Pennsylvania - When animal rights activists from Pennsylvania took a closer look at a parked car after receiving a tip, their hearts sank: inside the car were dozens of cats crammed together.

A local resident had reported to the Pennsylvania SPCA that there were probably eight to ten cats in the car – unfortunately, the number was significantly higher.

When an SPCA team, including officer Gabriel Feliciano, approached the white Chrysler on a street corner in the city center, it quickly became clear that it must have been there for some time.

From the outside alone, the officers counted at least 20 cats that had been locked inside the car.

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They could smell a horrible stench coming from the vehicle, which was presumably caused by the animals' excrement.

"We were stunned and concerned at the amount of cats that were being kept in the car along with the conditions they were living in," the officer told The Dodo.

Thanks to dedicated local residents, the animal welfare officers were quickly able to track down the owner of the car.

Together with him, the car was opened, and all the cats were loaded into transport boxes.

This revealed even more four-legged friends. A total of 29 animals were rescued from the car.

"Some were thin, some needed to be treated for ear mites, some were missing hair," Feliciano explained.

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"They certainly needed us, and to be out of that car!"

A black tomcat called "Bubu" was of particular concern to the rescuers.

The kitty was malnourished, had several wounds, and was suffering from various ailments.

If he had not been rescued and taken to a vet immediately, he would probably not have survived much longer in the car.

Fortunately, all the car cats were rescued.

"They're getting the care they need and deserve now, and are recovering," Feliciano said happily. "And most are up for adoption if they haven't already been adopted."