A six-week-old kitten was nearly killed when she crept into a tumble dryer for a nap and ended up going through a complete spin cycle.

Sleepy Fudge ended up in the machine after curling up on a fluffy duvet cover inside the machine for an afternoon nap at her home in Weston-super-Mare, north Somerset.

Owner Ashlea Boon, 25, had no idea Fudge had crept in and turned the drier on to give the blanket a refresher spin. Shocked Ashlea, a nurse, pulled out the sheet after the five-minute cycle and saw her tiny new pet fall limp and lifeless to the floor.

She said: ''I pulled the bedsheet out of the dryer and she just fell out straightaway. She was limp and wasn't moving. She was dead when she came out. She was very limp and lying on the floor. I was very shocked. It was horrible."

Ashlea began gently rubbing Fudge's tummy to try to revive the tumbled tabby and she started breathing.

It took 30 minutes to bring the animal around before Ashlea could rush her beloved pet to the vets where doctors feared Fudge might have brain damage.

But the curious cat came round by the next day, and is now back at home with Ashlea, her partner Ben and their two-year-old son Jayden recovering from her ordeal.

Ashlea added a warning to pet owners to be careful when using their washers and tumble dryers.