Kumamoto, Japan - 25 cats stuck inside a shopping mall in Japan, gutted in an explosion after a major earthquake, have been rescued, the operator said Thursday, triggering huge relief on social media.

Momo, Kohaku, Tango, Shandy – a fluffy Norwegian Forest Cat – and the others were in Cat Café MOFF on the ground floor of the Aeon mall in Kashima when the deadly 7.1-magnitude quake hit on Tuesday.

The mall was evacuated, and employees returned to retrieve the cats when a huge explosion – likely caused by gas – ripped through the building, and staff "hurriedly evacuated", the café said.

At least 34 people died in the quake, according to authorities in the southwestern Kumamoto region.

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On Wednesday, with permission from the fire service, the police and the mall operator, MOFF's manager entered the building and safely rescued all 25 cats, which were unharmed.

Around 10:00 PM the same day, the animals arrived safely in the city of Hiroshima in western Japan, where the company has another cat cafe, it said.

"We were concerned about fatigue from the long journey from Kumamoto, but after arriving we provided individual care for each of them," it said.

It added that the cats were "spending their time quietly and calmly".