Emotional footage has emerged of over 40 cats abandoned by their owner at hoarding house in the US.

The video, captured in Northern Illinois earlier this year, shows the rescue operation as the scared cats are taken away and cared for.

According to rescuers The Cole and Marmalade team, the cats had been living for over 8 months in a hoarding situation.

"We feel that this situation had been going on for much longer, I'm just glad we were notified and managed to pull off this rescue and get the cats and kittens help!" They wrote online.