A pregnant cat carrying three kittens survived a fire that burned alive thousands of exotic pets at a market in Bangkok this week.

Rescuer Suchart Petchthai managed to save the feline during the blaze that ripped through the Chatuchak Weekend Market in the early hours of June 11.

Suchart found the cat hidden on a beam of the metal roof. He used a wooden stick to hook its body and pull it down before placing it in a cage while it was still panicking.

The cat was a female grey with black patterns on its tail, with a slice wound on its leg and blood stains, and its fur was burnt. 

Rescuers took her to the animal hospital where it is currently in a safe condition. 

Vet Clouseau Puttiporn said the cat was hospitalised at TH Animal Hospital, where an ultrasound and x-ray confirmed she was pregnant with three babies approximately a month old. 

The cat still cannot eat by herself and requires feeding assistance, while the vet administered medication that won't harm her unborn kittens.  IV saline is also administered to treat her dehydration.

Additionally, the vet discovered that four of her paws were swollen and had peeled skin, along with a burnt wound on her rear right leg, and a lung condition likely due to smoke inhalation during the fire.

Meanwhile, the team placed cages and food bait around the area to capture any potential surviving animals that might still be hidden, as they continued to hear noises indicating there could be kittens present.

Flames ripped through the parrot and fish zone of the Chatuchak Weekend Market where tropical pets are housed in hundreds of stalls. Officials said the fire started shortly before 4:30 am local time. Snakes, lizards, turtles, ducks and mice were also incinerated.

An estimated 118 stalls were destroyed or damaged in the inferno at the iconic tourist spot, which receives more than 250,000 visitors each week. It has an average of 4.5 stars from some 18,000 reviews on TripAdvisor.

PETA Senior Vice President Jason Baker called on the market to be closed down.

He said: 'For over a decade, PETA has been calling for the closure of the notorious Chatuchak market, where countless exploited animals suffer.

'Today's tragedy, in which around a thousand animals perished in a devastating fire, underscores the urgent need for action. Animals are not ours to use for our entertainment.

'Cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Washington DC have banned pet stores. PETA urges the Thai government to ensure that this facility, where captive animals suffer, never reopens.'

Police Lieutenant Colonel Nattapong Piyanamwanich of Bang Sue Police Station said officers received a report of the fire at Chatuchak Market at 4.30 AM.

He went to the scene with 12 fire trucks and a rescue team. They extinguished the fire in around an hour.

The policeman said: 'The Chatuchak District Office has set up a table for shop owners to register in order to assess the damage to each shop. Meanwhile, the forensic police will inspect the scene to investigate the cause of the fire.'