owner heard them crying when she arrived at her workplace in Ayutthaya province, Thailand.

Nida Jantawong, 36, worried that the moggies could be hurt as they were inside the engine as she travelled for at least 20 minutes so she called the rescue team for help.

When the rescue team arrived, they searched where the cats had been hiding and found them inside a cramped space under the engine.

Car owner Nida said: ‘I tried getting them out on my own but I wasn’t able to so I called the rescue team to help me. I was relieved that they did not die while I was driving.’

The rescue team reached underneath the car and looked for the right spot to pull the cats out. They loosened up the screw before successfully pulling out the newborn kittens one by one out to freedom.

After almost half an hour, the mother cat and her babies were saved. They were given fresh food and water before Nida decided to take the family home and adopt them.

Nida added: ‘Two days ago, I saw the mother cat walking around my car. I did not know that she was looking for a spot to give birth. I will take care of them now.’