Indianapolis, Indiana - A woman's casual stroll took an unexpected turn when she saw someone placing a cardboard box next to a dumpster. Her gut instantly told her to take a look inside the box. That moment intuition would end up saving a lot of cat lives!

The woman, who works as a volunteer at the IndyHumane animal shelter in Indianapolis, had been walking one of the shelter's dogs that evening when she observed the unknown person with the cardboard box.

She immediately noticed the two air holes in the box, as well as two cats staring at her from inside.

Together with another employee, she immediately took the box to the shelter, as it was going to be a freezing cold winter night with snow.

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"After picking it up, she was like, 'This feels a lot heavier than two cats,'" Jenna Kaufman, IndyHumane's marketing and social media manager, told The Dodo.

When they opened the box, they were both shocked to discover as many as 10 felines!

Fortunately, all the animals were fine.

"They were clearly loved," according to an Instagram post from the animal shelter.

"Well fed, social, clean, and used to people. And now, understandably, a little confused about how they ended up here."

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The box included two mama cats – one with three kittens, the other with two.

"They were instantly purring and super affectionate," says Jenna.

The three older cats were put up for adoption right away, while the mothers and their babies were initially placed with foster families.

Everyone is relieved that fate had sent their volunteer past the garbage dumpster at the right moment!