Animal rescue groups say three cats were safely trapped overnight inside a Sheepshead Bay building.

They claim the cats had to be rescued because they were trapped inside the building, which is leased by the Beachbrook Therapeutic Nursery School.

Advocates had gathered outside the property earlier this week, pushing for access to the building, which is owned by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and leased to the school.

“NYCHA needs to open the doors. Nobody has access to get in,” said Suzanne Hernadez, from Save the Strays Animal Rescue.

Over the weekend, NYCHA said one cat was found unharmed and released.

It said in a statement, “At this time, there is no evidence of additional cats in the space.”

However, animal rescue teams say they were granted access on Wednesday by Rachel, the executive director of the nursery school, and were able to set humane traps inside the building.

“And then we trapped three cats,” said Olga Hudyno, owner of Midwood Kitty Cats. “This is why we were asking to get the access in the first place.”

Two of the cats are now in the care of Hudyno and are expected to be seen by a veterinarian on Friday. The third cat is being cared for by the rescue organization Puppy Kitty NYCity.

The rescue teams involved are Midwood Kitty Cat, Ama Animal Rescue, Greenpoint Cats and Puppy Kitty NYCity.

Rescue teams say they will continue monitoring the area in case more cats are in the building. They are hoping the cats will be up for adoption soon.

NYCHA released the following statement:

"NYCHA continues to respond to concerns of cats located within the Nursery School on the Sheepshead Bay campus and is staunchly dedicated to their safe retrieval. NYCHA staff trained in safe trapping and removal have continued to conduct regular searches, having safely removed two live, unharmed cats to date. The Authority, in coordination with the relevant and responsible city agencies, continues to surveil the space via a video monitoring system, place food and water, and conduct regular searches to locate and safely remove any cats that enter the location. NYCHA is dedicated to keeping thousands of animals housed with their human families in public housing throughout our 335 developments and is deeply committed to the welfare of all animals, particularly outdoor cats who may be at-risk and vulnerable.”