SEPTA workers rescue cats living in 63rd Street Station wall in West Philly

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — At the Stray Cat Relief Fund adoption center in South Philadelphia, a group of wide-eyed, playful kittens is settling in after a rather unusual rescue.

These felines weren't simply found on the street. SEPTA workers discovered a mama cat and her five kittens nestled within the walls and ceiling of the 63rd Street Station on the Market-Frankford Line.

"For the last two nights, they were trying to pull the cats out," SEPTA manager John Murphy said. "Today, they decided they had to take the wall out. The cat had been able to climb up through our system all the way to the bottom and build a little nest."

After spending the day babysitting the cat crew, Murphy handed them over to Debra DiStanisloa and her team of volunteers at the Stray Cat Relief Fund, where the cats were inspected and treated for worms and fleas.

Judging by how clean and friendly the mama cat is, DiStanisloa suspects she was once a house cat. The Stray Cat Relief Fund takes in at least 700 rescues a year, and surprisingly, this isn't the first time cats have been found at a SEPTA station.

"It's well established that there are cats living down there in the subway. We already rescued one a couple of months ago," said DiStanisloa, vice president of the Stray Cat Relief Fund. "I know that some of the workers have taken kittens home and bottle-fed them. It makes you feel good watching a live rescue like this happen ... knowing they're not going to suffer on the street."

Murphy praised his team for their dedication.

"I work with a bunch of great people," he said. "They care. They love their job. Caring, nurturing people."

If you're interested in adopting or fostering the adorable subway kittens or any of the cats at Stray Cat Relief Fund, you can apply at straycatrelieffund.org .