Maintenance workers on Long Island rescued three newborn kittens from an industrial shredder after hearing desperate cries from inside the machinery last Thursday.
John Debacker, 33, a Bellmore resident known locally as a “catman” for his daring animal rescues, told The Post that employees at an Oyster Bay maintenance yard heard “screams” emanating from the equipment. Their quick thinking led them to unscrew the contraption, where they discovered three black newborn kittens trapped inside.
One thoughtful worker immediately covered the vulnerable animals with a towel before contacting Debacker for help.
Debacker arrived swiftly at the maintenance yard and documented the rescue on his Facebook page. His video shows the newborns purring inside the machinery while an employee carefully dismantles the equipment, capturing the tense moments before the kittens’ tiny heads become visible.
“Workers at a maintenance yard heard screams coming from inside a shredder that would have completely obliterated them if the machine was turned on, but thankfully their quick thinking saved them,” Debacker wrote on Facebook.
The rescuer noted that the kittens are currently with a bottle feeder and will eventually be put up for adoption.
“They’re doing good right now,” he added.
The industrial shredder posed an especially grave threat given the animals’ size and helpless condition. Newborn kittens typically weigh only a few ounces and lack the mobility to escape mechanical hazards, making human intervention essential to their survival.
Debacker has built a reputation across Long Island for responding to difficult animal rescue situations, earning him the local nickname that preceded his arrival at the Oyster Bay facility. His social media presence documents numerous similar interventions, raising awareness about stray and trapped animals throughout the region.
The three black kittens, still too young to eat independently, now depend on bottle feeding until they reach an age suitable for adoption. No timeline has been specified for when they might become available to prospective owners.