A father smashed a hole in his home's ceiling to rescue trapped kittens.

The family had been hearing soft tapping steps on their ceiling and thought they were only rats in Chiang Rai province, Thailand on May 7.

But when a neighbour asked them if they have seen their missing kittens, the residents worried that the creatures in their roof might be the newborn pets.

Footage shows the father using a hammer to break an opening on the structure. He made a hole big enough to poke inside and pulled two kittens.

Daughter Jirarat Ontakrai said: ‘My father quickly took his tools to check on the kittens. Our roof did not have much ventilation so the kittens could suffocate if the weather becomes too hot.'

The kittens were unhurt and safe. While their mother returned to the neighbour's home, Jirarat said they adopted both kittens.

She added: ‘The kittens stayed with us. With what happened, we feel like they became part of the family.'